The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-05-11
PRESIDENT WRITES
PROMISED LETTER TO LABOR
READ At new YORK.
Promises to Remedy, a. Far as
Lies in Federal Power Any Mis-
carriage of Justice in Meyer
Haywood Case, that May Be
Pointed Out to Him.

New York, May EN- letter read
before the Genital Federated Union,
President Roosevelt states that If evil
dence is submitted to him showing
that there has been q miscarriage OF
justice for or against Meyer and Hay
wood, awaiting trial at Boise. Idaho,
charged with the murder of former
Gov. Steunenberg, he will bring such
evidence to the attention of the attor-
ney 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 union
committee which recently called on
the president and requested him to set
forth in general his attitude toward
the accused men and such references
as he had made to Meyer and Hay
wood as undesirable citizens"
The Presidents Letter.
The presidents letter, dated May 2,
follows:
My Dear Mr.. Henry: When You,
in company with Messrs. Coakley and
Brown, called upon me this morning,
I read you the letter had written to
the attorney general on March Is,
1906. At your request l gladly send
you the following extract from that
letter:
"'Our duty is (if it should ever hap
pen that we had the power in the
matter) to see that exact justice is
done these men. There must be no
condonement Of lawlessness on our
part, even if the lawlessness takes the
form of an efore to avenge the wrongs
committed by the lawlessness of 9th
ers. The sole question as regards
Haywood and Meyer must be the ques-
tion whether or not they can be shown
to be guilty of this particular act, and
their legal rights must be as carefully
safeguarded as those Of any other men.
1t is alleged that they were extradited
from Colorado in manner that
amounted to betrayal of their legal
rights. I should like to have the dis
trict attorney of Colorado, and, if
necessary, the distict attorney Of Ida
no. give me such information as they
can on this point.
Incorporate Utterances Denounced.
On the other hand, I would like
to know whether there is any symptom
of a miscarriage of justice in their IA
vor. The Incorporate violence with
which the socialistic or labor papers
like that of Debs, and, I am sorry to
say, some other labor organs, have in
sisted. 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 inno-
cent.
so far as the unions are anxious
only to see that exact Justice is done
oAO0O AOA Uhno CuOy olO SAVCA GAOlI
full legal rights, and not condemned
unless proved guilty of this specific
act, they are entitled to the cordial
cooperation of all just and fair mind
ed citizens. So far as by any action or
by murderous and reasonable lam
guage such as that quoted above from
Debs (and others) they tend to bring
pressure to bear upon the state author
ties and the courts to obstruct thei
course of justice and to render it 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,
to further the cause Of Justice should
be DONE
Can Submit Any Evidence.
I'm response to your question, it is,
trust, needless for me to say that
any time you or anyone else can sub
nit to me any evidence showing that
there has been miscafiage of Justice
For or against Messrs. Meyer or Hay
wood, which you believe it is in my
power to remedy, will at once bring
such evidence to the attention Of the
attorney general to have him give it
The fullest consideration, and there
upon to take such action, If any, as it
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