Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-02

HAS LETTERS TO PROVE IT
Statement That Congressman sher
man Asked Him to Raise Campaign
Fund Dlsproven by Making Public
Sherman Letters-President Incensed
at the Bold Statements.

washington, April Z.-PreS1dent
Roosevelt today emphatically denied
the statement contained in letter
published in New York this morning
purporting to have been written by E.
H. Hartman to Sidney Webster of
New York. in the latter part of De-
cember last,
In Harriman's letter the statement is
made that at the request of Roosevelt
he (HarrimaiD assisted in raising a
fund of s$25O,l00 to be used in carrying
New York for the republican party at
the election which was then approach
ing. This statement the president
characterizes as a deliberate and will
full untruth--by right it should be
characterized by even a shorter and
more ugly word. 1 never requested
Hartman. to raise a dollar for the
presidential campaign of 1904.'
The presidents denial was contained
in brief statement and copies of let
ters written to Representative Sherman
of New York The letters are dated
Oct. s and Oct. II, 1906, respectively.
The president. after furnishing the let
ters to Congressman Sherman, was
assured that Hartman had not made
the statements which Sherman had
credited him with laking. Inasmuch
as tie same statements appear in ma
jor part in the letter of Hartman now
published, the president deems 1t pro-
per the letters he sent to Congressman
Sherman last October shall now them
selves be made public.
In the first letter, reference is made
to a conversation between Hartman
and Sherman, which was repeated to
the president, in which Hartman is
said TO have given as a reason for his
personal dislike OF the president, part
ly the latter's determination to have
the railroads supervised, and partly
the alleged fact that after promising
Hartman to appoint Depew ambassa-
dor to France, he, the president, failed
to do it; "and," continues the presi-
dent, Il understood you to say, he all
legged that / made this promise ait q
time when he had come down to see
me in. Washington, when l requested
him to, raise $250,0O0 for the republican
presidential campaign which was then
on"
1t appears from the conversation re-
peated to the president, that Sherman
had gone to Hartman to ask him for
a contribution for the campaign. The
president, says Hartman, also (more
than once, he thinks), urged him to
promise to make Depew ambassador,
because this would help Odell by pleas
ing certain big financial interests. The
president said he informed Hartman
that he did not believe that it would
ke possible to appoint Depew, and fur
thermore expressed his surprise at
Hartman saying that the men repre-
senting the big financial interests of
New York, wished the appointment
made inasmuch as a number of them
had written asking that the place be
given. to MIR. Hyde. Hartman, on
hastily said that he did not wish to
be understood as antagonizing him,
and would be quite willing to support
him. The president says that altho
he understood Hartman still preferred
Depew he left a strong impression that
he would be almost as we'll satisfied
with Hyde.
Some correspondence is then given
given between the president and Harri-
man, from which it appears on Oct 10.
the president said to Hartman that
in view of the trouble over the state
ticket in New York he would like to
have a few words with him. Later,
on October IA, is a letter to Hartman
in which the president says the presi-
dent says the suggestion has come to
him in roundabout way that Harri-
man did not think it wise to come in
the closing weeks of the campaign.
The president told Hartman that if he
thought there was any danger of his
visit causing trouble TO give it up. Here
the president in his letter to Sherman
says:
You will see this letter is absolutely
with any theory that
was asking Hartman to come down
to see me in my own interest
The president encloses another letter
from Hartman in his communication
to Sherman which he says he shows
Hartman did not have in his mind
ANY idea of my asking him to collect
Then follows some correspon-
dence between Hartman and the presi-
dent touching. among other things, on
the question of railroad matters and
what the president might have to say
to congress on the subject Of the in
terstate commerce commission. The
president said he was unable to agree
with Harrimans views on the matter
and lefN his massage to congress un-
as regards the interstate COM
merce law.