Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-24

|
dressed to HonOre JaXon Of Chicago.
chairman Of the Cook County Meyer
Haywood conference" made public to-
| day. President Roosevelt replied to the
| criticism Of his recent letter in which
| he referred to Meyer and Haywood Off
cialS Of I he Western Federation Of
Miners, charged with implication in the
murder Of Former Governor Steunen-
| berg Of Idaho, as undesirable citizens"
| The President says he regrets any body
OF men should 50 far forget their duty
to their country rs to, by formation OF
societies and or i'll other ways endeavor
to influence justice and coerca court or
jury that they, not he, are trying to
| influence justice and he condemns what
he calls their Migrants improperly in
| the matter. He says that he indicated no
opinion as to their guilt of the Steunen-
| berg murder, but that it was d simple
dLSurdity To suppose that because d
man is on trial. he is free from criticism
rs 10 his manner Of life. He says he
might as well he accused Of trying to
influence the suits against Hartman,
some Of whose friends had also criti..
| cised him. lie says that Meyer ana
| Haywood stand as representatives Of
those who hahitually appear as guilty
| Of Indictment to or apology for blood
! shed and violence. He added that he
was profoundly Indifferent to the con-
domination Of him for his criticisms Of
the undesirable types Of citizens, re-
gardlcss Of the power Of either labor
Of capital. The letter follows.
April y, 1907
Dear Sir: l have received y0ur let
tCr OF The 10Th instant il which lul wv
close the draft Of I'll" formal ! .trr~
y hich is ~ follow. ! have b1cn notified
,hlt several delegation bearing SINH
l;ir re,!ut~ts are Oh the way hithcr In
thc letter You. on hchalf uf TN COOK
Meyer HayWuuI conference, protest
against certain language | used in il
Irnccnt letter in the cas- If the trial for
Imurdcr nf Mcssrs& Meyer ana HAY wood
entirely agree with You that il is i'm
proper 10 ci'dcav"r ID influence the
course Of Justice, whether 10y threats or
in any similar manner. For This reason
have regretted most deeply the action
If such organizations as your own in
undertaking 70 accomplish this Very
result III tie Very ease of which YOU
speak. For instance, your letter is
hJaGCd: Cook County Meyer Haywood
PettiEone conference with the head
lines: Death cannot will-not-und-
shall-not claim our brothers, This
shows that YOU ana your associates are
not demanding 4 fair trial, ~ working
for q fair trial. but are announcing III
advance that the verdict shall W. ona
way. ANA that you will not tolerate amy
other verdict Such action il fragrant iii
its improperly and | join heartily in
condennin@ it,"
But it is i simple absurdity To sun
pose that because any man il on trial
for 4 given offence he is therefore to
be freed from all criticisms upon his
general conduct ana manner in life.
IT. my letter to which YOU object. re-
ferrcd % 4 certain prominent iinarci"r,
Mr.. Hartman On the one hand ana ~
Mcssrs Meyer. Haywood ana Dchs On
| the other, az being equally undesirable
citizens. If is az foolish to assert that.
this was designed to influence the trial
Of Meyer and Haywood. az to assert
that it was designed to influence the
suits that have been brought against
Mr. Hartman. / neither expressed
| nor indicated any opinion as to Wheth-
| or Messrs. Moycr and Haywood We're
guilty Oh Illt IlulutI bl NTbN. SItuI!til-
berg. If they are guilty they certainly
ought To be punished. If they are not
guilty they certainly ought not be pun
ished.
Gut no possible outcome either Of
the trial or the suits can affect my
| Judgment as to the undesirablity Of the
| type Of citizenship Of those whom |
mentioned. Messrs. Meyer Haywood
and Debs stand as representatives Of
those men who have done as much to
discredit the labor movement as the
worst speculative financiers or most
| INSCRIPTIONS employer Of labor and
debauchcrs Of legislatures have done
to discredit honest capitalists and fair
dealing business men.
They stand as the representatives
Of those men who by their public ut
terances and manifestos by the utter
ances Of The papers they control or in
spire ard by the words and deeds IT
those associated with or subOrdinated
to them. habitually appear as guilty of
Indictment to or apology for bloodshed
and violence.
If this does not constitute undesir-
abIs citizenship, then there can never