Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1906-05-17
REPLY BY ROOSEVELT
PRESIDENT ISSUES STATEMENT
REGARDING COURSE ON RAIL.
ROAD LEGISLATION.

Denies Charges Made by Mr. Tilman
In Recent Speech in Senate and Em.
phat'caiy Denies That He Ever Al
tempted 70 Dictate What Amend.
ments Should or Should Not Be In.
corporated in the Bill.
Washington, May 10 The scnsa-
vional .atv bll incident In The senate
Saturday, during which Nj rilman
on the authority OF Former Senator
Chandler. made statements regarding
the presidents course In connection
with pending railroad rate legislation
some of which statements Mere denied
by Mr. Lodge ON behalf OF the pi..si
dent, had its sequel Monday evening
when an official statement MAS issued
from the White Mouse giving an tc
count ot the subject ON the part OF the
president and Attorney General Moody
lag etNtclucut comprised tWU ltltcIS.
one from the president 10 Senator All
lison and the other from Attorney
General Moody To the president. both
dated May 4. The president says in
NO case, either in tine case of Mi
Chandler or amy one else, WAS there
the slightest opportunity Tor amy hon
est misconccptlnm ot my attitude on
any belief that pledged myself slrci
ically to one and only unr amend
ment ol set ot amendments on that |
would be satisfied with amy amend
ment which proved the essential tea
ture OF the Hepburn bill as it came
from the house
The president says that AS To many
0f the amendments, including the SO
called Long, Ovcrman, Bacon and
SpOOner amendments, he had said he
should be- entirely satisfied To have
them In the bill and suggested mudi
hcations as to other amendments but
that AS to none luY the ;iMendmeiltsD
did ever say either to Mr Chandler
or to anyone els, that | should insist
upon having them In the bill us IA con
dtttOn Of III. approval" and hat ON the
contrary he lthe presidenu MAS care
ful to state that he Was not trying To
dictate any particular programme OF
action
Chandler Represented TitIman.
The president says the statements
made to Senate. Chandler We're the
Mr Allison and other senators of both
parties. He says he Was asked 10 see
Chandler as the representative of MIR.
1'tllman. in charge OF the bill and that
the conferences Attorney General
Moody had with Senators Tilman and
Bailey were such as had bccn held
with many other senators To determine
the phrascnlogy and discuss the ~
feet OF amendments proposed by them
The president states that he became
convinced that II was impossible for
senators with advantage" To use him
as AN intermediary and suggested to
all to whom he spoke that they com
municate with Senator Allison, whose
purposes and the president S were
his own opinion that the Allison
amendment in no way changed the
court review as provided in the origi
nal Hepburn bill is also the opinion
Of Attorney General MOODY and Sccrc
taries Root and Taft
The attorney generals letter gives
an account AT the presidents request
Of the conferences which Mr. Moody,
at the presidents direction. had with
Senator'S Tillman and Bailey regard
ing the court review feature He says
he advised the president that he
should not at any stage become final
ly committed beyond recall To any
form Of language In any pant of the
bill and the president affirmed the wis
dom of that course He reviews the
discussion OF interlocutoiy injunction
and concludes that there was nothing
In the conversations between the
senators and himself which bound the
president 10 any particular amend
mcnt