THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON, D.C.

May 2, 1907 

MY DEAR MR. HENRY: 

When you, in company with Messrs. Coakley and 
Brown, called upon me this morning, I read you 
the letter I had written to the Attorney-General on 
March 25, 1906. At your request I gladly send you 
the following extract from that letter : 

"[Our duty is] if it should ever happen that we 
had any power in the matter, to see that exact jus 
tice is done these men. There must be no con 
donation of lawlessness on our part, even if the 
lawlessness takes the form of an effort to avenge 
the wrongs committed by the lawlessness of others. 
The sole question as regards Haywood and Moyer 
must be the question whether or not they can be 
shown to be guilty of this particular act, and their 
legal rights must be as carefully safeguarded as 
those of any other men. It is alleged that they 
were extradited from Colorado in a manner that 
amounted to a betrayal of their legal rights. I 
should like to have the District Attorney of 
Colorado, and if necessary the District Attorney of 
Idaho, give me such information as they can on 
this point. I should like to get from the District 
Attorney of Idaho any information that he can ob 
tain as to whether or not there has been the slight 
est disposition shown by the authorities in Idaho 
to act toward these men in an unfair or improper 
manner, or to deny them their legal rights. On 
the other hand, I should like to know whether there 
is any symptom of a miscarriage of justice in their 
favor. . . . The intemperate violence with which 
Socialistic or labor papers like that of Debs, and I 
am sorry to say some labor organizations, have in 
sisted without any knowledge of the facts upon 
treating these men as martyrs to the cause of labor, 
has unquestionably resulted in tremendous pressure 
being brought to bear upon the authorities of Idaho 
to discharge or acquit them whether guilty or inno 
cent. ... So far as the unions are anxious only to 
see that exact justice is done these men, that they 
are given their full legal rights and not condemned 
unless proved guilty of this specific act, they are 
entitled to the cordial co-operation of all just and 
fair-minded citizens. So far as by any action, or 
by murderous and treasonable language such as that 
quoted above from Debs (and others), they tend to 
bring pressure to bear upon the State authorities 
and the courts, to obstruct the course of justice, 
and to render it difficult to convict the men if guilty, 
they are equally without stint to be condemned ; and 
anything that the Federal authorities can do, in 
either event, to further the cause of justice is to 
be done." 

In response to your question it is, I trust, needless 
for me to say that if at any time you or any one else 
can submit to me any evidence showing that there 
has been a miscarriage of justice for or against 
Messrs. Moyer or Haywood, which you believe it is 
in my power to remedy, I will at once bring such 
evidence to the attention of the Attorney-General to 
have him give it the fullest consideration and to take 
thereon such action, if any, as it may be in the power 
of the Federal authorities to take. 
Sincerely yours, 

THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 

MR. JOHN S. HENRY, 

1220 Third Avenue, New York.