The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-21
PRESIDENT WON I
TAKE BACK WORDS.
Refuses to See or Cor
respond With Henry
N. Whitney.
PUBLISHES
LETTERS PASSED
Says a Great Injustice Has Been
Done Him, But President
Can't, See It That Way
and Tells Him to
Quit Writing
to Him.
iBY Asnociated press.l

BOSTON, November oo-Henry NJ.
whitney. Democratic candidate for
Lieutenant Governor at the last cleo
ton, tonight made public correspond.
ence which had bsen passed between
ing the statements made by the Presi-
dent during an interview last winter
which was granted to committee from
Massachusetts on reciprocal trade relo-
tons. The President informed d Nus.
sachusetts committee that called on Fin
last week dn favor OF free hides that
Mr.. Whitney had deliberately mistci.rc-
sented what had occurred at las, win
ter's conference With this exper.ci:ce
in mind the President declined TO lnler
upon a discussion OF free hides with the
free hides committee. the chairman of
which was Governor William l.. D2;hats.
The statement OF Mr., Whitney during :lie5
recen t canvass in Massachusetts that he
President told him he favored rec:pro-
city with Canada was that to which the
President took exception. After the l'resi-
den had made public his addre.. 70 the
hides committee. charging Dir. Whitney
With Misrepresentation. Mr.. Wh'tn:Ss
maintained that the President hsl clr-
tasnly spoken5in favor Of reciprocity VII n
Canada on broad lines dur,ag their inter-.
view.
The Correspondence.
In the correspondence which Is given
rublicity tonight, Mr.. Whitney wrote
10 president Roosevelt that the President
had done him great Injustice in char--
ing him with wilful MISREPRESENTATION
an interview with the Presi-
dent, and expressed his regret that reel
rroclty did not have the Presidents en-;
;dorsement.
||ssIns his reply, President t. Roosevelt -
clares that Mr. N'hitney's letter furnishes
additional evidence ''of the wisdom Of
m: refusing to communicate further with
you and asserts that nothing he has
ever said has given Mr. Whitney the
slightest warrant in making the state
inent that reciprocity was not TO have
the Presidents aid. He charges Mr..
Whitney with making additional deiib-
crate misstatements. and closes by re-
fusing to grant the requested interview.
Mr.. Whitney. in his letter. says IN
part:
#"You have done me a great injustice
in publicly asserting that have wifnliy
misreprescntc your attitude on the lues
ton OF reciprocity with Canada, and that
this was done tn cowardly fashion, by
saying what ! did under conditions when
the dignity OF your high Office prevented
you from denying. may have mts-
understood you. and hence may have
been led into error. You have charged
me with an offcnse of which I am not
guilty: you have condemned me unheard.
] appeal TO your sense OF fairness for II
personal hearing.
II shall regret more than anything else
in connection with this matter that the
righteous cause of reciprocity with neigh
boring countries Of SO much value to OF,
people and to the whole Of the humrn
race Is not TO have the endorsement of
your great name and the benefit Of your
potent aid"
Presidents Reply.
The President in his reply quotes the !
last paragraph Of Mr.. Whitney's letter.;
and adds: {{7 7Jls. z II
Nothing that have said at any time
has given you the slightest warra mt for
making this assertion; and when, In the
very letter asking for an interview and
denying that you ever wilfully misrep-
scnted my previous remarks, you in
corporate anothcr deliberate misstate-
ment. YOU can hardly wonder that de-
cline to see YOU; nor would there In any
cvcnt be the slightest point In such an
Interview. In your speeches you pre-
tended to quote from memory certain 4
statements made. IN the course OF a long
conversation occurryIng nearly n, year
previous. You quoted portior" 81 what |
said-even as to those portions, your
language was lnaccula tie and all the con-
text suppressed AS a result you as
completely laisrepresented me as In the
sentence of the present letter which
quote above. II matters little whether
this w4s due TO deliberate pErpose of
dcception O. to lack in both your cpm-
tlanions md yourself. OF q nice sense OF
propriety and Of the power Of exact
thinking and Of correct apprehension
and representation OF what was said In
either event ] feel thai 1t would serve
no useful purpose again to see you or
further to correspond with you,''