The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-04-04
HARTMAN COMES
BACK AT PRESIDENT
WEBSTER LETTER WAS STOLEN
AND PU6LIsHED.
rs NOT A POLITICAL MANAGER
Railway Magnate Says Roosevelt in
His Published Statement Has
Done Him An Injustice
Some Correspondence.
Scripps.McRae Telegram.

Scripps-McRae Telegram.
New York, April BE. H. Hartman
has given out the following statement
in response to the statement made
public by President Roosevelt at
Washington:
81 have read the presidents state
ment. am most anxious to treat him
and his other utterances with the con.
sideration due to the high Office which
he holds. Nevertheless, | feel bound
to call attention to certain things In
regard to which he does me Injustice,
''For many years have maintained
an intimate confidential correspond.
ence with my friend, Mr.. Sidney Web
ster. What | wrote him and what nc
wrote me was, of course. intended for
our eyes alone. In the course of a
letter which he wrote me in Decem-
Der of 1905 ne warned me against -e
ing drawn into politics and questioned
whether had any political party in
stinct united to what ne was pleased
TO call my business instinct. This
drew from me the reply to Mr.. Wen.
ster's inquiry which, in substantially
correct form, has been stolen and pun-
lished. This letter was written on
jan 2, 1906, at time when no one
could doubt a cordiality of my rela.
tions with the president.
"The president dwells at length on
an assertion that he did not ask me
for funds for the presidential cam
paign' nor for mis- personal benefit.
do not deny this statement nor is it
all inconsistent with the assertions /
made in the Webster letter respecting
the interview. Therein distinctly
said:
The president sent me a request
to go to Washington to confer upon
the political conditions in New Yori
state. complied and he told me ht
understood the campaign could not be
successfully carried on without sum
cient money and asked If could help
them in raising the necessary funds,
as the national committee under
Chairman Cortelyou, had utterly fail.
ed of obtaining the same and there
was large amount due from them to
the New York state committee
IF that means anything whatever
it must be tnat he was urging me tC
help the New York state committee
and not the national committee or the
presidential campaign, except so far
as the success of the state ticket il
New York would contribute to the
national ticket.
Not a Political Manager.
What the condition of the finances
Of the New York state committee and
of the national republican committee
at that time was is well known tc
every one. That the national
committee did owe the state
committee, and that the state com
mittee was in financial straits, is no
torious. | was not a political mana
ger. | was asked to go to Washing
ton by the president in the interests
Of the state ticket. l could help t
raise money.
THAT l did help in this regard, tha
did raise funds Immediately upoI
my return from the Interview witt
the president is undeniable and to tni
fund | contributed $4,000. My inter
view with the president covered {
wide range of subjects, connected witt
the New York state campaign and
did not pretend to go over the Who'll,
matter in the Webster letter."