Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1915 — Roosevelt at Trial Bares Barnes as Paid Lobbyist. [ARTICLE]

Roosevelt at Trial Bares Barnes as Paid Lobbyist.

The trial of Theo. Roosevelt at Syracuse, N. Y., was taken up actively Tuesday. On the witness stand Roosevelt reviewed his life from the time he began to recall things up to the present. He told of the part the rough riders took in the SpanishAmerican war, of his election as governor of New York, of his election as vice-president and how he succeeded to the presidency. He told of his trips to Africa and South America and several efforts of the plaintiff’s .counsel to stop the recital failed of result. Roosevelt then told of meeting the plaintiff, Barnes, in a political way in New York in the latter nineties. He said that he had talked to Barnes about the proposed franchise tax law. Roosevelt was governor at thfft time and Barnes, according to Roosevelt, was opposing the tax and to all appearances as a paid lobbyist of the capitalists. Barnes’ attorneys objected to the reference to anything as ancient as 1899, but Justice Andrews said that the defense had a right to prove, if possible, that there existed between business and politics a corrupt alliance. “If that could be proved,” he said, “it might establish justification of this alleged libel.” Mr. Roosevelt was asked the dates of conversations with Mr. Barnes and he said that they occurred at various times from spring to fall of 1899 and that there was never any other person present when they talked. \ Roosevelt said that Barnes introduced the protest of Mr. Platt against the franchise tax bill.