Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-04-25


cago chairman Of the Cook county
Moyer-HaywoOd conference, haoe
nubIjc Yesterday, President Roosevelt
replied 10 the criticisms Of his reIeh+
letter in which he referred to Moyel
and Haywood, officials Of the western
federation Of miners, charged win
jmnIicatiOn in the murder OF former
Governor Steunenberg Of Idaho as
undesirable citizens. The president
saws he regrets that any body of men
should so far forget their duty to
their country as TO, by the formation
of societies and in other ways, en-
deavOr 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 improperly in the matter
He saws he indicated no opinion as
TO their guilt Of the Steunenberg
murder, but that it was simple alb
surdity to suppose that because a
man is on trial he is free from crit
icism as to his manner o. life. He
said he might as well be assured Of
trying to influence the suits against
Hartman, some Of whose friends
had also criticised him. He said
Meyer and haywood stand as the re-
representatives. Of those who habitualIy
appear as guilty of Indictment to or
apology for blOOdshed and violence.
He added that he was profoundly In
different to the condemnation Of MIN
for his criticisms of the undesirable
types of citizens, regardless of the
power of either labor or capital. The
letter in part is as follows:
Presidents Letter in Part.
Dear Sir
| nave received your letter Of 18th
inst. in which you enclose the draft
of formal letter which is to follow.
| had been notified that several dele
cations bearing similar requests are
on the way hither. In the letter you,
on behalf of the Cook county Meyer
Haywood conference, protest against
certain language | used in a recent
letter which you assert to be de,
signed to influence the course Of JUS
tice in the case of the trial for
murder of Meyer and Haywood.
entirely agree with you that it is i'm
proper to endeavor or influence the
course of justice, whether by threats
or in any similar manner. For this
I hgun rnor2ttnH HnnnlXy
the action of such an organization
as your own in undertaking to accom-
plish this very result in this very
case of which you speak. For in
stance, your letter is headed Cook
County Moyer-HaywOod PettibOne CON
ference with headlines Death cannot
will not and shall not claim our
brothers, This shows you and your
associates are not demanding a fair
trial, or working for a fair trial, but
are announcing in advance that the
verdict Such action is fragrant in
that you will not tolerate any other
verdict. Sucn action is fragrant in
it's improperly and | join heartily in
condemning it.
Did Not Express Opinion.
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 of
life. In my letter to which you OBJ
ject. | referred to certain prOmin-
ent tinancier, Mr. Hartman, on one
hand, and to Meyer. Haywood and
Debs on the other, as being equally
undesirable citizens. It's as foolish
to assert that this was designed to in
tiuence the trial of Meyer and Hay
wood as to assert that it was designed
to influence the suits brought against
Hartman. I neither expressed nor
indicated any opinion as to whether
Meyer and Haywood were guilty of
the murder Of Governor Steunenberg.
If they are guilty they certainly
ought to be punished. II they are
not guilty they. certainly ought not
to be punished.
Discredited Labor Movement.
But no possible outcome either Of
the trial Or suits can affect my judg-
ment as to the undesirability of the
type of citizenship of those whom l
mentioned. Meyer, Haywood and
Debs stand as the representatives of
those men who have done as much
to discredit the labor movement as
the worst speculative financiers or
the most INSCRIPTIONS employers OF
labor and debauchers of legislatures
have done to discredit honest capital
lists and the fair dealing of business
men.
They stand as the representatives
of these men who by their public
utterances and manifestations, by the
utterances of the papers they control
or inspire, and by words and deeds
of those associated with or subordin-
ated to them, habitually appear as
guilty of Indictment to or apology for
bloodshed and violence.
Undesirable Citizens.
You would of course be entirely
within your rights if you merely an
nounced that you thought Meyer and
Haywood were desirable citizens,
though in such a case | should take
frank issue with you and should say
that, wholly without regard tic
whether Or not they are guilty of the
crime for which they are now beins