Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-14

!
Rate Bin, Has Created a Hig commution
Washington May H. Who is tho liar ?
President Roosevelt stands on the as
sertion. made to the Senate through
Senator Lodge that ex-senator Cham
| dlers statement that the President told
| Chandler that the Senatorial lawyers
Foraker Knox and Spooner were trying
| TO injure the Railroad Rate hil or defeat
| it by ingenious Constitutional arguments
is "unqualihedly false
Senator Chandler places his word
against that OF the President and says
he can prove everything he has said
He is fighting mad lie intends TO fol-
low the matter to the end.
Those who know Senator Chandler
! had no idea that he would tamely sub
init to being called liar by the Presi-
| dent. even though he is a Federal Office
| holder He is not that kind of a man.
He has always been a fighter, whose
/ courage has never been questioned and
who has defended his honor vigorously.
| He says he does not intend to rest under
| the aspersions cast upon him by the
President. Last night through Senator
Iillman, he gave out an affirmation of
his previous statement, and said
II will later make response in my own
way to the President characterization,
| 20 wit: That my assertion quoted 10y
/ Senator Tillman was 'unqualihedly false
Mr.. Chandler and Senators Iillman
and Bailey had several conferences yestcr-
day Il was decided that Mr.. Chandler
should issue no statement beyond his
version OF the conversation he bad with
the President on March 3lst, at which
time, he says, the President made the
remark about Spooner. Knox and Foraker
81 am acting for ex-senator Chandler.
said Senator Iillman. after the nego-
tiations between the President, through
Mr. Chandler, and the Democrats. for an
alliance on the Rate bill had been going
on for some time ! insisted that Mr.
Chandler should give me a written state
ment OF the various conferences he had
had with the President Mr. Chandler
gave me that statement on May 5th. he
signed it. IL was the basis ior the state
ment / made in the Senate, rociting the
efforts of the President to form an alliance
with the Democrats and emphasizing the
perhdious manner in which he deserted
his allies
81 shall not give out all of Mr.. Chan
dlers S statement. / shall not use my
ammunition until l know what / am
shooting at. If the President denies any
other part of my statemant, OF any other
statement made to me by Mr. Chandler.
| shall give out that part of Mr. Chanders
report Of his conference with the Presi-
dent that covers that particular denial
The portion OF the Chandler statement
given out by Senator Tillman follows:
"On Saturday afternoon, March 3lst.
1906, a friend Of mine came into my
Office and told me of the White House
conference OF that day at which an under
standing 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 sec him. While he was
talking messenger boy arrived with
letter 70 me from Mr.. Loeb, as follows.
My Dear Senator Chandler: The
President requests me TO say that he
would be glad to have YOU come 90 the
White House to see him at $50 O'Clock
tonight. Will you please let the bearer
know whether you can come ? Very
truly yours, William Loeb. Jr..
Secretary to the President.
81 told the messenger ] would be there.
~ NtA~ AAAAAR anu NiAAAN AIINMlNNM IIlI
President said to me that he wished
through me, to get into communication
with Iillman, Bailey and other Demo-
cratic Senators. He stated his purpose
slowly and carefully, and in exact sub
stance, his statement was this. That he
had reached the conclusion that the hest
plan for railroad-rate legislation was to
expressly grant a court review but TO
distinctly limit ii TO two points: First. an
inquiry whether the Interstate Commerce
Commission had exceeded its authority
and, second, an inquiry whether the con-
stitutional rights OF the carrier had been
violated
"He said that he had been much
troubled by the advocacy of an un-
limited court review by some of the law
yers OF the Senate, naming Senators Knox
Spooner and Foraker, as trying TO iniure
or defeat the bill by ingenious consti-
tutional arguments, but that he had come
to a complete disagreement with them
"He made this point emphatic bv
repetition, said that he would 90 thus
far and no farther. and that his decision
would be unalterable. He said that he
wished TO ascertain whether there could
be united action in the Senate among the
friends of the bill so that it could be
surrey passed without injurious amend
ments, and he named various Republi-
can Senators who be thought, were true
friends Of the bill, but said that It would
take nearly all the Democrats to carry
the limitation and defeat all obnoxious
provisions.
"After the President had made his
statement / replied that | had reason 10
believe that most of the Democrats in
the Senate would sustain his limitation
OF the courts powers. but that / was sure
that Mr. Bailey and Mr. Tillman would
insist upon coupling with the limitation
some restriction upon the power of the
courts TO issue iniunctions against the
orders of the commission. Before / had
finished my statement on this point tho
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