The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-04-12
POLITICAL


There appeared in the April 2 issue
of the New York World the text of a
private letter written by e. ii. Harri
man, the railway magnate, more than
year ago to his intimate friend, Sid
ney Webster of New York, containing
a bitter attack upon President Roose-
welt. 1t tells how week before the
election of 1904 the president had in
vited him to Washington for a confer
ence upon state politics and how, hav.
ing complied, he was asked by the
president if he would help in raising
the necessary funds to Gerry the cam
paign to a successful conclusion. The
letter says further that Hartman sug
gested that Depew be appointed am
bassador to France, so as to remove an
obstacle to harmony in the state, and
that to this the president assented.
Hartman, en- the strength of this
agreement, wrote that he came back to
New York and raised 100000 in few
hours, One-Quarter from his own peck
ct and the rest from Depew's friends,
and that these checks were given by
Treasurer Bliss to Chairman Cortelyou.
1t is intimated that some of the money
was from life insurance funds, and it
was Harriman's belief that this con-
tributiOn carried the election for the
Republicans. At later interview Har-
riman found the president unwilling to
appoint Depew.' The letter also told
how Hartman was brought into the
insurance middle 10y Hyde and Ryan
and refers TO Ryan's success as the re-
suit of moves TO cover up his tracks
by advice Of the "adroit'' Root.
On the same day that this letter was
published and while it was making q
tremendous sensation throughout the
country President Roosevelt gave TO
the afternoon papers statement
characterZing it as 4 deliberate ana
willful untruth, adding that by rights
he should use Il shorter and more ugly
word. The president had copies made
of letters which lie had written to Sher-
man, chairman of the congressional
campaign committee, and to Hartman.
His letters to Sherman last October,
when Hughes and Hearst were candi-
dates for governor of New York state,
told of conversation with Sherman
in which the president was Informed
Of Harriman's refusal to contribute to
the campaign fund, Harriman's alleged
reason being the presidents failure to
carry out n promise to appoint Depew
to the French mission as return for
Harriman's contribution to the 1904
campaign fund. Hartman was quoted
as saying that he did not care if
Hearst did win, because the Hearst
people "were crooks and he could buy
Them" and that whenever he wanted
legislation from the state legislature
he could buy it; also that he could buy
congress, and, if necessary, he could
buy the judiciary, this being the presi-
dents version OF what Sherman said
Hartman had told him. The president
wrote Sherman that this reported re-
mark of Harriman's showed a cyni-
cism and deep seated corruption which
make the man uttering such senti-
ments and boasting, 10 matter how
falsely, of his power TO perform such
crimes at least as undesirable n citi-
zen as Debs or Meyer or Haywood"
He added that ii is because we have
capitalists capable of uttering such
sentiments and capable of acting on
them that there is strength behind sin
lister agtators Of the Hearst type" and
said that the wealthy corruptonist and
the demagogue who eXcites class
against class are alike and equally en-
emies Of the republic"
In connection with the Sherman let
ter the president made public also his
correspondence with Hartman. In the
course of which he spoke of his desire
to overcome the bolt against Higgins
and wrote that il Hartman did not
think IL wise to come to see him, but
was reluctant to refuse because he had
been invited by the president. the visit
should be given up until later, when
they might discuss certain government
matters, and added, you and / are
practical men" Other letters showed
that Hartman had urged the president
to omit from his message the plan of
railroad regulation by the commerce
crsa-nission. advice which was not fol-
lowed.
Later Hartman at bis Office in New
York gave cut statement saying that
the letter to Webster was substantially
correct, but that 1t had been stolen by
q discharged steDographer and sold to
the newspaper publishing It, While he
deplored its publication, be said be
could not withdraw anything in the