The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-08-25
Roosevelt Answered REQUEST
He Made for a Defense
of Last Congress.
THE MOVE A WORTHY ONE
MR.. WATSON FELT THAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS BEING DONE
AN INJUSTICE BY REPORTS
THAT HE WANTED A CHANGE.

Louis Ludlow, the well known 20
litical writer, in story sent out from
RidgevilIe, where Congressman W3t
son spoke at the Old Settlers picnic
tells the truth of how President
Roosevelt happened to write his re
cent letter to Mr.. Watson. He says
The accepted version that Speaker
Cannon invented the arrangement
which has worked out so felicitously
Of securing the presidents public ap
proval of the house of representatives
is wholly erroneous. According to a
story telegraphed all over the coun-
try Speaker Cannon, while on a visit
at Oyster Bay a few weeks ago. asked
the president to write such a letter
and when Mr.. Roosevelt inquired ito
whom it should be addressed, the
speaker said:
''Oh address it to Jim Watson. He's
good fellow.
Watson the Invent
The genesis of this skillful polite.
al movement may not be highly i'm
portant, but it certainly is interesting.
especially to Indianans, because the
scheme was incubated in the gray
matter of a Hoosier statesman
James E. Watson. Speaker Cannon
knew nothing whatever of the pres
ident's purpose to write such lette~
until Watson, at his home in Rush
vile, read the now famous epistle to
him. This was after Mr.. Cannon's
visit to Oyster Bay, while he was en-
route to his home at Danville. III.
only one-half-the big half, one
might say-of the correspondence has
yet been published. The other half
Is not for the public eye.
Mr.. Watson's letter to the presi-
dent, which drew out the latter's eco.
MUM on the house of representatives
mind that needed doctoring. 1t is
fully as intere sting as the presidents
reply.
Watson Writes to Roosevelt.
*The idea of writing such a letter
to the President came to Representa-
tive Watson in the still depths of
night several weeks ago. He had
been campaigning over considerable
portion of the country and his mind
was troubled by the trend of talk he
had heard among the people concern
ng the president and congress. He
then and there to write to
he president.
THE next day he framed a letter
With considerable care. He Informed
he president that he had spent a good
leal of time since congress adjourned
n Missouri, West Virginia and Indi-
ma and that he found quite a strong
ceiling that the president and con
sress were not in harmony, that he
lad heard it said many times that the
PRESIDENT would rather have q Demo
ratio House of Representative
elected this year than Republican
House. This idea that the president
vas secretly hoping Cor 4 Democratic
House was being told everywhere,
md emphasized. he stated.
Need for Contradiction.
Mr.. Watson asserted that he him.
elf knew what a collosal wrong was
lone the president by such reports, |
'ut that there was a tendency among |
he people to accept them at their |
ace value and to hold uo members |
# the house who are candidates Tor |
e-election as eulprits who had sought |
t every opportunity ito defeat good |
egislation and thwart the will Of -he |
resident. He recalled that while |
lembers of congress often disagreed /
With the president, just as they disa I
reed among themselves, as far as |
he main objects of legislation were |
oncerned, the president and con- |
ress stood together and co-operated |
Tithout division or discord. lie ad- |
ed that he believed the president /
ould not afford longer to permit such |
eports TO go uncontradicted.
Speedy Response.
"A response quickly came from the
resident. He replied that he would /
e glad to write letter to him WAT
on as whip of the House, disabusing
he public mind of any notion -hat
e desired a Democratic house Of rep
asentatiVes or that he was tlissat.
,fied with the assistance which he re-
eived from the last congress He
sked Mr.. Watson TO consult with
peaker Cannon and Chairman Sher- I
ian of the congressional committee. /
S TO their views on the matter They f
earthly agreed as TO the propriety of T
lie proceeding and the remainder of +
lie negotiations related 90 the details
the manner and time of giving out
le presidents letter Thus it will
e seen that while the presidents
pictolary performance has attracted
lie attention Of the country it should
OF be overlooked that James Eli Wat
1n is something of a letter-writer
imself.''