05/11/1903
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu...
"The supervision of these agencies is at present limited to the police."
"The inventor of the story about Mr. Charles P. Taft, for instance, evidently supposed that at some period of the Panama purchase Mr. W. H. Taft was Secretary of War, whereas in reality Mr. W. H. Taft ..."
"All our transactions were carried on openly, and were published in detail."
"I directed or approved every action, and am responsible for all that was done in carrying out the will of the Congress; and the provisions of the law, enacted by Congress after exhaustive examination ..."