The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-03
IS URGED TO RAISE FUNDS
FOR NEW YORK COMMITTEE
Wlthdraws Nothing, But Says New
York Paper Bought Private Letter
From Discharged Stenographer.
Judge Parker's Statement.

New York, April 2.-E. II. Hartman is
sued the following statement in response
10 the statement made public by President
Roosevelt at Washington today:
For many years 1 have maintained an
intimate confidential correspondence with
my friends, Mr. Sidney Webster. What
] write him and what he wrote me was,
of course, intended for our eyes alone. In
the course of letter which he wrote me
in December. 1905, he warned me against
being drawn into politics, and questioned
whether | had any political or party IN
stinct united to what he was pleased to
call my business instinct. This drew from
me the reply to Mr.. Websters inquiry,
which in a substantially correct form has
been stolen and published. This letter
was written on January "a, 1906, at time
when no one could doubt the cordiaity
of my relations with the President.
Stenographer Sold Letter.
.sAbout ten days ago I was told that
a discharged stenographer was trying to
sell to some newspaper reproduction
from his notes of one of my private let
ters. 1 could hardly believe that any
matter SO obtained would be accepted or
DnDl1SleQ yet lnduc every cllOll " pc
vent it. When / learned late yesterday
afternoon that New York paper had
transcript of these notes, l notified the
publisher at once of the facts and urged
upon his attention the gross outrage that
the publication of it under such circum-
stances would involve. While deploring,
of course, that the sacredness of a private
correspondence should thus be violated,
|, lat
ter.
Il have read the Presidents statement.
am most anxious TO treat hQl.apd h,s
other utterances with consideration, uue
to the nigh office which he holds. Never
theless ! feel bound to call attention to
certain things in regard to which he does
me an injustice:
IN his letter to Mr.. Sherman he clear
ly seeks to convey the impression that
the personal interview with him in the
fall of 1904 was of my seeking and not OF
his. He says;
His diarriman's) and my letters now
before me. in the fall of 1904 run as fol-
follows: ION his return from spending the
summer in Europe on September 20; he
wrote me stating that If | thought 1T de-
srable lie would come to see me at any
time then or later.
He had been. as you remember,
delegate to the republican national con-
vention, having voted for my nomna-
ton On September % / answered his let
ter, saying at the present time there Is
; nothing for me to see you about, though
there are one or two points In my let
ter of acceptance which l would like to
have discussed with you before putting it
out. -
Quotes Roosevelt.
LET me present the facts: On June 20,
1904, the President wrote me the following
letter, which he does not include in the
correspondence published today. 1t
reached me in Europe:
White House, Washington, D. c., June
90 1904.
" Personal.
My Dear Mr.. Hartmann thank you
for your letter. AS soon as you come
home l shall want to see you. The fight
will doubtless be hot then 1t has been
real pleasure to see you this year.
Truly yours, "'THEO. ROOSEVELT
"In reply to this 1 wrote him on my
return from Europe the letter of Sep
tember 90 the opening sentences of which
he eliminated in his publication:
:" New York, September 20, 1904.
"'Dear Mr.. PRESIDENT was very glad
to receive your note of June 20 last while
] was in Europe am now getting mat
ters that accumulated during my absence
somewhat cleared up, and if you think 1t
desirable will come to see you at any
time, either now or later. 1t seems to
better shape Yours sincerely,
'E. II. HARTMAN
'''To the President, Washington
Series of Invitations.
''Then followed a series of invitations
from the White House. both by the Sec
retary and the President, urging me to
come to Washington. On October 10 the
President wrote:
-. In view of the trouble over the state
iclxa n, York I ehou11 nIlcb like
TO have few words with you. Do you
think YOU can get down here within
few days and take either luncheon or
dinner with mel?
'In October he wrote:
:" My Dear Mr.. Harriman-A sugges-
ton has come to me in a roundabout
manner that you do not wish to come to
see me these closing weeks of the cam
paign, but that you are reluctant to re-
fuse, inasmuch as I have asked you
"A funeral in my family prevented a
prompt response to the Presidents re-
peated invitation, but finally, about Oc-
tober 20. / was able to go to Washing
ton and see him.
.HThere is some difference of recollec-
ton as to what transpired at that in
terview.
Fortunately, the President himself, in
his strictly personal letter to me of
November 80. throws some light upon
what did take place. He says:
'''If you remember, when you were
down here both you and I were so in
terested in certain of the New York po-
iitical developments that I hardly. If at
all. touched on governmental matters
..Again in the same letter he says:
.As a matter of fact, as you will re-
member when you did come down to
see me. you and ] We're both so en-
gagged in the New York political situa-
tfon that we talked of little else
1.-The invitation of October 10. bade me
TO the White House to have few words
with the President. in view of the trouble
over the state ticket in New York
IT had replied on October II:
"T am giving very large part of my
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