The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-25

Declares It Game from the President
 Unsought and Unexpected-Says He
 Has Done Nothing Which Gives Roose-
 welt the Right to Insult Him-As to | Who Is the Gentleman in tho Matter
 He Leaves to All self-Respecting Mon
 to Judge.
 Washington, Feb 24.-Preeident | Roosevelt's action in withdrawing his l invitation to Senator Tillman to be
 present at the White House tonight at
 the dinner in honor of Prince Henry l has caused another stir in senatorial
 and official circles. The withdrawal is
 the result of the disgraceful Tillman-
 McLaurin fight in the senate Saturday. MT. Tillman, 1t appears, was first asked | to withdraw his acceptance of the in vitation, but absolutely refused. When this was made known to the president at noon the following curt note was sent to the South Carolina senator: White House, Feb. "A. The president regrets that he is com peled to withdraw the invitation to you to dine tonight at the White House. Very truly yours, Geo. B. Cortelyou, Secretary to the President
 Commenting upon the letter, MT Till man gave out the following statement:
 'The president, of course, has the right to invite any one he chooses to dine with him officially or otherwise and also has the right to withdraw such invitation. As I am not conscious of having done anything personal or of ficial which gives the president the right to insult me, I am surprised at his action. The invitation to the din- ner came to me unsought and uneXpec- tedly and so far as the withdrawal is concerned it Is a matter of absolute in- difference to me. It is the motive be- hind it which seeks to put me in the condition of unworthiness to meet the president and his guests before final ac- tion by the senate. Prince Henry, the presidents guest, comes from country
 
 any man who regards himself gentle man to promptly resent an insult and the method is by challenge to a duel That was once the custom here, but it is now obsolete. We have been forced os a people here to cling to the old An glo-SaXon rule of considering the lie di- rect as the first blow and no man could hold up his head in decent society should he, being near enough to answer the lie with blow, not to give it.
 "As for my being in contempt of the senate, which l presume is the excuse for this insult at the hands of the pres- ident, that I deny. I have been guilty of a breach of the rules and the privi- l leges of the senate. The senate was not | sitting as a court but as an executive l assembly, 1t has the right to exped me | if it sees fit, and am ready to abide by it's judgment and action. It has the | right to arrest me and to hold me in | custody until it makes disposition of my case; but it has no right to gag me, and | the president has no right to judge me | guilty of conduct unbecoming a gentle man unless he bellies all his ant ecedents which lead one to believe that he would have done just as I did under the cir As to which of us Is the gentleman in this matter, in view of the invitation to dinner at the White House and it's indecent with lrawal, I am willing to abide by the judgment of all brave and self-respect- ng men,"
 Senator Martin of Virginia, a member If the committee on naval affairs, has. accepted an invitation to MT. Tillman's place. The invitation was extended to MT. Tillman, owing to the act that he is the ranking minority member of the naval affairs committee.
 When the president decided to elini- late Senator Tillman from the list of quests, he sent for Senator Cockrell of and asked him, as a friend md democratic colleague of Mir, Till nan, to suggest to the latter the pro- 'riety of withdrawing his previous ac- eptance of the dinner invitation. The resident explained to Senator Cockrell is attitude in the matter, and said hat, in view of the cont empt proceed 1gs, MT Tillmans presence would not | c nly be an affront to the senate, but iscourtesy to Prince Henry. MT. ! 'ockrell accepted the commission, and 7 lter telephoned the president that MT. , 'illman absolutely refused to withdraw , is acceptance in response to the presi- z ent's suggestion. i The president then immediately can- i elled the invitation in note which he n ant direct to MT. Tillman. Simultane- l. usly Senator Martin of Virginia was f lvited to take MT Tillman's place. r