The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1906-05-17
PRESIDENT GOLD BRICKED

ent Of New York Worid-corres-
pondents Ridieuie Victory"
washington correspondence of New
York World, May I'D
Washington. Roosevelt's
amazing gyrations on the railroad rate
bill no longer interest the senate. The
senators are letting him severely
alone and going ahead and making a
rate bill to suit themselves. When
they have finished he can veto or ap-
prove as his fancy dictates. They
are through with him.
This does not mean the Aldrich
followers They have been against
the president since the agitation be-
gan. 1t includes the democrats, with
whom the president made a combina-
tion not long ago, and the Dolliver
and Long followers. who had an idea
they were doing the presidents bid
ding, but were thrown overheard when
the president bought the gold brick
from Senator Aidrich last Friday in
the shape of the original Allison
amendment. Very few senators are
going to the White House.
The presidents performances on
this question since it came before
the senate have been acrobatic even
for him. He first announced himself
for the Hepburn bill as it came from
the house without amendment. Dol
liver, Long, Clapp and some others
stood with him. The president told
them he would give them undivided
support. One day he surprised every
body by calling in the correspondent
of the republican newspapers and in
dicating a few amendments to the
bill that he would accept This rather
flabbergasted the Dolliver faction,
but they recovered and went to work
again, after the presidents assur-
ances that he was with him.
Later the Bailey amendment, deny
ing the right of injunction to the
courts, began to make trouble. The
president thought this amendment
was a good thing. He committed him.
self to it in writing. Then he urged
combination with the democrats
and the Dolliver followers on the re-
publican side to press through the
bill with the amendments he had pre-
viously accepted and such reasonable
amendments as the democrats want
ed. There was conference of demo
cratic senators at his request to bring
this about The democrats nearly all
fell into line, although the confer
ence made no decided stand.
Meanwhile the Aldrich followers
were working hard, but not getting
the necessary votes. Then the Alli-
son amendment gold brick was sold.
The compromise" suggested to the
president was the addition OF few
words that gave to the bill the broad
est kind of a court review-broader
even than the Aldrich people had any
right to hope for.
The president grabbed it eagerly.
He summoned thirty-nine correspond
ents of newspapers with Roosevelt
hours, telling them how this amend
ment, the Aldrich gold brick, was a
victory for him. He stated his posi-
ton a dozen different times. He ex-
pected the correspondents would hur-
ry away and tell the people of the
country that he, the president, had
made a great personal triumph.
The correspondents did nothing of
the sort. They could put two and two
together, and most of them knew much
more about the rate question than the
president did. Instead Of putting up
loud shouts of Victory" most of the
correspondents said that in their opin.
ion the president had surrendered
foot, horse and dragons, to the rail.