The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-04-24
Roosevelt Answers the Criti. cisms of His Recent Ref erence to Mover and
 Haywood.
TAXES OBIDCT0RS TO TASK
THEY, NOT HE, ARE TRYING TO
 INFLUENCE JUSTICE.

Might as Well Accuse Him of the Same in the Suits Against Harrian-Pro- f0undIy Indifferent to Condemnation for His Criticisms of Undesirable Types of Citizens, Regardless of the
 Power of Either Labor or Capital--
 Did Not Express Any Opinion as to
 Whether the Accused Men Were
 Guilty of the Murder of Governor
 steunenberg--Wfn stand for Justice
 and "squarc Deal" Whether Man
 Has Riches or Labor Behind Him.
 Washington, April 23-In a letter ad- dressed to Honore Jaxon of Chicago, chairman of the Cook county Mover Haywood conference, made public to- day, President Roosevelt replied to the criticisms of his recent letter in which he referred to Mover and Haywood, of ficials of the Western Federation of Miners, charged with implication in the murder of former Governor Stenen- berg of Idaho, as undesirable citizens" The president says he regrets any body of men should so far forget their duty to their country as to, by formation of societies and in other ways endeavor to influence justice and coerce court or jury; that they, not he, are trying to influence justice and he condemns what he calls their fragrant improprie ty in the matter. He says that he in- dicated no opinion as to their guilt of the Steunenberg murder, but that 1t was simple absurdity to suppose that because a man is on trial he is free from criticism as to his manner of life. He says he might as well be accused of irving to influence the suits against Hartman. some of whose friends had also criticised him. He says that Moy- CT and Haywood stand as representa- tives of those who habitually appear as guilty of indictment to, or apology for bloodshed, and violence. He added that he was profoundly indifferent to the condemnation of him for his criticisms of the undesirable types of citizens, re- gardless of the power of either labor or capital
 The letter follows:
 April 22, 1907,--Dear sir: have re- ceiyed your letter of the 18th inst, in which you enclose tho draft of the formal letter which is to follow. I have been notified that several delegations, bearing similar requests are on the way hither. Tn the letter to you, on behalf of the Cook county Mover Haywood conference, protest against certain lan- guage I used in recent letter in the case of the trial for murder of Messrs. Mover and Haywood. I entirely agree with you that it Is improper to endeav- or to influence the course of justice, whether by threats or in any similar manner. For this reason I have re- gretted most deeply the action of such organizations as your own in undertak- ing to accomplish this very result in the very case of which you speak. For instance, your letter Is headed: Cook County Mover Haywood -Pettibone Con- ference with headlines; Death can not, Will uDl duQ Slldll llOL Clclli Ott brothers" This shows that you and your associates are not demanding a fair trial, or working for fair trial, but are announcing in advance that the verdict shall only be one way, and that you will not tolerate any other verdict. Such action is fragrant in it's improprie- ty, and I join heartily in, condemning it.
 "But it is a simple absurdity to sup pose that because any man Is on trial for a given offense he is therefore to be freed from all criticisms upon his general conduct and manner in life. In my letter to which you object, refer red to a certain prominent financier. MT. Hartman, on the one hand, and to Messrs. Mover, Haywood and Debs on the other as being equally undesirable citizens. It is as foolish to assert that this was designed to influence the trial of Mover and Haywood, as to assert that it was designed to influence the suits that have been brought against MT Hartman. I neither expressed nor indicated any opinion as to whether Messrs. Mover and Haywood were guilty of the murder of Governor Stuenenberg, If they are guilty they certainly ought to be punished. If they are not guilty they certainly ought not to be punished.
 But no possible outcome either of the trial or the suits can affect my judgment as to the undesirability of the type of citizenship of those whom I mentioned. Messrs. Mover, Haywood and Debs stand as representatives of those men who have done as much to hiscredit the labor movement as the worst speculative financiers or most interruptions employers of labor and debauchers of legislatures have done to dlsoredit honest capitalists and fair dealing business men.
 "They stand as the representative of these men, who by their public ut terances and manifestoes, by the ut terances of the papers they control or
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