The Dickinson press., 1913-06-21

addressed would be asking themselves.
is he drunk or sober?" and that people
in his vicinity would be shifting the
air for odors of whiskey. That would
not have been a pleasant feeling for
a decent, temperate man to carry
around with him for the remain.
der of his days. 1t would not have
been a pleasant situation for the men,
bers of his family. And there would
have been little comfort in the thought
that running parallel with the publish
ed history of his administration, to be
read in later years. there would have
been the quiet popular understanding
that Roosevelt was a drunken president.
Again it has been said that Roose-
velt's proper course was to demand from
the publisher of the libel a %retraction
and apology. He could have secured
this but what would it have amounted
10? A retraction by an obscure little
paper. published in a little corner of
Michigan, and unheard of outside the
limits of a few counties, would have
had no effect On the general credence
given to a which was circulated
broadcast among nine million people.
Most people would eve have heard of
the retraction, and those WHO did hear
of it, if they credited the rumor in the
first place. knowing nothing of the cir
cumstances under which denial was
made, would have dismissed it with
the statement that retractions are
easy to get.
Roosevelt chose another course. Know
ing of the rumor, he waited until it
was published in specific form. and
then he started an action which wss
bound to lay all the facts bare. In
support of his complaint that he had
been libeled he had placed on the wit
ness stand a group of men who are
known throughout the nation, men of
standing and character. and a public
record was made of the testimony Of
these men that beyond all question
and of their W personal knowledge.
Roosevelt is a man of correct habits
and exceedingly temperate in the use
of intoxicants. The men who have ties.
titled thus know what they are talking
about and they are not perjurers.
Roosevelt sought the public vindica.
ton of his good name, not money dam.
ages. By securing the recording of this
evidence in a proper court, by placing
his witnesses in a position where they
were SUBJECT to cross questioning. anG
where their testimony could be analysed
ahd sifted by his adversary, and by
putting his in a position where
if he had any facts he was bound tt
produce them. and where, if there were
any facts in existence. or ever hac
been, he must collect and.. present them,
and by the utter failure of his accuse
to bring forward a single fact in sup.
port of his charges, he accomplished
his object. He is a man of means,
and does not need the money which
might have been awarded him had he
sought to secure it. Having achieved
what he desired, the clearing of his
name from connection with unpleasant
rumors. having made it impossible that
like rumors could ever again be reviv-
ed, he waived his claim for damages
and accepted the retraction which the
publisher of the charges made. Roose-
welt was entitled in law to a verdict,
which was directed. Because he had
Withdrawn his demand for damages the
damages were fixed in the smallest sum
permitted under the statute. six cents.
The suit will have the excellent effect
of setting at rest doubts and suspicious
and in some cases positive beliefs..of an
unfavorable nature concerning an emf.
nent man. 1t may have the effect of
making men a little more cautious in
circulating baseless charges of a person
al nature against public men. Let us
hope that it will.