Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-24

laiit III UIS lhdltCl. AiS
says that he indicated no opinion as
to the guilt of Meyer and Haywood
Of the Steunenberg murder. but thai
1t was simple absurdity to suppose
that because a man is on trial, he was
free from criticism as to his manner
of life. He said that he might as well
be accused Of trying to influence the
suits against Hartman, some OF
whose friends also criticized him. He.
said that Meyer and Haywood stand
as representatives OF those who habit
ually appear as guilty of Indictment to
or apology for bloodshed and violence.
He added that he was profoundly in
different to the condemnation of him
for his criticisms Of the undesirable
types of citizens regardless of the pow
err of either labor or capital. The let
ter follows:
The Presidents Letter.
april %, 1907.-Dear Sir: have re-
ceived your letter of the 10Th inst, in
which you enclose the draft of the for
NAL letter which is to follow. :. l have
been notified that several delegations
bearing similar requests are on the
way hither. In the letter you. on be-
half of the Cook county Moyer-Hay-
wood conference, protest against GER
tain language / used in "a recent letter
y h you assert to be designed to
influence the course of justice in the
case of the trial for murder Of Messrs.
Mover and Haywood. entirely agree
with you that 1t is improper to, en-
deavor to influence the course of JUS
tice. whether by threats or in any
similar manner.
For this reason / have regretted
most deeply the action of such organ
izations as your own In undertaking
to accomplish this very result in the
very case of which you speak. For In
stance, your letter is headed COCK
county. Mover Haywood ettibone
conference with headlines: Death
cannot, will not, and shall not claim
our brothers.
.This shows that you and your as
sociates are not demanding fair trial
or working. for a fair trial, but are an
nouncing in advance that the verdict
shall only be one way. and that you
will not tolerate any other verdict.
Such action is fragrant in its impro-
priety and join heartily in condemns
ing 1t.
But it is simple absurdity to SUP
pose that because any man Is on trial
for given offense he is therefore to he
freed from all criticisms upon his GER
eral conduct and manner of life. In
my letter to which you object, re-
ferred to certain prominent financler,
Mr. Hartman, on the one hand, and 10
Messrs. Meyer, Haywood and Debs ON
the other, as being equally undesirsl-
Bile citizens. It Is as foolish to assert
that this was designed to influence the
trial of Meyer and Haywood as to as
sert that it was designed to influence
the suits that have been brought
against Mr. Hartman. I neither ex-
pressed nor indicated any opinion as
to whether Messrs. Meyer and Hay
wood were guilty of the murder Of
Governor Steunenburg. If they are
guilty, they certainly ought to be pun
ished. If they are not guilty, they
certainly ought not to Ne punished.
"But no possible outcome either Of
the trial or the suits can affect my
Judgment as to the undesirability of
the type of citizenship of those whom
l IlSilllOuSu. MCoSlS. N4OyOA, Lay w OJA
and Debs stand as representatives of
those men who have done as much to
discredit the labor movement as the
worst speculative financiers or most
Inscriptions employers of labor and
debauchers of legislatures have done to
discredit honest capitalists and fair
dealing business men.
"They stand as' the representatives
Of these men who by their public ut
terances and manifestoes, by the ut
terances of papers they control or in
spire, and by the words and deeds of
those associated with or subordinated
to them, habitually appear, as guilty
of Indictment to or apology for blood
shed and violence.
eff this does not constitute undesir-
able citizenship, then there can never
be any undesirable citizens. The men
whom l denounce represent the men
who have abandoned that legitimate
movement for the uplifting of labor,
with which 1 have the most hearty
sympathy: they have adopted prac-
tees which cut them off from these
who lead this legitimate movement.
In every way / shall support the law
abiding and upright representatives of
labor. and in no way can / better sup
port them than by drawing the sharp
est possible line between them on the
one hand and on the other hand, those
preachers of violence who are them
selves the worst foes of the honest la
boring men.
= .
"In that letter condemned both
types Certain representatives OF the
great capitalists, including Mr.. Halri-
man in my condemnation of Messrs.
Meyer and Haywood. Certain repre-
sentatives of labor in their turn con-
deelned me because I included Messrs.
Meyer and Haywood as undesirable
citizens together with Mr.. Hartman. ]