The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-22
Correspondence Between T. Roosevelt and Sheldon
 Made Public
HARTMAN TOOK
 THE INITIATIVE
q Never Directly or Indirectly, in Any Shape, Way or Form, Asked MT. Hartman or Anybody Else to
 Contribute a Dollar"

New York. December 21.-The follow ing correspondence between Theodore Roosevelt and George R. Sheldon, treas urer of the republican national com mittee, was made public today
 "December 15, 1911. Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, oyster Bay, N Y:
 Dear MT. ,Roosevelt-Bver since the election of 1904 the story has been continuously published and never ae- nied. except by you, that you asked MT. E. H. Hartman to contribute money to aid in your election and that he thereupon raised or contributed s25o- 900 to the national committee fund. Knowing this to be untrue l several times suggested to my superior eil- cer, MT. c. N. Bliss, then treasurer or the national committee, that the facts in the case be plainly stated. MT. BLISS always believed that the books and accounts of the national committee were private and although always carried on by him with the highest sense or integrity and honor, he never, like all of his contemporaries. would consent to any publicity. This feeling has been changed in the past few years by the laws requiring full publicity in elec- tions. It seems, therefore, to me that now, in justice to you, the facts in the case ought to be known.
 Higgins Part
 "Evereyone knew and conceded that in the election of 1904. you would carry the state of New York by large majority. but it was generally believed that Mr Higgins would be defeated. The democrats centered their efforts on the election of their candidate for gov ernor About, week before the elec- tion MT. O'Dell, then chairman of the New York state committee, came to MT. Bliss and told him that unless he had S250.000 from the national commit tee that the state ticket would be de- feated. MT. Bliss told Chairman ODell that he had no money to give but would see what could be done. He vis- tied Mr. E. H. Hartman at his office sna axplsired to him thn urgency of. the situation as told by MT. oDell.
 MT. Hartman thereupon called up several of his friends on the telephone and next day handed MT. Bliss $160,- 900. MT. Bliss himself raised $S0,000. This sum of S240,000 was handed di- rectly to Chairman O'Dell and never in any way went into the treasury of the national committee, which had in charge the presidential election. have personal Knowledge of all the within mentioned facts. Very truly yours,
 GEORGE R. SHELDON" ''Treasurer Republican National Com mittee."
 Roosevelt's Reply
 "The outlook, 2S7 Fourth Ave.
 New York December 19, 1911.
 "Offiee of Theodore Roosevelt. "Mr. George R. sheldon, 62 Cedar street, New York City:
 Dear MT, Sheldon--I thank you for your letter, and 1 am glad that il was written. There is little for me to add to what you have ..said. I never, directly or indirectly, in any shape, way or form, asked Mr. Hartman or any body else to contribute @ dollar to aid in my election. Moreover, on the only occasion on which Mr Hartman ever spoke to me on the subject at all, he did so of his own initiative; and so far from there being any request from me to him, he made to me the request that l would aid him in getting the national committee to contribute some of it's funds for the campaign ex- penses of Mr. Higgins, the candidate for governor in New York state.
 He, at the time, stated to me that my own election was assured that the election of MT Higgins, in which he was especially interested was doubtful. and he earnestly hoped that the na- tional committee would divert some of its funds from the national to the state campaign, where the need was great and where he believed the election of Mir Higgins to be in jeopardy As shown in your letter. this was precisely what the national committee did. Very truly yours,
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT."