Three full pages, 4to, on imprinted stationery of “The Outlook” magazine. To Mr. C.S. Hawkins of the Union League Club, Philadelphia. Roosevelt discusses a story about him that was run in the Sun newspaper, which he states “is of course a willful and deliberate falsehood.” He goes on to detail exactly why the story is false and in conclusion writes the following about the Sun: “…I call your attention to what it says at the end about the story and about myself. It says: ‘This story may or may not be new, but following the events it does not seem unreasonable to believe it. Anything is in order that will help to put this man (Roosevelt) in a false position before the people of the United States.’ In other words, the Sun deliberately circulates a story as to the truth of which it admits itself to be ignorant, on the ground that anything, including the circulation of malicious falsehoods, ‘is in order’ if it can prejudice the people against me. Such conduct needs no comment, and it is absolutely typical of the average New York or Philadelphia thrust-controlled paper, and of the financial and political leaders who are opposing the progressive movement.”

William Howard Taft was elected President in 1908 with the support of his friend and predecessor Theodore Roosevelt. But Roosevelt, a dynamic leader of the Progressive Movement, soon grew impatient with Taft's relatively cautious approach to reform. Taft's dismissal of Gifford Pinchot as chief forester angered Roosevelt, an ardent conservationist. Roosevelt challenged Taft for the Republican presidential nomination in 1912, but was defeated because Taft controlled the party machinery. Roosevelt, saying he felt as fit as a bull moose, launched the Progressive party with himself as presidential candidate. His platform called for tariff reform, stricter regulation of industrial combinations, woman suffrage, prohibition of child labor, and other reforms. Roosevelt won 27% of the popular vote, running ahead of Taft but losing to the Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson. Progressive candidates for state and local offices did poorly, and the party disappeared after 1916, when Roosevelt returned to the Republican fold.