Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-06
TOLD BY Hartman
Biography Of Capitalist Re-
fers to Campaign Fund.
DID CORTELYOU BORROW?
0dell Said to Have Made Loan From
New York Barrel.
AN APPEAL TO WHITE HOUSE
At This Crisis, Biography Says,
Roosevelt Sent for Hartman and
Besought His Assistance.
DID C0RTELY0U BORROW?
AN APPEAL TO WHITE HoUsl

cuSsion recently started by a statement
OF George R. Sheldon of New York re-
garding the Hartman Roosevelt con-
troversy about tire campaign contribution
Of the ''big interests in New York in
1904. This is in the form of extracts
from the biography Of the late T. H.
Hartman covering the relations between
the former President and the railroad
financfer
The spectacular manner In which this
biographical material Is now put forth is
regarded as indicating that large impor-
lance is attached to II as a campaign doc
ument. poss bly, working against the pros
poets Of Roosevelt for the republican nomi-
nation at Chicago in June. or against his
election IL he should become the standard
bearer of his party. Special stress is laid
upon the purported biographical attack
upon Roosevelt by Harr man In view of
the alleged reconciliation between the
former President and the large financial
interests. The matter Is OF importance
and interest at this time. even though II
is only a detailed repetit on OF statements
made by Mr.. Hartman when he was
Roosevelt.
II is contended the Hartman funl
made q difference Of about 10000 votes
In New York state and assured Roose-
tss The bs M1 Is ssa y
version Of the raising OF the fund, as
given in his biography:
In the early part of the campaign
George B. Cortelyou, as chairman of the
tered great difficulty in collecting he
enormous sum deemed necessary to bring
about the election of Roosevelt. On the
other hand. BENJAMIN B. Odell. chairman
OF the New York republican state COM
mittee. tapped the usual sources for the
sta campaign fund. The national COM
mittee was In desperate straits for the
lack Of money, and the New York state
committee loaned the national committee
upward Of 500 600. sum stated approx
mately at $4,000. with the understand
ing that 1t was to be repaid by the ma
tional committee when the state organiza-
ton was In need of funds just before
election.
loan to the national committee the latter
was unable to pay. The republican ticket,
both national and state, was in q bad way
In New York. The situation was des-
perate. and was put directly up to Mr..
Roosevelt, who was told that others had
exhausted their resources and he must
save the day for himself as well as the
state ticket In New York.
'fMr. Roosevelt sent for Mr. Hartman.
Mr.. Hartman went to the VIII te House.
In raising funds. Mr.. Hartman agreed
and raised approximately $34O.U0O: the
debt to the state committee was paid;
$1,000 votes were turned in the city OF
New York alone, the day was saved ana
Theodore Roosevelt was elected Presi-
dent
Explanation Of Mr.. Roosevelt.
The I'd Of April. 1907. PRESIDENT Roose.
welt, in a letter written for publication.
made the following explanation OF the
raising of the fund:
Il never requested Mr.. Hartman to
raise dollar for the presidential cam.
paign OF 1904. On the contrary. our
Communications as regards the cam
paign related exclusively to the fight
being made against Mr.. Higgins Tor
Governor Of New York. Mr.. Hartman
being immensely interested in the sue
cess Of Mr.. Higgins because he regard
ed the attack on Mr.. Higgins as really
an attack on him, Mr.. Hartman, and
on his friend. Gov. Odell, and he was
concerned only In getting me to tell
Mr. corteiyou to aid Mr.. Higgins as
far as he could, which gladly did"
The 18th Of last month. when the
controversy over the fund and the
manner in which 1t had been raised
and at whose instance again waxed
warm. Col. Roosevelt wrote a letter
II never directly or indirectly, in any
shape, way or form, asked Mr.. Hartman
or anybody else to contribute a 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 80 on his own initiative; and so far
from there being any request from me to
him. he made to me the request that 1
would aid him in getting the national
committee to contribute some of it's funds
for the campaign expenses of Mr.. Hig-
gins, the candidate for Governor Of New
York"
Weapon Against Roosevelt.
1t is said that the Hartman biography
will be used as a weapon against Col.
Roosevelt in the event that 1t develops
between now and the date set for its pub
ltcatioD that he is either an active or
receptive candidate for the republican
presidential nomination.
One chapter is mentioned by the
American as tending to prove that the
letter from George r. Sheldon to Col.
Roosevelt, written December 10, 1911,
merely serves to befog the real issue
involved In the campaign fund contro-
versy; Mr: Sheldon in that letter de-
treasurer Of the republican national
committee. feared the defeat of Hig-
gins for governor and went to Mr..
Hartman to explain the situation.
Mr.. Hartman thereupon calle1 sew
eral friends on the telephone says
Sheldon in that letter. and the next
day he handed Mr.. Bliss 100000 Mr..
Bliss himself raised $4,000. This sum
OF $4,000 was handed directly to
Chairman Odell and never In any way
went into the treasury OF the national
committee which had charge OF the
presidential election. I have personal
knowledge of all the within mentioned
facts"
Both Mr. Hartman and Mr.. Bliss are
dead. 1t is stated by the American, how
ever. that the Hartman biography men
tons the names OF two men who are
alive, and who. II Is said. Will cor
roborate the statement that the real fac
tor in raising the $4,000 subscription
was Theodore Roosevelt. After the ma.
from the state committee. it was thought
for a time that Roosevefs popularity
would sweep Higgins into the guber-
material ONCE, but soon this view was
found to be erroneous. Then, Il Is stated.
the screws were put on President Ro0se-
New York was in fair way to be sac
riflced for him and that 1t was up to
him to do something.
Shortly before Mr.. Harriman's death
he wrote q letter to his counsel Sidney
Webster. in which he said:
Hartman Called. to White House.
.About a week before the election in
the autumn OF 1904. when II looked GER
tain that the state ticket would 60 demo-
cratic, and was doubtful a. to Roose-
welt, he. the President, sent me a request
- % - yUo Oh IN 0fon To confer unOu the