The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-04-04
Roosevelt Talks to Core
spondents About Cam
paign Contributions
BLISS IS NOW ANGRY
Declares He Is mo Chicken
and That Money Has
Been Spent
BY Ira E. Bennett

WASHINGTON. April B
he President is evidently greatly ex-
ercised over the maneuvers of his
erstwhile friends. particularly Harri-
man. He believes there is a conspir-
acy sfoot. composed of Hartman.
Rockefeller and Hearst interests. to
knock out the policy of Government
control Of railroads and great corpora
tons. The plan of the conspirators is
not only to- destroy Rooseveltism in
the next Presidential campaign. but to
prevent railroad legislation in the Six
tieth Congress. and. incidentally, to de-
stroy Roosevelt's influence by making
il appear that he was a party to cor
rupt campaign. contributions by the
corporations in 1904
PRESIDENT TELLS SUSPICIOUS
The President told score of news
paper men today what his suspicious
were. and the foregoing resume is the
substance of his remarks. The Presi-
dent did not explain how or why the
Hearst element had joined the Rookie
feller-H Hartman interests He merely
expressed the belief That this was the
case The big corporations which con-
tributed TO the Republican committee
in 1904 are supposed to be furnishing
much Of the information which is leak
irg out through Hartman and other
former friends of the President
Many more racy details are expected.
and politicians of all persuasions are
Intensely interested in the situation A
prominent public man who returned to-
night from New York said that Harri-
man end his allies were camping on
Roosevelts trail and would give out
more damaging matter relating to the
campaign of 1904
I'm No CHICKEN SAYS BLISS
The President" said this man to-
night TO The Call correspondent, told
Bliss some weeks ago that some Of the
money contributed to the Republican
committee would have to be refunded
because of, the danger Of disclosures
that might be made at any time Bliss
replied: 7 am no chicken. Mr. President.
This money has been accepted and has
been spent. and that's all there is to
it Bliss is angry with the President.
The New York politicians say that
Odell is the man who is engineering
this new attack on Roosevelt. He and
rro~-s,,-.- 49, &c +I,sclx &c +hfe.ras er5
Hartman furnishes the material and
odell pulls the wires. Hartman pre-
tended to be looking for the poor devil
OF q stenogrs pher who sold his Sidney
Webster letter 20 the New York Amer
lean and then sold it over again to the
World
AS matter Of fact Hartman is
mighty glad the letter was stolen, and
probably his letter book is lying around
now where other hard-up stenographers
can get juicy things out of it for the
papers.
The financial interests are fran
ticaliy enraged at Roosevelt. They will
do anything to discredit him. They
think they have found an opportunity
by making it appear that he was a
party to the raising of money from cor
porations in the last campaign. The
hint is going around that they have a
lot Of interesting stun and are about to
make it public
CONTRIBUTIONS DECLINED
The President entertained a lot Of
newspaper men today and discussed
with them various phases of his con-
troversy with Hartman. He felt very
well. as usual, and cracked jokes con-
tinuaIly He did not seem TO attach
much Importance 10 Harriman's state
ment issued last night. He wanted il
Coutfnued on Page 5, Col.