The age-herald., 1902-02-25
SAYS ROOSEvELT'S NOTE
 IS SIMPLY AN INSULT
Senator CocErell's Efforts to Have the Matter Smoothed Over Entirely Failed, as the Pitchfork
 Member Re5eiled.
AsHINGToN, February 24.-

his 1nV1Cat1On eXLenueu IO Senator Tillman of South Carolina to attend the dinner given tonight in honor of Prince Henry of Prussia at the White House.
 It is stated that this action on the part of the President was made neces- sary from the fact that it was due to the occurrences on the floor of the Senate last Saturday, when the Sena- tor from South Carolina was declared in contempt of the Senate.
 Senator Martin of Virginia, mem- Der of the committee on naval affairs, has accepted an invitation in MT. Till mans place.
 The invitation was extended origi- nally to MT. Tillman owing to the fact that he is the ranking minority mem- Der of the naval affairs committee.
 Senator Frye, president pro tenn. of the Senate, gave directions to the clerks of the Senate today that the names of Senators Tillman and Me Laurin of South Carolina must not be called on roll calls until further mo- tice.
 This fixes the status of the Senators, who are practically suspended from all Senatorial functions.
 Sensational Sequel.
 There was sensational sequel to the decision of the President to eliminate Senator Tillman from the list of dinner guests.
 The President sent for Senator Cockrell, of Missouri and asked him as a friend and Democratic colleague of MT. Tillman to suggest to the latter the propriety of withdra wing his acceptance of the din- ner invitation.
 MT Cockrell accepted the commission and later telephoned to the President that MT. Tillman absolutely refused to with draw his acceptance, in response to the Presidents suggestion.
 The President immediately cancelled the invitation in a note he dispatched di- rectly to MT. Tillman shortly before noon today. In this note which was very brief and formal, the President stated he regretted that he was obliged to with draw the invitation.
 Senator Martin Invited.
 Simultaneously Senator Martin of Vir- ginia was invited to take MT. Tillmans 8 place at the dinner as the next ranking Democratic member of the Senate naval affairs committee.
 Senator Tillman will not accept the de- cision that he Is not to be allowed to vote. When the roll Is called he will rise in his place and demand the right to vote and present formal protest against the de- nial of a state the right to vote in the Senate.
 Curt Note to TilIman.
 The following is the letter from the White House withdrawing MT. Tillmans invit ation to dinner there tonight:
 White House, February 24.-The Presi- dent regrets that he Is compelled to with draw the invitation to you to dine tonight at the White House. Yours very truly,
 GEORGE B. CORTELYOU,
 Secretary to the President"
 Commenting on the letter Mir. Tillman says:
 TiIIman Calls 1t Insult.
 "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 am not conscious of having done any thing personal or official which gives the President the right to insult. I am sur prised at his action. The invitation to the dinner came to me unsought and unex- pectedly, and so far as the withdrawal Is concerned, it Is matter of absolute in- difference to me.
 Tt is the motive behind it which seeks to put me in the condition of unworthi- ness to meet the President and his guest before final action by the Senate comes from a country where custom makes it obligatory upon any man who regards himself a gentleman to promptly resent an insult and the method is by challenge to a duel.
 "That was once the custom but it is now obsolete in the United States and we have been forced as a people here to cling to the old Anglo-Saxan rule of con sidering the lie direct 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 I presume Is the excuse for this insult at the hands of the Presi- dent. that deny. I have been guilty of a breach of the rules and the privileges of the Senate. The Senate was not sit- ting as a court. but as legislative as- sembly
 "It has the right to expel me If 1t sees fit and I am ready to abide by its judg ment and action It has the right to ar rest me and hold me in custody until 1t makes disposition of my case. but 1t has no right to gag me and the President has no right to judge me guilty of conduct unbecoming a gentleman until he bellies all his antecedents. which lead one to believe that he would have done just as did under the circumstances.
 "As to which of us Is the gentleman in this matter, in view of the unsought in- vitation to dinner. at the white house. and it's indecent withdrawal I am willing to abide by the judgement of all brave and self respeotiux men"