Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-04-04
MOST SHAMEFUL,
THIS CONFESSION
LETTERS MADE PUBLIC BY PRES
lDENT.
HARTMAN FOR HEARST
Power to Perform Such Crimes as
Corrupting to Citizenship as the
Deeds of Debs, Meyer or Haywood
Such Conditions Give Strength
to Sinister Agitators.

WASHINGTON, RpIll O.--ouS VI SAA>
most sensational features of the
Hartman correspondence given out
by President Roosevelt yesterday wa
contained in a letter from The prest
dent to }. S. sherman of New York.
The president in this letter quotes
from one that Hartman wrote Sher-
man in which Hartman refers To
railroad matters and what the presi-
dent might have to say to congress
concerning the interstate commerce.
commission. In the letter to Sher
man the president quoted hartman
as having expressed a dislike for him
(the president), and as having dc
cIared that so long as Roosevelt was
the head of the republican party Har-
riman would not support the party.
giving as a reason that Roosevelt's
determination was to have the rail
roads supervised The president
says:
Could Buy Nothing.
so much for what Mr.. Hartman
said about me personally. Far more
important are the additional remarks
he made to you, as you inform me
when you asked him. if he thought 1t
was well to see Hearstism and the
like triumph over the republican
party on inform me he told You
he did not care in the least, because
those people were crooks and he
could buy them; that whenever he
wanted legislation from a state leg
tslature he could buy it; that he
could buy congress and that if nee
essary he could buy the judiciary.
his was doubtless said in boastfur
cynicism and partly in a mere burst
of bad temper on account of his Oh
lection to the interstate commerce
law and to my actions as president
but it shows cynicism and a deep
seated corruption which make the
man uttering such sentiments, and
Boosting, no matter how falsely or
this power to perform such crimes,
at least as undesirable citizen as
Debs or Meyer or Haywood 1t is be
cause We have capitalists capable Of
uttering such sentiments and capable
of acting on them that there is
strength behind the sinister agitators
of the Hearst type. The wealthy
cOrruptionist and demagogue who eX-
cites, in press or on the stump, III
office or out of Office, class against
class, and appeals to the basest pas
sions of the human soul, are funda-
mentally alike and are equally enc.
mics of the republic. | was Mortified.
as was Mr.. Root, when you told us
today what Hartman had said to YOU
AS | say, if you meet him you are en-
tirely welcome to show him this let
ter, although, of course, it must not
be made public unless required by
some reason Of public policy, and
then only after my consent has first
been obtained"
Il feel particularly fortunate that
| have been attacked within the last
few days by both ex-senator Burton
and Mr. Hartman" said the presi-
dent in conversation with represent
atives of the press, following the Civ
tive Sherman regarding the state
ments made in Hartmann letters to
Webster.
Harriman's Reply.
New York, April Be H Harri-
man gave out the following state
ment ip response to the statement
made public by President Roosevelt
For many years / have maintained
intimate confidential correspondence
with my friend, Sidney Webster
What / wrote to him and he wrote
me was, of course, intended for our
eyes alone. In the course of a let
ter which he wrote me in December.
1905, he warned me against being
whether | had any political or party
instinct united to what he was
pleased to call my business instinct
his drew from me a reply to Web
ster's inquiry which, in substanti-
ally correct form, has been stolen and
published. This letter was written
January 2, 1906, at time when no
one could doubt ,ne cordially of my
relations with the president.
About 10 days ago | was told that
a discharged stenographer was trying
to sell to some newspaper a repro
duction from his notes of one of my
private letters. | could hardly be-
Iieye that any matter SO obtained
would be accepted or published, yet
| made every effort to prevent It.
When / learned late yesterday after
noon that New York newspaper had
a transcript of these notes, notified
the publisher at once of the facts,
and urged upon his attention the
gross outrage the publication of IL
under such circumstances would In
volVe. While deploring that the
sacredness of private correspondence
should thus be violated, | cannot
withdraw anything in the letter"
He says the president asked him to
help the New York campaign commit
tee raise necessary funds. He de-
clares he did raise the money, con-
tributing $4,000 himself.