UT 18, 1900
The Commoner.
7
.'j.1
N"V
'tmi
ASHINGTON CITY LETTER
On Saturday, May 12, Senator Bailey, ad-
assing the senate, charged that Mr. Roosevelt
id surrendered on the railroad and .tariff! ques-
)ns.
' "Let us have no more here or throughout
the country of this, talk of an iron man. He Is
relay, and very common clay at that."
Tho KPtinlf tnnlr nn fho rnHrnnrl hill nml lm.
is ,, v , : . l :. T. r. r .:
ineuiaceiy entereu upon me consiuerauon or tue
rmealning Allison amendments relating to the
Wurisdictiou of the federal courts over the orders
fof the interstate commerce commission.
The first of these pertained to the venue of.
; courts and provided that in cases where two or
imore carriers were affected the venue should
be in the district where either has Its principal
mce. -.
Mr. Carter defended the president against the
ttacks on him. saying that "no one familiar with
he president would charge him with cowardice, .
r his record for courage is certainly unexcelled."
Replying. Senator Bailey reneated his charces
'f inconsistency on the part of the president,
charging that he had failed to revise the tariff
and that he had receded from his decision to
call an extra session of congress to take up the
railroad question. "I love a brave man and a
.fighter," he said, "and the president is both on
"occasions," but he declared that he was without
'endurance and always allowed the loaders of his
party to swerve him from his purpose.
He said if the president had been the heroic
figure that he Is reported to be. he would have
called the republican senators and members to
gether and told them that if the right kind of
bill was not passed it would be vetoed.
"May.God save the country from such a bill
as we are getting," he said.
Court review amendments offered by Senator
Rayner and Senator Bacon were defeated.
An amendment was suggested Tjy Senator La
Follette prohibiting federal judges who hold rail
road stocks or bonds, or who use or solicit passes,
from presiding in cases arising under the pro
posed law.
"I have some respect for the judiciary," said
Senator Hale, and moved to lay the amendment ,
on the table. The motion prevailed, 40 to 27,
Senators Gallinger, LaFollette and McCumbet.
voting" in opposition.
The Allison amendment was then adopted
without division as amended.
Tillman Tells of Agreement
The Associated Press gives the following re
port of the sensational proceedings in the senate:
Senator Tillman in a lengthy statement dur
ing the Consideration of the rate bill, accused the
president of wavering on the rate bill. He re
ferred specifically to the Long Amendment, say
ing that he did so with tho purpose of making
an explanation. He said the senators would be
surprised to know that he had been in conference
with the president.
On March 31, said Mr. Tiljman, Senator
Chandler told Senator Tillman that the president
desired to get into communication with Mr. Till-
man for the purpose of getting sufficient demo
crats lined up together to defeat obnoxious amend
ments to the railroad rate bill. Mr. Chandler
quoted the president as being entirely at outs
with the senatorial lawyers, including Knox as
well ffSTSpooner and Foraker, and that the chief
executive deliberately and with care stated that
he thought there should be co-operation on the '
following basis, namely, an amendment express
ly granting a court review, but limiting It to two
points; first, an inquiry whether the commission
had acted beyond its authority ultra yires and
second, whether it had violated the constitutional
rights of the carrier.
Mr. Chandler stated that the president re
peated that he had reached a final decision that
the right of review should be thus limited; that
' thus far he would go and no farther; that his
- decision would be unalterable. Proceeding, he
said that Mr, Cbandldr had said that the president
1 had assured Jiim that he would be In 'favor of a
restriction against the issuance of exparte, injuhc
tions to meet the wishes of Senators Tillman and
. Bailey.
After informing Mr. Bailey of the purport- of
utlie Chandler interview, Mr. Tillman said that on
the next day he had told Mr. Chandler that in
.his and Mr. Bailey's opinion there would be no
. difficulty in coming to an understanding on the
basis proposed by the president. "On "the even-
ij-ing of Monday- Mr.' Chandler told me he had as
sured the president and asked him not to be ?dis- ,
turbed by the newspaper items growing .out of
the talk about Senator Long's amendment, pub
lished in the newspapers as one agreed upon at
the White House conference on Saturday. Ho
then said that he and Mr. Chandler had contin
ued their conferences and on April 5 the ex-senator
had gone to tho White House to make a
favorable report to the president. On April 8,
Mr. Chandler told him that he had conferred with
Senator Allison, asking him to intervene in tho '
conference then in progress, and that the Iowa
senator had agreed to do so. Later Mr. Allison
had seen the president.
On April 13, Mr. Chandler had advised that
he (Mr. Tillman) and Mr. Bailey see the attorney
. general. Consequently they had met that official
on the 15th, finding themselves in perfect accord
wfth him except as to a small difference In the
matter of injunction. "There was absolute ac
cord from the first on the proposition that the
court review should be limited to the inquiry
whether the commission had exceeded its au
thority or violated tho carriers constitutional
rights." Mr. Moody had thon agreed to supply
the senators with a memorandum on his views,
and had done so "and we have tho original of.
it," said Mr. Tillman.
The next day Mr. Tillman said he had seen
Mr. Moody and had assured him that twenty-six
democratic votes could be secured for the com
promise proposed, and had told him that it would
be necessary to get twenty republican votes. "It
was understood that we would work together to
get the votes necessary to pass the compromise.
The attorney general had expressed doubt of
getting enough republican votes to secure the ac
ceptance of the Bailey non-suspension proviso,
but he said he felt sure of the Overman amend
ment." Mr. Moody had, he said, assured him
that it was the fixed purpose to insist upon the
.Long amendment, and he (Mr. Tillman) had no
suspicion of a change of front until May 4, when
the presldenf had his interview with the assembled
newspaper men.
The reading of the. statement evoked many
smiles and some laughter from senators There
was especial merriment over a statement of assur
ance by the South Carolina senator that the pres
ident need not be alarmed over newspaper re
ports. He had, he said, told the attorney general
that there was no danger of the "result as to the
bill if the president should adhere to his plans.
He then had the clerk read the Moody memo
randum covering the point agreed upon as the
basis of amendments. Mr. Tillman's time ex
pired before he had completed his statement, but
he was permitted to proceed by unanimous con
sent. "He said that he and ex-Senator Chandler
had been Informed at the same time of the presi
dent's change of attitude. They had gone to--gether
to Mr. Bailey, aud all three had repaired
to the residence of Mr. Moody, "the fourth con
spirator," and had found him apparently entirely
innocent of knowledge of the change.
He admitted that he had hesitated about en
tering upon the negotiation with the president
because of his "just indignation for a past wrong,"
but he had concluded to pocket his pride in the
interests of a great cause. He also said that
Senator Allison had promised him twenty-two
votes on the republican side", hence he had felt
' justified in his assurances to the president's rep
resentatives. It would be useless to perform the
agreement, said Mr. Tillman. "The senator from
- Rhode Island (Mr. Aldrlch) has resumed control
of the republicans," ho said. As a slight murmur
of' mirth and through the senate Mr. Tillman
remarked: "The senator need' not shake his
head. But I simply want to say that he has como
nearer being unhorsed and thrown in the ditch
than at any time since I have been In here."
This produced an emphasized smile in tho
senate. Turning his attention again to the pres
ident, he said that if the president had stood
steadfast to his original declaration "we would
have won out. 'As for the treatment of me I
shall say nothing."
4 He closed by asking whether or .not the
president should be entitled to tho glory of the
legislation which was conceived in a democratic
convention,
Senator Dolllver defended the president-and
Mr. Allison.
During the adoption of the final Allison
amendment some time after Senator Tillman had
completed his statement, Mr. Lodge came into
the senate chamber. He said he had not heard
Mr Tillman, but that he had read a portion of his
statement. He said he could hardly believe that
part" In which ox-Senator Chandler was quoted
byiMr. Tillman as saying that the president
said ho had "como to a complete disagreement
With senatorial lawyers," mentioning Senators
Knox, Spooner and Foraker. Senator Lodge,
continuing, said ho had gono to the official stenog
rapher and obtained the exact sentence used by
Senator Tillman and had called up tho Whito
House by telephone that boing tho most rapid
way of reaching the president.
"I read tho sentence to the president," said
Senator Lodge, "and he said in roply that tho
statement which I read to him -attributed to him
by Mr. Chandler was a deliberate and unquali
fied falsehood; that Senator Foraker's name was
never mentioned at all In the conversations; that
Senator Spoonor's name was only mentioned by
him to express a cordial approval of Senator
Spoonor's amendment. As to Senator Knox, he
said that ho did not agree with a portion of his
proposed amendment, but thought that he made
a very strong argument for granting affirmatively
the jurisdiction or authority of the court.
"I think, Mr. President," continued Mr. Lodge,
"that It Is a more act of justice to allow this
statement to go out with that which was read
and attributed to tho late senator from . Now
Hampshire,
Ab Mr. Lodge seemed to have concluded, Mr.
Bailey asked If the senator would tell the senate
whether It was. admitted by tho executive whether
the alleged conference took place.
"I did not crogs-questlon In regard to tho
statement mado by the senator from South Caro
lina, for I did not hear tho statement myself,
and the president has not read one word of It.
I. imagine tomorrow when he has read the state
ment In full he will make reply which wlU sat
isfy tho curiosity of tho senator from Texas."
"It was not a matter of curiosity," responded
Mr. Bailey. He explained that If it were true
that the president had not held the conference,
that ought also to go Into the record, because
ho took It that the senator from South Carolina
was just as willing as the senator from Massa
chusetts that tho president of tho United States
sliould have the full benefit of the truth. "I think
it ls important," he continued, "for those of us
on this side, who had no communication, to know
whether an ex-member of this body assumed an
authority not granted to him."
Mr. Lodge made tho remark in closing that
it must be obvious to tho senator from Texas
from what he (Lodge) had road that thd president
admits fully that he had a conversation with ox
Senator Chandler on the subject, as he has had
with dozens and scores of senators of both parties
in this chamber.
Chandler's Written Statement
On Sunday, May 13, Senator Tillman issued
the following statement:
"Senator Tillman said today that on Satur
day, May 5, he Insisted on having from ex-Senator
Chandler a written statement of the various con
ferences by the latter in connection with the plan
of the president to control the railroad rate legis
lation by alliance with the democrats of the
senate, and Mr. Chandler gave him such a state
ment made prior to Saturday, May 12, and signed
by Mr, Chandler. Mr. Tillman said that he would
give out a portion of that statement relating to
the interviews of Mr. Chandler with the president
on March 31 which had become a subject mat
ter of dispute, but would retain the remainder
for use in case any other parts of his statement
in the senate on Saturday should be denied.
"The following is the portion of Mr. Chand
ler's statement given out by Mr. Tillman:
"'On Saturday afternoon, March 31, 19.06, a
friend of mine came into my office and told me of
the White House conference of that day in which
an, understanding as to a limited court review
had been reached with Senator Long and others,
and he told me that the president wished to get
into communication with the democrats and
would shortly ask me to come and see him. While
he was talking a messenger boy arrived with a
letter to me from Mr. Loeb as follows:
"'The Whito House, Washington, D. C.,
March 31, 1906. My Dear Senator Chandler: The
president would be glad to have you come to the
White House to see him at 8:30 o'clock tonight.
Will you please let the bearer' know whether you
. can come? "'Very truly yours,
"WILLIAM LOEB, Jr., Sec. to Pres.
" 'Hon. W. F. Chandler, 1421 I street.
" 'I- told the messenger I would be there.
"'At the time and place appointed the president-said
to me that he wished me to get into
communication with Mr, Tillman, Mr, Bailey and
jr, " (Continued on Page 13).
t
i
v-