The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-25
Openly Accuses President of
Unfair Partisanship.
Declares Wilson To Blame in
Backing Hearst.
CRITICS OF WILSON SUFFER
COndones Hearst, and
Stiles Critics.
Anti-Ally Publications Favored
Over Pro-Ally.

Washington, May 25.-A reply by
Theodore Roosevelt to Postmaster
General Burleson today in their con-
troversy over alleged discrimination
by the postoffice department in treat
ment of publications presented to the
senate today by Senator Poindexter,
of Washington, charged that the ad-
ministration had Played for and
against different newspapers and
magazines and that President Wilson
was directly responsible.
| The administration, Mr.. Roosevelt
declared, has condoned the anti-ally
attitude of certain publications, among
them the Hearst newspapers, while
embarrassing those that have made
| honest criticisms of the conduct Of
the war.
Has Stfflcd Critics.
.Since the war began" said Colonel
Roosevelt, the administration has
used the very great powers of the gov
ernment over the public press to stifle
honest criticism of governmental in
efficiency or misconduct while con-
| doning (Which necessarily means en-
lcouraging) pro-German. anti-ally and
their auti-American agitation in GER
tain powerful papers which defended
this inefficiency and misconduct; ano
| it has sought from congress great
addition to the already existing power
it has thus misused. I believed that
the first article of the constitution
guarantees the right of the people to
criticize truthfully the conduct of their
public servants and that this right
cannot be taken away by any law.
| During the past year, the action
of the administration, taken largely
| thru the postoffice department has
l ,,I, 10
some danger. for any American, and
| especially any newspaper. to speak
the truth if that truth be unpleasant
to the governmental authorities at
Washington.
'.The effect of this attitude has been
very marked politically. Such coer-
Give power tends to make upright
men even altho they are strong men,
cautious about telling the truth which
ought to be told. 1t forces weak men
to praise the administration wheth\r
it does we'll or ILL., 1t invites unscrup-
ulous men, who desire to serve Ger
many, to gain license to do so and to
secure advantages by praising the ad-
ministration, especially when it has
| acted wrongfully or inefficiently and
| by supporting it politically.
Accuses of Politics.
There are cases where all compe-
tent and honest observers are morally
certain that political support has been
given and is now being given to the
administration by various newspapers
especially German-American and
semi-Socialist newspapers because OF
the club thus held over them by the
adminiStrat ton
From the very nature of the case
| there can rarely be positive proof in
such cases, but as regards the most
| striking cases of favoritism, those con-
corning the Hearst papers, as COM
| pared with the suppression of Tom
| Watson's paper and the attack (for
nominally wholly different reasons) on
| the Metropolitan magazine, 1 herein
give the facts which prove exactly
what I have alleged.
! THE postmaster general has raised
the issue; I meet it squarely; and he
| shall not evade it. The administra-
ton has successfully endeavored to
prevent expression of opinion hostile
to it and to put premium upon sup
| porting the president personally and
| politically without regard to whether
| his actions are detrimental or benefi-
cial to the country"
Creel Is Assailed.
Colonel Roosevelt also assailed
Chairman Creel of the committee on
| public information and in imputing re-
sponsibility for the acts of the post
master general and Mr.. Creel said:
Il deal with Mr.. Burleson and his
actions purely because he is a rep
resentative of President Wilson, ex-
actly asais Secretary Baker; exactly
| as is Mr.. CreeI. President Wilson is
responsible for everything Postmaster
General Burleson and Secretary Baker
and Mr.. Creel do or leave undone
Il have scant patience with the
timidity or the folly which dares not
hold accountable the source of power
and only ventures to express dispIeas-
ure with instruments thru which the
| power is exercised. Messrs. Burle-
| son, Baker, Creel and their associates
possess no importance whatever except
that -accruing to them because it is
thru them that the president speaks
and acts or refuses or fails to act"
In attacking Creel, Colonel Roose-
welt declared he "assaiI publications
that truthfully expose shortcomings
| of the administration and without re-
gard to the facts personally and thru
his bureau, actively upholds the ad-
ministration in matters such as the
aircraft program. in which there have
| been grave governmental shortcom-
i ings-"
The Work OF Partisans.
This is partisan political propa-
ganda of the very worst type" the
former president declared, carried on
with public moneys under the guise
of public work"
| Regarding the postmaster generals
alleged attitude toward the Hearst pa
pers. Colonel Roosevelt said:
1T is true that since we entered the
war Mr.. Hearst has at various times
issued editorials processing great pa
| triotic zeal, but it was at the very
| time when in other editorials he was
attacking the allies of America, Eng.
land and Japan. in the most offensive