Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-04-03
Chief Executive Says That The Rail-
road Magnate Uttered Delhi,
crate and Wi|fuI Untruth.
WASHING POLITICAL S0ILED LINEN
Another Cropping Out of the Cam.
paign Fund Scandal of 1so4-Rai.
road Man Told Congressman Sher.
man Why He Did Not Like Roose.
vcIt
(By Associated press)

WASHINGTON, d. c.. April q
President Roosevelt today cmphati-
cally denied the statement contained
in a letter published this morning
purporting to have been written by
Il. H. Hartman to Sidney Webster OF
New York in the latter part of De-
cember 1905. In Mr.. Harrimans let
ter the statement is made that at the
request of President Roosevelt, Mr..
Hartman assisted in raising fund
of $200,000 to be used in carrying New
York for the Republican party at the
election of 1904. This statement the
President characteriZes as "a DELHI
crate and wilful untruth-by right it
should be characterized by an even
shorter and more ugly word. never
requested Mr.. Hartman to raise Il
dollar for the presidential campaign
OF 1904" The Presidents denial was
contained in brief statement and
copies of letters written to Represent
tative Sherman of New York. The
letters are dated October s all Oc-
tober -. 1906, respectively The
President after furnishing the letters
10 the press dictated the following:
After writing these letters to Con.
gresham Sherman the President was
assured that Mr.. Hartman had not
made the statements which Mr.. Har-
riman credited him with making. In.
asmuch as the same statements ap-
pear I'm the major part in the letter
OF Mr.. Hartman now published the
President deems 1t proper that the
letters he sent to Congressman Sher-
man last October. shall now them
selves be made public"
In the first letter reference is made
to Il conversation between MIR. Har-
rinan and Mr.. Sherman which was
repeated to the President, Mr. Har-
riman is said to have given .as reason
for his personal dislike for President
Roosevelt partly the latter's determi.
nation to have the railroad supervis-
cd and partly the alleged fact that al
ter promising Mr.. Hartman to ap-
point Senator Depew ambassador to
France, he. the President, failed to
do it, land" continues the President,
u understood you to say that he al
legged that | made this promise at a
time when he had come down TO sec
HE in Washington, when I requested
him to raise $250,000 for the Republi-
can presidential campaign which was
then on" Z
Wanted Financial Interests Pleased.
1t appears from the conversation
repeated to the President that MIR.
Sherman had gone to Mr. Hartman
to ask him for contribution for the
campaign. The President says that
Mr.. Hartman also (more than once
he Thinks urged him to promise to
make Mr.. Depcw ambassador because
this would help Governor Odell by
pleasing certain big financial inter.
ests. The President said he informed
Mr.. Hartman that he did not believe
1t would be possible to appoint Mr..
Depew and furthermore expressed his
surprise at his (Harriman'sl saying
that the men representing the big fl.
nancial interests of New York wished
the appointment made inasmuch as a
number OF them on learning Mr.. Hyde
was Il candidate hastily said that he
did not wish to lie understood as an
tagonizing him and would he quite
willing to support him. The Presi.
dent says that although he under
stood that he (IIarriman still pre-
ferred Mr.. Depew, he left strong
impression that he would be almost
Some of the Correspondence.
Some correspondence Is then given
between the President and Mr.. Harri.
man from which 1t appears that on
October ~ the President said to Mr..
Hartman that in view of the trouble
over the state ticket in New York
he would like to have n few words
with him. Later on October IA, I'M
letter to Mr.. Hartman in which
the President says that suggestion
had come to him in roundabout way
that Mr.. Hartman did not think it
wise for him to come in the closing
weeks of the campaign.
The President told Mr.. Hartman if
he thought there was any danger of
his visit causing trouble to give it up.
Here the President in his letter to
Mr.. Sherman says: lyon will see
that this letter is absolutely incom-
patiblc with any theory that | was
asking Mr.. Hartman to come down
to zee me i'm my own interests"
The President cncloses another let.