The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-06
R00sEvELT'S
LETTER ON THE
CONTROVERSY
Meyer, Haywood, Pettibone
Matter Up Sunday Be-
fore Unions.
LETTER FROM THE
PRESIDENT READ
It Shows Just How the Presi-
dent Stands on "Undesira-
BILE Citizens" Quip.
LETTER FROM THE
PRESIDENT READ

Associated Press to The Evening Times.
New York, May 6.-In a letter read
before the Central Federated Union,
President Roosevelt states that If evil
dence is submitted to him showing
that there has been a miscarriage Of
justice for or against Meyer and Hay
wood, awaiting trial at Boise, Idaho,
charged with the murder of former
Governor Steunenberg. he will bring
such evidence to the attention of the
attorney general for such action. IL
any, as it may be in the power of the
federal authorities to take.
The communication was the formal
reply of the president to the commit
tee of the union which recently called
upon the president in Washington and
requested him to set forth in general,
his attitude toward the accused men
and specifically why he referred to
Meyer and Haywood as undesirable
citizens"
In making his report the chairman
John Henry said that the committee
had spent more than an hour with the
president at which time the matter
in hand was thoroughly discussed.
The president signified his intention
of formally replying in the letter
which the chairman then read.
Following the reading there was an
animated discussion during which the
chairman and William Coakley, an
other member OF the committee,
stoutly championed the attitude of the
chief executive. 1t was finally voted
to send copy of the letter to counsel
Mnvor md Ia
In his reply the president quotes at
length from letter written by him
more than year ago to the attorney
general in which he says that 'our
duty is (if it should ever happen that
we had any power in the matter,)
to see that exact justice is done these
men"
The presidents letter follows:
The White House, Washington, May
2, '07.
My Dear Mr.. Henry: When you in
company with Messrs. Coakley and
Brown called upon me this morning
l read you the letter had written to
the attorney general on March Is,
1906. At your request l gladly sent
you the following extract from that
letter:
Our duty is Gf it should ever hap
pen that We had any power in the
matter to see that exact justice is
done these men. There must be no
condonation of lawlessness on our
part even if the lawlessness takes
the form of an effort to avenge the
wrongs committed by the lawlessness
of others. The sole question as re-
CARDS Haywood and Meyer must be
the question whether or not they can
be shown to be guilty of this particu-
lar act, and their legal rights must
be as carefully safeguarded as those
Of any other men. 1t is alleged that
they were extradited from Colorado
in manner that amounted to a be-
trayal of their legal rights. should
like to have the district attorney of
Colorado, and If necessary the dis
trict attorney of Idaho, give me such
information as they can on this point.
should like to get from the district
attorney of Idaho any information that
he can obtain as to whether or not
there has been the slightest DISPOSE
tion shown by the authorities in
Idaho to act toward these men in
any unfair or improper manner, or
to deny them their legal rights. On
the other hand should like to know
whether there is any symptom of
miscarriage Of justice in their favor.
The Incorporate violence with which
the socialistic or labor papers like
that of Debs, and I am sorry to say
some labor organizations have insist
ed without any knowledge Of the facts
upon treating these men as martyrs
fO tho cauSo Of 1ah0r hac unnuocfiOn-
ably resulted in tremendous pressure
being brought to bear up the authors
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