Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-03
PRESIDENT AROUSED
furportsd Statement Of E b. Hartman
TmphatioaIly Denied at White House.
ALLEGED STORY OF NEW YORK POLITICS
Head Of the Union Pacific Takes Friend
Int His Confidence.
REFLECTION CAST ON SECRETARY ROOT
Members Of Cabinet Blamed Fer Some
Deals in High Finance.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE DICTATES STATEMENTS
CHIEF EXECUTIVE DICTATES STATEMENTS
Matter Handled in Letter 60 COnEreSs
man Sherman Last Year, but
Truth of Statement
Wa Denied.

WASHINGTON, April 2.-President Hoose-
welt today emphatically denied the state
ments contained in a letter published this
morning purporting TO have ben written
by E. H. Hartman TO Sidney Webster OF
New York in the latter part Of December.
1906 In Mr.. Harrimans letter the state
nnent is made that at the request of Presi
dent Roosevelt he Ofarriman) assisted in
raising a fund of S250,OO0 to be used in car
rying New York for the republican party.
The statement the president chaFac-
terizes as a deliberate and wdllful sum
truth-by right It should ne characterized
by an even shorter and more ugly word.
never requested Mr. Hartman to raise
dollar for the presidential campaign OF
1904"
The presidents denial was contained in
a brief statement and copies OF letters
written to Representative Sherman of New
York The letters are dated October and
October Il, 1905, respectively.
Statement Dictated.
The president, after furnishing the let
ters to the press, dictated the following
statement
After writing these letters to Congress-
man Sherman the president was assured
that Mr. Hartman had not made the
statements which Mr. Sherman credited
him with making. Inasmuch as the same
statements appear. in the major part, in
the letter OF Mr.. Hartman, now published
the president deems It proper that the let
ters he sent Coma ressman Sherman last
October shall now themselves be made
public"
In the first letter reference is made to a
conversation between Mr.. Hartman and
Mr.. Sherman, which was repeated to the
president, in which Mr. Hartman is said
TO have given as a reason for his personal
dislike OF the president. partly the latter's
dissemination to have the railroads super
vised and partly the alleged fact that after
promising Mr.. Hartman to appoint
Senator Depew ambassador to France, he,
the president, failed to do It. 1t appears
from the conversation repeated to the presi-
~ dent that Mr.. Sherman had gone to Mr..
Hartman TO ask him for a contribution
for the qaInpaign. -.----. ~. l.,..,t-. ~
Harriman Asked Favor.
Ths president says that Hartman aiao
urged \ pn to promise to make Mr.. Depew
ambassador because this would help Gov
ernor Oden by pleasing certain big financial
hl1arests. The president said he informed
b Hartman that he did not believe
4 would be possible to appoint Mr.. Depew
and Furthermore expressed his surprise at
his OIarriman) saying that the men rep
resenting the financial interests OF New
York wished the appointment made. mas
much as a number OF them had written.
asking that the place be given TO Mr.. Hyde
Mr. Hartman on learning Mr.. Hyde was
q candidate hastily said that he did not
wish to be understood as antaSonizing him
The preaident, 1t appearA was unwilling
to appoint either Depew or Hyde as am
bassador and also left unchanged his
recommendations to congress concerning
the interstate commerce law. notwithstand
ing suggestions and criticisms by Mr.. Har'
riman of the presidents course in that re-
gard, as expressed in certain letters which
Mr.. Hartman wrote to the president
what Caused the Denial.
NEW YORK, April 2-A sensation wai
created here today by the publication OF 6
letter written in December, 1905. and ad
dressed to Sidney Webster OF New York
and signed "E II. Hartman"
Sidney Webster Is a lawyer and a writel
on political subjects. His wife is a sister
Of stuyvesant Fish, who lost tho pres
deucy OF the Illinois Central railroad a FEW
months ago after antagonizing Mr.. Harrt
man.
Following is the letter;
''Mr. Sidney Webster, New York-Deal
Sir; am glad to see that you are In towr
talldng matters over with you.
II had printed copies OF the testimony
sent you, In hopes that you would, aftei
reading them, give me some idea OF whsr,
] stand for 1 confess that 1 feel somewha,
at sea in the whole insurance matter. Tn,
trouble originated in allowing myself 10 b,
drawn into other peoples attatrs and partly
from desire 70 help them and at thel
request. / seem to be like the fellow VIII,
got in between the man and his wife II
their quarrel
"As 10 my political instincts. to whiel
you refer In your letter OF December Is
am quite sure have none. and my beinl
at ali prominent IN the political situatioi
IS entirely due 10 President Roosevelt am
because Of my taking an active part 4
the autumn OF 1904. at his request. and hI
taking advantage OF conditions then creates
TO further his own interests. II It ha,
been premeditated plot It could not hav
been better started or carried out.
Cash Badly Needed.
About a week before the election Il
the autumn of 1904 when 1t looked certai
that the state ticket would go democrati
and was doubtful as to Roosevelt him
self, he, the president sent me a reques
/. 70 90 70 washington TO confer with hin
upon the political conditions in New Yorl
state. I compiled. and he told me he un
deFstood the campaign could not be sue
cessfuliy carried on without sufacien
money and asked II / would help them d
raising the necessary funds, as the ma
tional committee. under cOntral OF Chair
man Cortelyou. had utterly failed OF oh
taining them and there was a large amour
due nom them 70 the New York stat
committees.
Il explained TO him that thought IN
dihiculty here was mainly caused by tn
upstate leaders being unwilling 70 supper
Depew for reelection as United state
senator; that n he DepeW, could be take
care Of m some other way 1 thought mat
ters could be adjusted and the dineren
oontending elements In the party brough
into alliance aualu foTLaa