New-York tribune., 1907-04-24
PRESIDENT HITS BACK.
SCORES WOYER-HAYWOOD.
SQvs Their Friends, Not He, Tried
TO Influence Justice.
From The tribune Bureau

q letter written yesterday ana maze pubic
at the White House to-day. explains more fully
exactly what is meant by the phrase "at least
as undesirable a citizen as Debs. or Meyer or
HAYWOOD" which appears near the end of his
letter 10 Representative Sherman on October s.
1896 published at the height Of the Hartman
controversy three weeks ago. Since that time
some labor organizations have been manifestng
considerable irritation over the phrase in ques-
tion. which. in garbled and exaggerated FORM
has been used by agitators and opponents of the
President TO stir up animosity against him
among all classes of citizens.
THE PRESIDENTS LETTER.
The letter is addressed TO Honore Jaxon
chairman of the Cook County Meyer Haywood
conference at Chicago and is as follows
April %. 1907.
Dear Sir: ! have received your letter of the
18Th instant in which you inciose the draft of
the formal letter which is 10 follow. ] have been
notified thar several delegations. bearing similar
requests are on The way hiJher. In the lette:
you on behalf Of the Cook County Moyer-Hay-
Wood conference, protest against certain Ian
euage ] used IN recent letter, which you assert
10 be designed TO influence the course Of justice
81 the OF the trial for murder Of Messrs.
Meyer and Haywood 1 entirely agree with you
that j is improper 10 endeavor influence the
course OF justice, whether by threats or in any
similar manner. For this reason j have re-
GREETED most deeply the action OF such organiza-
lions your own in undertaking TO accomplish
speak FOR instance, your letter is headed Cook
County Meyer Haywood -Pettibone Conference"
with the headlines. Death Cannot -Will-Not-
and-ShaII-Not Claim Our Brothers. This shows
that you and your associates are not demanding
a fair trial, or working for a fair trial, but
announcing in advance that the verdict shall
only be one way and that you viii not tolerate
any other Ver0ict. Such action is fragrant in
us impropriety, and join heartily in condemn
ing il.
but il is a simple absurdity to suppose that
because any man IS on trial for a given offence
he is therefore be freed from all criticisms
upon his general conduct and manner of life.
IN my letter 10 which you object referred 10
q CcTialn prominent finanCier, Mr. Hartman
the one hand, ana TO Messrs. Meyer. Haywood
and Debs, on the other, being equally unde-
sirabe citizens II is as foolish TO assert that
mis- WAS designed 10 influence the trial OF Meyer
and Haywood as 10 assert that II was designed
10 influence the suits that have been brought
against Mr.. Hartman. / neither expressed nor
indicated any opinion as 10 whether Messrs.
Moyer and haywood were guilty OF the murder
OF Governor SIeunenberg. IL they are guilty.
they certainly ought 10 be punished II 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 un-
desirablity Of the type OF citizenship of those
whom / mentioned. Messrs. Meyer, Haywood
and Debs stand az representatives Of those men
who have done much discredit the labor
movement as the worst speculative nnanclers or
most INSCRIPTIONS employers OF labor and de-
bauchers of legislatures have done TO discredt
honest capitalists and fair dealing business men,
NOT TRUE LABOR LEADERS"
They stand as the representatives Of these
men who. by their public utterances and mani
:estoes by the utterances OF the papers they con-
tgol inspire. and by the words and deeds Of
those associated with or subordinated TO them,
habitually appear as guilty of incitement TO or
apology Tor bloodshed and violence.
II this does not constitute undesirable citizen
ship then there can never be any undesirable
citizens. The men whom denOunce represent
the men who have abandoned that legitimate
movement for the uplifting Of labor with which
have the most hearty sympathy; they have
adopted practices which cut them off from those
who lead this legitimate movement. In every
way shall support the lawabiding and upright
representatives OF labor, and in way can
better support them than by drawing the sharp
est possible line between them on the one hand
and on the other hand those preachers Of vio-
lence who are themselves the worst foes OF the
honest laboTing man.
Let me repeat my deep regret that any body
Of men should far forget their duty TO their
country as TO endeavor, by the formulation OF
societies and IN other ways, TO influence the
course OF justice in this matter have received
many such letters as yours. Accompanying
them We're newspaper clippings announcing
demonstrations paTades and mass meetings de-
signed 10 show that the representatives, of labor,
without regard to the facts demand the acQuit-
tal Of Messrs. Haywood and Meyer Such meet
ings can. Of course. be designed only 10 coerce
court or jury in rendering a verdict. and they
therefore deserve all the condemnation which
you in your letters say should be awarded to
taose who endeavor improperly to influence the
course Of Justice.
You would, OF course. be entirely within your
slsnts II You merely announced that you thought
Messrs Meyer and Haywood were desirable
ciuzens though in such Il I should take
frank issue with you and should say that wholly
without regard TO whether or not they are guilty
of the crime for which they are being tried.
tney represent as thoroughly undesirable type
OK citizenship a can be found in this country;
type which in the letter 20 which you
reasonably take exception. I showed not 10 be
eonnned 70 any one class, but 10 exist among
some representatives OF great capitalists well
as among some representatives Of wage workers.
INDIFFERENT TO CONDEMNATION"
In that letter condemned both types. Ger
taln representatives OF the great capitalists in
tuEn condemned me for including Mr.. Hartman
~ my condemnation of Messrs. Meyer and Hay
good. Certain Of the representatives of labor
y their turn condemned me because included
Aessfs. Meyer and Haywood as undesirable citi-
senS together with Mr.. Hartman. am as pro-
foundly Indifferent to the condemnation in
case as IN the other. I challenge as a right the
support OF all good Americans. whether wage
eaEners or capitalists. whatever their occupation
or creed or IN whatever portion of the country
tney I've, when condemn both the types Of bad
Stuzenship which have held up TO reprobation.
~ seems 10 me q mark OF utter insincerity 20
al uhus 20 condemn both. and 10 apologize for
sliher robs the man thus apologizing of all right
% condemn any wnOngdong in any men, rich
or poor. in public or in private life
You say you ask for a square deal" for
aessrs. Meyer and Haywood So do l. When
say square DEAR mean a square deal 20 every
one; Il Is equally violation OF the policy Of the
square deal for a capitalist 10 protest against
1enuDciation OF a capitalist who is guilty Of
Ntonsdciag, and for labor leader 10 protest
nsainst the denunciation OF a labor leader who
--aS Deen guilty Of Wrongdong. 1 stand Tor
eluel justice 10 both, and so far as In my power
ues shall uphold Justice whether the man ac-
eesed OF guilt has behind him the wealthiest
separations. the greatest aggregatiOns OF riches
~ tne country, whether he has behind him
ne most influential labor organization In the
0'1hiFy. Very truly yours. ,,-,,,.,
m, THEODORE ROOSEVELT
sf. HOnOTO JayOn chairman. No fB1 West