The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-06-02
THE ROOSEVELT VERDICT.

"A NelulCI loT Iloilttioi am So ~
ways has a tendency to lend a f%arcical
aspect to a suit. and We may cNpec
to see man. people make merry over
the six cent verdict awarded to Col
cnel Roosevelt in his now an1ou case
against the Michigan editor. 1t will
he stated that the case fizzled out,
1 that the jury placed a value of six
cents OH the reputation of a former
president of the United States, and
that the suit should never have been
brought. Let us look at a few of the
facts.
Roosevelt had occupied the highest
position to which al American citizen
can be elevated. He had accomplish
ed many things, and had occupied an
important place in the annals of his
time. He is yet a young man. active,
vigorous. and likely still to he an inn
portant factor in public affairs. He
has a family as dear to him as other
mems families are to them. For sew
eral years reports have been circulated
to the effect that Roosevelt was a
drinking man. 1t has been en1on
strated that these reports We're alb
solutely without foundation. Roosevelt
has not only not been an incorporate
man, but he has been an unusually
a~bsteminous man. Knowing this
truth about his own habits. and know
ing also the character of the stories
being circulated, what was he to do?
He could have remained silent.
Many people believe that that would
have been the right and dignitied
course for him to pursue. But had he
remained silent the runors would
have grown in number and would have
been repeated with a persistence that
would have convinced thousands Of
people that the charges were true.
Their circulation had already had this
effect in very large measure. for the
repetition of the accusations,
times vaguely and often more or less
explicitly. had caused many of the
former presidents friends to conclude.
reluctantly. that the man whom they
had admired, was the victim of an evil
habit. Had Roosevelt done nothing
he would ave gone about with the
consciousness that many persons
wherever he travelled. We're s%peculat-
ing on his drinking hahits-that many
in every audience that he addressed
would be asking themselves "1s he
drunk or sober?" and thai people in
his vicinity would be shifting the air
for odors Of whiskey. That would not
have been a pleasant feeling for a de-
cent, temperate man to carry around
with him for the remainder of his
days. 1t would not have been a. pleas
ant situation for the members of his
Family. And there would have been
little comfort in the thought that rum
ming parallel with the published his
tory 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-
Nelt's proper course was to demand
from the publisher of the libel a re-
traction and apology. He could have
secured this. but what would it have
amounted to? A retraction by an OBJ
scure little paper. published in a. little
corner Of Michigan, and u~nheard-of
outside the limits of a few counties.
would have had no effect on the gen.
eral credence given to a rumor which
was circulated broadcast anon nine
W million people. Most people would
never 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 circumstances
under which denial was made, would
have dismissed it with the statement
that retractions are easy to get.
Roosevelt chose another course.
Knowing Of the rumor. he waited until
Il was published in specific form. and
then he started an action which was
bound to lay all the facts bare. In
support Of his complaint that he had
been ibelled 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
there men that beyond all question:;
and Of their own personal knowledge.
Roosevelt Is a man Of correct habits
and exceedingly temperate in the use
Of intoxicants. The men who are tes-
tined thus know what they are talk
ing about. and they are not perturers.
Roosevelt sought the public vindi-
cation Of his good name. not money
damages. By securing the recording
OF this evidence in a proper court, by
placing his witnesses in a position
where they were subject to cross ques-
tioning. and where their testimony
could be analysed and sifted by his
adversary, and by putting his u
IN . position where IL he had any facts
no was bound to produce them, and
whefe. II there were any facts In ex-
lstefice, or v . had been. he must col
let and present them, and BY he ut.
ter failure Of his accuser to bring for.
Werd . single fact In support 81 his
ehaFge1. he accomplished his object.
81 . nan Of means, and does not
Nd the monsy which might have
b1eaeMAsee1 htn had hs sought 10
ae1fs4L Asvise achieved wasAt ne
- slaastsg r ~ saus Aom