The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-03-06
SAID HE WOULD
"ALMOST' SAY IT.
Congressman radgett Virtually Con-
firms the Remark of President
Roosevelt Concerning Senator
Carmack.
Special to the Herald.

II washington, IL. u, mdrCH %. a
representative of the Columbia Daily
Herald called on Congressman Paogett
this morning and asked him for a
statement regarding the reported re-
mark of President Roosevelt to the
Tennessee delegation concerning Sen
Senator Carmack. Mr.. Padgett was
one of the members Of the delegation
He said:
1.-The incident occurred nearly three
weeks ago. The President spoke very
kindly of Tennessee and its history as
the Volunteer State He said he felt
kindly towards the Tennessee delega-
ton. He did not mention the name
of Senator Carmack, nor did he use the
word "hell.'' He said: Zone of
your colleagues would almost say l
would see in hades before woald do
anything for him. Neither Senator
was present ana only five of the repre-
sentatives were present. No name
was called.
CARMACKS' STATEMENT.
Senator Carmack was shown the
published statement in which the
President denied having used the Ian
guage attri buted to him. Mr.. Car
mack said:
my knowledge OF this matter, OF
course, is second hand and hearsay.
The incident referred to occurred some
DAYS ago instead of at the time men
toned. | heard of the matter a day
or two after 1t occurred and went to
Messrs. Richardson and Gaines sepa-
rately and asked them about 1t. Mr..
Richardson said that he had not in
tended to speak of i'll and that Mr..
Gaines had proposed after they left
the White House that they should
not mention it, | said to him that
it it were true | ought to know 1T;
while had never asked anything OF
! the President and had not troubled him
! with my presence at the White House,
thought he could see that it was i'm
portant to me as a Senator to know
whether or not the President had used
such offensive ana insulting language
| concerning myself; that l had no par
ticular feeling about the matter. as
| l cared nothing for the President 8
opinion of me. but it would be fact
to guide me in my future relations
with the White House.
| "Mr. Richardson then said that the
President did not cali my name. but
that he and all the rest of them under
stood that he referred to me and, since
I heard Of it, he thought it was due
me and that | should hear the true
story. He then told me OF the incl
dent. substantially as it has been puD-
llshed in the newspapers, except that,
! after the President had nearly got the
word hell out OF his mouth. he
checked himself and changed it to
'hades, and that he did not call my
name.
Mr.. GAINES VEkIFIES.
II afterwards saw Mr.. Games. and
asked him about the story, and he told
1t just about rs Mr.. Richardson had.
Mr.. Sims said that his attention had
mOmentarily been diverted, and while
he heard the latter part IF the state
ment, i would see him in hades before
I would do anything for him, he did
not at the time understand that it
referred to any member of the Tennes-
see delegation.
| "Of course / know that these gen
tlemen told me the truth and no mans
denial can make me believe otherwise.
The President is, of course at liberty
| say that he referred to some other
Senator or Representative from Ten
nessee though the gentlemen present
had reason to believe that he referred
to me.
1.-THE effect upon my feelings is the
same whether the reference was to me
or to any of my colleagues in either
house 1t was an unprovoked and
entirely gratuitous affront to the
whole State, for there If not man in
the whole delegation. Democrat or
Republican. who does not bear the
character of an honest man and gen
| tieman and who has not conducted
himself as such in all his relations
with the administration.
''For myself accept the interpreta-
tion of my colleagues and believe that
the President referred to me. The
gra nj ousness of this COW boyish
ebulition appears in the fact that
when Mr.. Morgan asked me to go
with the dele cation to the White
H ,use told him plainly that could
not do So | said did not desire TO ask
any favors OF the President, but that If l
could serve him in any other way /
s1ouli be glad to do so.
WHAT HE DID DO.
"Mr. Morgan had the promise Of
support from very distinguished
Senator from another State, and
told him woald see this Senator |
and get letter from him. l after
wards saw the Senator, but he told me
that he had, In the meanwhile. been
treated with such indignity by the
President that he could not afford to
address him a communication upon
any subject whatever.
When asked what he supposed was
the ground of the Presidents personal
feeling toward himself, Mr.. Carmack
side:
:. | do not know. I have always
the necessary show OF respect