The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-05-07
ROOSEVELT is FAIR.
President PIeases Oganized Labor
by Another Letter..
DEMANDS A SQUARE DEAL.

Explains Attitude In Meyer Haywood
Case and Shows He Has Directed
That Exact Justice Be Done and Any
Wrong Rishted.
New York, May Tin a letter read
here before the Central Federated La.
Dor union President Roosevelt states
that If evidence is submitted to him
showing that there has been a miscar-
riage of justice for or against Meyer
and HAYWOOD, awaiting trial at Boise.
Ida. charged with the murder of for
mer Governor Steunenberg, he will
bring such evidence to the attention of
the attorney general for such action
If any as it may be in the power of
the federal authorities to take.
The communication was the formal
reply of the president to the commit
tee Of the union which recently called
upon Mr.. Roosevelt in Washington and
requested him to set forth in general
his attitude toward the accused men
and specifically why he had referred
to Meyer and Haywood as "undesira-
Bile citizens"
In making his report the chairman,
John 8. Henry, said that the commit
tee had spent more than an hour with
the president. at which time the mat
ter in hand was thoroughly discussed.
The president siSnified his intention of
formally replying In the letter. which
the chairman then read.
Exact Justice Demanded.
Following the reading there was an
animated discussion, during which the
chairman and William Coakley, an
other member of the committee, stout
iy championed the attitude of the chief
executive. 1t was finally voted to send
a copy of the letter to counsel for
Meyer and Haywood.
In his reply the president quotes at
length from a letter written by him
more than year ago to the attorney
general, in which he said that "our
duty is OF 1t should ever happen that
We had any power in the matter to see
that exact justice is done these men
There must be no conformation of
Iawlessness on our part, even If the
lawleseness takes the form of an eff
fort to ayenge the wrongs committed
by the lawlessness of others. The sole
question as regards Haywood and
Meyer must be the question whether
or not they can be shown to be guilty
of this particular act. and their legal
rights must be as carefully safeguard
ed as those OF any other men
1T is alleged that they were extradit-
ed from Colorado in a manner that
fad 70 a Of
rights | should like to have the dis
trict attorney of Colorado and if nee
essary the district attorney of Idaho
give me such information as they can
on this point. l should like to get from
the district attorney of Idaho any In
formation that he can obtain as to
whether or not there has been the
slightest disposition shown by the au-
thorities in Idaho to act toward these
men In an unfair or improper manner
or to deny them their legal rights
ION the other hand, should like to
know whether there is any symptom
of miscarriage of justice in their ia
vor. The Incorporate violence with
which the soeialistic or labor papers
like that of Debs', and, l am sorry to
say, some labor organizations, have
insisted without any knowledge of the
facts upon treating these men as mar
tyrs to the cause of labor has unques-
tionably resulted in tremendous pres
sure being brought to bear upon the
authorities of Idaho to discharge or
acQuit them whether guilty or lnno-
cent.
Debs Denounced.
$50 far as the unions are anxious
only to see that exact justice is done
these men; that they are given their
full legal rights and not condemned
unless proved guilty of this specific
act, they are entitled to the cordial CO
operation of all Just and fair minded
citizens. So far as by any action or
by murderous and reasonable Ian
guage, such as is used by Debs
land othersl they tend to bring
pressure to bear upon the state author
tiles and the courts, to obstruct the
course of justice and TO render ii diff
cult to convict the men If guilty, they
are equally without stint to be con
demned, and anything that the fed
eral authorities can do In either event
TIC further the cause of justice is to be
done"
In the discussion that followed mo-
ton to accept the committees report a
delegate charged that the president had
evaded the issue. This called forth a
response from Delegate Coakley The
latter said that the committee consid-
cred the interview satisfactory and
that II was not up to the president to
prove that there bad been a miscarriage
of justice, but to those defending Moy.
er and Haywood"
The presidents letter was received
with applause. All were a unit In
saying 1t was fair and that If labor
asks a man to give a square deal they
should give square deal in return
After several delegates had been
heard it wasSdecided to forward copy
of the letter TO counsel for the indicted
Idaho labor leaders and let them sub
NIT to President Roosevelt any evil
dence they might have that there had
been miscarriage of justice in the
extradition of Meyer, Haywood and
Pettibone from Colorado to Idaho.
Ian MacIarsn Passes Away.
Burlington, Ia, May 7.-Dr. John
Wa fcan navi AEoo1a..-.N