The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-04-10
HARRIMAN'S hot REPLY.
F1NANCIER DISCOUNTS PREsI
DENTS ASSERTIONS WITH
FACTS.
White House Charge That Hartman
Told a Deliberate Untruth Does
Not Hold Water-The Correspond
ence Produced.

| A)ONS
Not Hold Water-The Correspond
ence Produced.
New York, April 2.-E. H. Harri-
man, late tonight, gave out the fol-
! lowing statement in response to the
statement made public by President
Roosevelt at Washington today:
For many years I have maintain
ed an intimate, confidential cores
pondence with my friend, Mr.. Sydney
| Webster. What I wrote him and
what he wrote was, of course, intend
ed for our eyes alone. In the course
of a letter which ne wrote me in De-
cember, 1905, he warned me against
being drawn into politics and ques-
toned whether I had any political
or party instinct united to what he
was pleased to call my business in
stinct This drew from me the reply
to Mr. Webseer's inquiry, which in
substanu italy correct form has been
stolen and published. This letter was
written on Jan. 2, 1905, at a time
when no one could doubt the cordial
ity Of my relations with the, presi-
dent.
Work of Discharged stcnographer.
"About ten days ago I was told that
discharged stenographer was trying
to sell to some newspaper a repro
duction from his notes Of one OF my
private letters. I could hardly be-
lieve that any matters so important
would be accepted Or published, yee
I made every effort to prevent it.
When I learned late yesterday after
noon that a New York newspaper
had a transcript Of these notes, I no
tilted the publisher at once Of the
facts and urged upon his attention
the gross outrage that the publication
of it under such circumstances would
involve. While deploring, Of course,
that the sacredness Of a private cor
respondence should thus be violated,
can not withdraw anything in the
letter.
"I have read the presidents state
ment. I am most anxious to treat
him and his other utterances with
consideration due to the high office
which he holds; nevertheless, I feel
bound to call attention to certain
things in regard to which he does me
injustice.
Not of Harriman's Seeking.
seIn his letter to Mr.. Sherman he
clearly seeks to convey the impress
sion that the personal interview with
him in the fall OF 1904 was Of my
seeking and not his. He says:
ellis (Harrinan,s1 and my letters
now before me. in the fall Of 1904.
run as follows: "On his return home
from spending the summer
in Europe, on September 20,
he wrote me stating that if
I thought it desirable he would come
to sec me at any time, then or later.
Gle had been, as you remember.
delegate to the Republican national
convention having voted for my
nomination y" On Sept. 23 ans
wered his letter, saying: "At present
time there is nothing for me to see
you about, though there were one or
two points in my letter of acceptance
which I would like to have discussed
with you before putting it OUT
sLet me present the facts:
"On June 20, 1904, the president
wrote me the following letter, which
he does not include in the CORES
pondence published today. It reach
ed me in Europe.
White House.
Washington, June 90, 1904.
(Personal)
My Dear Mr. Hartman: I thank
you for your letter. AS soon as you
come home shall want to see YOU
The fight will doubtless be hot then.
It has been a real pleasure to see you
this year.
Yours very truly,
Theodore Roosevelt.
'In reply to this I wrote on my re-
turn from Europe the letter of Sept.
! % the onenin, sentences of which