The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-02
Ikea BOMbSHELL
Sensational Hartman Letter Is
Made Public.
Gives Details of Deal With
Roosevelt.
HE GOT THE FUNDS
Made Arrangements With Presi-
dent for Contributions.
Agreement Was That Depew
Should Be Cared For.
ROOSEVELT DENIES 1T
Characterizes Statements as
Deliberate FalsehO0d.
"Shorter and Uglier Word Night
Be Used" He Says.
ROOSEVELT DENIES 1T
Characterizes Statements as
Deliberate FalsehOod.
"ShOrter and Uglier w ord Night
Be Used" He Says.

| New York, April "A sensation
was created here today by the publi-
cation of a letter written in December
last and addressed to Mr.. Sydney Web
ster of New York and signed "E. H.
| Hartman
! Following is the letter:
MIR. Sydney Webster, No East Sew
enteenth street, New York.
Dear Sir: 1 am. glad to see that
you are in town, and hope soon to
have an opportunity of talking mat
ters over with you.
Il had printed copies of the testi-
mony sent you, in hopes that you
would, after reading them, give me
some idea of where 1 stand, for 1 con-
! fess that l feel somewhat at sea in
the whole insurance matter. The trou-
BILE originated in allowing myself to be
drawn into other peoples affairs and
partly from a desire to help them and
at their request. 1 seem to be like
the fellow who got in between the man
and his wife in their quarrel
''As to my political instincts, to
which you refer in your letter Decem-
Der 13, 1 am quite sure l have none,
and my being made at all prominent
! in the political situation is entirely due
to President Roosevelt and because of
my taking an active part in the au-
l.,
taking advantage OF conditions then
created to further his own interests
If it had been a premeditated plot it
could not have been better started or
| carried out.
! About week before the election in
/ the autumn of 1904, when it looked GER
| tain that the late ticket would go
Democratic, and was doubtful as TO
Roosevelt himself. he the president sent
me a request to go to Washington to
confer upon the political conditions in
| New York state. 1 complied and he
told me he understood the campaign
could not be successfully carried on
without sufficient money and asked if 1
would help them in raising the neces-
sary funds. as the national committee
under control of Chairman CorteIyou
had utterly failed of obtaining them and
there was large amount due from
them to the New York state committee
Take Care of Depew.
Il explained to him that L understood
the difficulty here was mainly caused
by the upstate leaders being unwilling
to support Depew for reelection as
United States sena tor; that if he De-
pew, could be taken care of in some
other way, / thought the matter could
be adjusted and the different contend
ing elements in the party brought into
alliance again. we talked over what
could be done for Depew and, finally,
he agreed if found necessary he would
appoint him as ambassador to Paris
with full belief that he, the presi-
dent, would keep this agreement, 1 came
back to New York. sent for Treasurer
Bliss who told me 1 was their last hope
and they had exhausted every other
resource. In his presence called up an
intimate friend of Senator Depew, told
him that. it was necessary in order to
carry New York state that 5000 900
should be raised at once. and if he
would help 1 would subscribe $50 000
After a few words over the telephone,
the gentleman said he would let me
know, which he did probably in three
or four hours, with the result that the
whole amount, including my subscrip-
ton had been raised.
THE checks were given to Treasurer
Bliss, who took them to Chairman Cor
telyou. If there were any among them
of life insurance companies or any
other like organizations, of course Cor
telyou must have informed the presi-
dent. 1 do not know who the subscrib-
ers were other than the friend of De-
pew, who was an individual. This
amount enabled the New York state
committee to continue its work with
the result that at least 1000 votes were
turned in the city of New York alone,
making a difference of 100000 in the
general result.
There are between 1900 and 1900
districts in Greater New Y York and in a
campaign such as that the expenditure
of, say $50 in each district for cam
paign purposes, not including the
v
more than 100000.
Some time in December, 1904 on
my way from Virginia to New York,
1 stopped and had short talk with the
president. He told me then that he
did not think it necessary to appoint
Depew as ambassador to Paris as
agreed in fact favored him for the
senate. 1 had not expected he was
the one to tell as to what would be
necessary. but he arrogated that to
himself, and I, of course, could say
nothing further. After that I used
what influence could to have Depew
returned to the. senate as considered
there had been an Implied obligation,
which should be lived up to.
Brought Him to Surface.
This is the way was brought to the
surface in the political matters as
had never before taken any active part
and had only done what I could as any
private citizen might, so you see I was
brought forward by Roosevelt in an at
tempt to help him, at his request, the
same as I was in the insurance matter
by Hyde and Ryan by their request for
my help; and in the case of Ryan
probably would have dropped the mat
ter after our first interview had it not
been for my desire to save Belmont
from taking a position for which ne
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