Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-06
ROOSEVELT TELLS
WHAT He MEANT
READS LETTER TO INQUIRY
COMMITTEE
Says IT There Has Been Miscarriage
Of Justice In Extradltion of Men
on Trial 1t Must Be
ReetIfied
By Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 5.-In letter
read today before the Central Fedora
tion union, President Roosevelt states
that if evidence is submitted to him
showing that there has been miscar-
riage OF Justice for or against Meyer
and Haywood, 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, If
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 union COM
mittee which recently called on the
president and requested him to set
forth in general his attitude toward
the accused men and specifically why
he had referred to Meyer and Haywood
as undesirable citizens"
Quotes from Letter
In his reply the president quoted
from a letter written by him more than
a year ago to the attorney general in
which he says that "our duty is df 1t
should ever happen that we had any
power in the matter) to see that exact
Justice is done these men,"
The presidents letter follows:
1.-THE White House, Washington. D.
c., May 2, 1907.-My dear Mr.. Henry:
When you in company with Messrs.
Coakley and Brown called upon me
this morning I read you the letter
had written to the attorney general OF
March %, 1906. At your request I
gladly send you the following extract
from that letter:
"'Our duty is Cf 1t should ever hap
pen that we had any power in the mat
teri to see that exact justice is done
these men. There must be no condona-
ton of lawlessness on our part even If
the lawlessness takes the form of any
effort to avenge the wrongs committed
by the lawlessness of others. The sole
question as regards Haywood and
Meyer must be the question whether
or not they can be shown to be guilty
of this particular act and their legal
rights must be as carefully safeguard
ed as those of any other men. 1t is
alleged that they were extradited from
Colorado in a manner that amounted to
a betrayal of their legal rights.
Wants information
'I should like to have the district at
torney of Colorado, and if necessary the
district attorney of Idaho, give me such
information as they can on this point.
I 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 disposition
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, 1
should like to know whether there is
any symptom of a miscarriage of just
ice in their favor.
1.-THE intemo~-n+a violence with which
the socialistic or labor papers like that
of Debs, and am sorry to say some
labor organs, have insisted, without any
T. H.
these men as martyrs to the cause of
labor has unquestionably resulted in
tremendous pressure being brought to
bear upon the authorities of Idaho to
discharge or acquit them whether guilty
or innocent. So far as the unions are
anxious only to see that exact justice is
done these men; that they are given
their full legal rights, and not con-
demned unless proved guilty of this
specific act, they are entitled to the
cordial cooperation of all just and fair
minded citizens. So far as by any ac-
ton or by murderous and REASONABLE
language, such as that quoted above
from Debs (and others), they tend to
bring pressure to bear upon the state
authorities and the courts to obstruct
the course of justice and to render it
difficult to convict the men if guilty,
they are equally without stint to be
eral authorities can do, in either event,
to further the cause of justice is to be
done.
I'm response to your question, it is,
trust, needless for me to say that if at
any time you or any one else can SUBJ
init to me ev' 1ence showing that there
has been a miscarriage of justice for or
against Messrs. Meyer or Haywood,
which you believe it is in my power to
remedy, / will at once bring such evil
dence to the attention of the attorney
general to have him give it the fullest
consideration and to take thereon such
action, if any, as it may be in the power
of the federal authorities to take.
Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
"Mr. John H. Henry"
In the discussion that followed a mo-
tion to accept the committees report
delegate charged that the president had
evaded the issue. This called forth a
response from Delegate Coakley. The
latter said that the committee consid-
cred the interview. and that "it was
not up to the president to prove that
there has been miscarriage of justice.
but to those defending Meyer and Hay
wood"
After several delegates had been
heard it was decided to forward a copy
Of the letter to counsel for the indicted
labor leaders and let them sub
nit to President Roosevelt any evidence
they might have that there had been a
miscarriage of justice in the extradition
of Meyer, Haywood and Pettibone from
Colorado to Idaho.