Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-05-17
CHANDLER'S STATEMENT
no" He Conducted Negotiations Be-
tween President and Tillman.

washington. May Ex-senator Till
man today received from Former SEN
dtof WIN. f. Chandler statement of
ms course as an intermediary in nego-
,iatlons between President Roosevelt
ana senators Tillman and Bailey on
tle railroad rate bill. The communica-
tioh bears upon Senator Lodges denial
ior the President of Mr.. Chambers
statement, quoting the President us
saying he had lost confidence in Sena-
Tors Foraker. Spooner and Knox. 1t
was offered In the Senate by Senator
I1ilman and will be printed in the
CONGRESSIONAL Record. Mr.. Chandler
reaHirms the essential truth of the
statement made by him and repeated
by Mr.. Tillinan in the Senate.
The most Interesting feature Of Mr.
Chandier'S letter is contained in the
closing paragraph in which he says:
Oh the whole, perhaps | ought to
consider myself fortunate. If the old
laiperialist days having been fully re-
vived at the White House, one whom
l considered the best of friends, Sena-
tor Louge, upon demand would have
cut OFF my head and taken it to Presi-
dent Roosevelt on n charger, and l
should have spoken no more. Now at
least | have left to me the power of
speech, but l shall never use it again
as a missionary from President Roose-
welt 10 the Democratic party"
The text of Mr.. Chambers letter is
as follows:
My dear Mr.. Tillman-As the tele-
phonic denial by President Roosevelt
sent to the Senate through Senator
Lodge remains in the Congressional
Record of May Il, it seems to me that
l should take some notice of it, which
1 do, by now reafflrming the essential
truth of the statement which | made
to you and which you repeated in the
Senate. Much as l regret that the hasty
action of Senator Lodge and the Pres
ident has forced an issue between the
President and myself, the extreme Ian
guage he used makes such issue una
voidable and I cannot shrink from or
evade it, although I cannot use to-
ward the Chief Executive of the nation
language like his own.
Upon our respective statements /
submit the controversy with confidence
to the judgment of those who know mes
For those who do not know me
there is fortunately circumStantial evil
dence of a high order which shows that
the President could not have omitted
to make in substance the statement
which he denies. Nor could he have
them made the whole statements,
which he now substitutes. His impul-
siveness has led him into serious error
upon point of no Importance in itself
nut only as affecting his attack upon
me. / give to you Il further statement,
as follows:
Prior to March 81 / had not seen
the President for a long time. | did
not go to the White House as Il rep
resentative of a senator but solely be-
cause the President summoned me
there by the letter from Mr.. Loeb and
waited for him to express his object.
1t was Enthusiastically stated to be Il
had the rate bill in charge and other
demands of the Senate for the purpose
Of securing the adoption in the railroad
rate bill of 4 court review clause limit
ing the inquiry to the question whether
the commission had exceeded its au-
thority or had violated the constitutions
al rights of the carrier
II knew that he knew that it was i'm
possible for him to open conferences
with Mr.. Tillman unless he was fully
satisfied that the President had abSo-
lutely given up all intention of coming
to an agreement with the senators who
had been making the contest for an I'M
limited court review and in stating his
object he said that he had parted from
them finally, naming Senators Knox.
Foraker and Spooner as the senator's
who had made the arguments in the
Senate to sustain that view and he us
ed as near as | can recollect. the Ian
guagc given IN my statement repeated
by Mr.. Tillman.
The conversation included the I'M
Outstanding which he had that day
reached with Senators Long and Al
lison, the fact that not over one-thi-d
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