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Show THE HARRIMAN "LIFT." Tbc letter of Mr. George If. Sheldon, Shel-don, Treasurer of tbc Republican National Na-tional Committee in 1004, on tho subject, sub-ject, of tho Harrimnu activity in the way of raising money for the Republican Repub-lican campaign of that year, probably settles tbo main features of that question ques-tion for good. From this letter it appears ap-pears that 250,000 was urgently demanded de-manded by tbo State iCopublican Committee Com-mittee of Now York from tho National Republican committee, iu order to carry thnt State for ISl r. Jliggius, the VJcpub-Iican VJcpub-Iican candidate for Governor. Tbo Republican Re-publican National Commiltoa did not have the money, and it was noccssnry to raise it iu order to help !Mr. Uig-gins, Uig-gins, as all politicians agreed. It will be remembered that Judgo Tarker, at that time the Democratic candidate for President, made a- loud and bitter wail toward tbo close of tbo campaign that tholnouoyed interests of New York bad desored him and gone over to bis opponent, op-ponent, Mr. Roosevelt, tbo Republican caudidato for President. Judgo Parker said that vast amounts of money wero being raised to defeat bim and elect, Mr. Roosevelt. It appears now, from Sheldon 'u letter, that the money was required uot; for Roosevelt, but for Higgiua; and that Mr. Uarriman raised it thoro appears to be agroemcut, thus rclioving the National Republican Com-mittco Com-mittco of that obligation. It amounts to the same thing, however, whether tho money was raised iu ono way or tho other; whether it was paid originally into tho treasury of tho Republican National Na-tional C'ommilleo and thence sent to tho New York State Committeo docs not matter. Tho fact is, that tho National Na-tional Committee was appealed to for tho money, and too money was raised, as Mr. Ihuriman stated, at the instance in-stance of Mr. Roosevelt himself. But, Roosevelt deuics that bo asked Harri-man Harri-man to raiso tbis money; protesting, on the other hand, that it was Harri-man Harri-man who camo lo hint with the request for help in behalf of Higgius, who Colonel Roosovelt affirms, was in danger dan-ger of defeat, aud whom Mr. Jlarriman was very eager lo have elected. This latter part of the story looks lo us apocryphal. There is no reason iu sight why Mir. Harriman should have taken any particular iutcrcst in the election of Mr. Higgius, nor docs it appear that Mr. Higgius was in any very great dangor of defeat, for be was elected by a plurality of S0,500, which, is a pretty stiff pluralit-, even for the Stato of New York, though Rooscvcll had a plurality of .175,502 that year. As to tho matter of fact involved, whether Mr. Harriman approached Roosevelt with a request for his aid, or Roosevelt approached Harrimau, wc do uot suppose " that tbo public will have any particular difficulty in making mak-ing up its mind ns to the truth, that Roosovelt sent for Uarriman and nsked help, precisely as Harriman stated. Mir. Uarriman was not iu politics; there was no reason why ho should tako any particular interest iu Mr. iliggius's election, nor in Mr. Roosevclts cither, for that matter. Mr. Ilarriman was a railroad man; bis interest in tho election, elec-tion, if any at all, would bo on account ac-count of his railroad concerns. Mr. Barker is expressly justified in his recent re-cent statement before the Senato interstate inter-state commerce committee as to Harriman Harri-man 's reason for raising tho money. It was because Roosovelt bad agreed to make certain rccomuieudationus to Congress in behalf of the railroads, aud Mj Barker staled positively (hat these recommendations wero actually made afterwards by Roosovelt. So far, then, Mr. Barker is corroborated by tbo history his-tory of tho times, aud in his statement thoro is a prima facie verity which is eutircly lacking in Roosevelt's. Mr. irarriman was not a politician; ho was uot, oxcepj, for his railroad interests, taking any deep iutcrcst in any olcci tiou; but, iu order to get privileges and freedom for his railroads, be would, of course, on agrcomcuts reached, do what he could to advance tbo interests of tbo candidato who would meet his views. President Roosevelt, according to Mr. Barker, agreed to do this, and actually did it. And so tbc incident is practically closed, with MK Harriman Harri-man s vcrsiou of the matter well established, es-tablished, and Mr. Barker's testimony before the Senato Committee well supported. sup-ported. Mr. Sheldon has douo a service to the country in eleariug up this mutter, and Col. Roosevelt, in bis Jotter to Sheldon, Shel-don, is not able, to obscure tho facts of tho record, nor to convince that Har-. rimnit made tho advaucos, much as ho tries to do so. |