Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-24
No Opinion Expressed Regarding Guilt Or
Innocence Of stsunenberg Crime.
NO ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE COURT
Taot That Man is on Trial Does Not Bx-
empt Him from criticism.
STRONG WORD AGAINST HIS AcCUstRs
President Says Their Organization Ira
Demanding Acuuitt0I II Doing
Exactly what They Charge
Against Him.

WASHINGTON, April 2S-In a letter ao..
dressed to Honore Jaxon Of Chicago. chair
man OF the Cook County Moyer- Haywood
conference" made public today, President
Roosevelt replied to the criticisms OF his
recent letter in which he referred to Meyer
and Haywood officials CT the Western
Federation Of Miners, charged with impllca-
ton in the murder OF former Governor
steunenbcrg OF Idado as undesirable ciu-
zens."
The president says he regrets any body
Of men should so far forget their duty to
their country, as by the formation of
societies or In other way, endeavor to In
fiuence Justice and coerce court or jury;
that they not he are trying to influence
justice and he condems what he calls their
fragrant improperly in the matter. He
says that he Indicated no opinion as to
their guilt OF the Steunenberg murder, but
that It was a simple absurdity to suppose
that because a man is on trial he IS free
from criticism as TO his manner Of life
He said he might as well be accused OF
trying to influence the suits against Har-
riman, some Of whose friends had also
criticised him. He said that Meyer and
Haywood stand as representatives of
those who habitually appear as guilty OF
incitement to or apology for bloodshed and
violence
He added that he was profoundly indlf-
ferent to the condemnation Of him for his
criticism OF the undesirable types Of citi-
zens, regardless Of the power OF either labor
or capital.
Text of the Letter.
The presidents letter to Jaxon follows:
White House, April %, 19o7.-Dear Sir:
have received your letter Of the 18th inst,
in which you incose the draft Of the formal
letter which is to follow. l have been noti-
fed that several delegations bearing similar
requests are on the way hither. In the let
ter you, on behalf of the Cook County
Moyer-Haywood conference protest against
| certain language ] used in a recent letter
! which you assert to be designed to in
| fluence the course of justice in the case of
| the trial for murder of Messrs. Meyer and
! Haywood entirely agree with YOU that
! II is improper TO endeavor to influence the
1 course of Justice whether by threats or in
1 any similar manner. For this reason have
regretted most deeply the action of such
! organizations as your own in undertaking
| to accomplish this very result In the very
case of which you speak For instance
your letter is headed: Cook County
Meyer Haywood Pettlbone Conference"
!
and shall 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 will not tolerate any other YER
dict. Such action is nagrant in its inn
propriety and l join heartily in condemn
ing it.
Right of Criticism.
but is is a simple absurdlty to suppose
that because any man is on triad for a given
offense therefore he is TO be freed from all
criticisms on his general conduct and man
ner Of life. In my letter to which you OBJ
ject, referred to a certain prominent fnan-
cier, Mr.. Hartman, on the one hand, ard
to Messrs. Meyer. Haywood and Debs or
the other, as being equally undesirable
citizens. 1t is as foolish to assert that
this was designed to influence the trial of
Meyer and Haywood as to assert that Il
was designed to influence the suits that
have been brought against Mr. Hartman
l neither expressed nor indicated any opln-
ion as to whether Messrs. Meyer and Hay
wood were guilty OF the murder OF Gov
ernor Steunenberg. If they are guilty
they certainly ought 70 be punished. II
they are not guilty they certainly ought
not to be punished.
Undesirable Citizens
But no possible outcome either OF the
trial or the suits can affect my judgment
as to the undesirabllity Of the type of citi-
zenship Of those whom / mentioned Messrs.
Meyer. Haywood and Debs stands as repre-
sentatives OF those men who have done as
much to discredit the labor movement as
the worst speculative nnanciers Of most un-
scrupulous employers Of labor and debauch-
ers of legislatures have done TO discredlt
honest capitalists and fair-dealing business
men.
They stand as the representatives OF
these men who, by their public utterances
and manifestes. and by the utterances OF
the papers they control or Inspire. and ~
the words and deeds Of those associated
with o. subordinate 10 them habitually ap-
, pear as guilty OF Indictment or apology for
bloodshed or violence.
IF this does not constitute undesirable
citizenship, then there can never be any
undesirable citizens. The men whom I de-
nounce represent the men who have aban-
doned that legitimate movement for the up
? lifting Of Labor with which have the most
hearty sympathy; they have adopted prac-
tices which cut them on from those who
lead this legitimate movement. In every
way / shall support the law-abidug and
% upright rcpresentatives of labor and In nc
why can 7 better support them than by
drawing the sharPest possible line between
them on the ono hand and on the other
hand those Preachers OF violence who are
themselves the worst foes OF the honest
, laboringmen.
Attempts "a InGuencc Court
Let me repeat my deep regret that any
4 body of men should so far forget theii
} duty TO their country as 20 endeavor by
the formation OF societies and IN other
4 ways to influence the course OF justice
IN this matter. / have received many sucf
I letters as yours. Accompanying them were
G newspaper clippings announcing demonstra,
I tions. parades and mass meetings designed
a 70 show thaS the representatives OF labor
e without regard 10 the facts, demand tn,
e acqulttal OF Messrs' Haywood and Meyer
4 Such meetings can, Of course be designed
3 only 20 coerce court or jury IN rendering
o verdict and they therefore deserve all tn,
kcOndemnation which you IN EOuT IetteE "a,