The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-05-18
W0RDYCONTEST
OVER RATE BILL
Both Bailey and TiIIman Score Pres
ident in Senate Speeches.
CARTER DEFENDS HIN
Texan Declares Chief Executive Rank
Quitter--T illman Gives Some Secret
History an Airing.


In one Of the bitterest attacks that
has been made upon President Roose-
welt during the debate on the railroad
rate bill Senator Bailey, at Saturdays
session Of the senate, charged that the
executive had surrendered his -u1si-
ton advocating IAN effective meas
ure" and had abandoned his demands
for tariff revision. The Texas sena-
tor charged that the presidents ar
raignment of trusts had been made
after his election and that before that
time he bad been as silent as the
grave" on the subject Of regulating
the railroads The senator closed with
the statement:
But let us have no more talk in
the senate and talk in the country
about this iron man, he is clay, and
very common clay at that"
The speech was in reply to Senator
Garter, who had defended the pres
ident against criticism, saying that
no one could charge him with cow
ardice In the course of his remarks,
Senator Carter referred to the demo-
cratic party as a party of negation
and nothing more. He declared that
the party had been frightened lAto a
chill at the prospect of action He
charged that neither Senators Bailey
nor Rayner in all their congre ssional
career had done anything to secure
effective railroad rate legislation.
When Senator Bailey gained the
floor he charged that the Montana
senator's ebulliticn was due to the
fact that he had not been mentioned
by Senator Rayner in his speech Fri
day as one Of the presidents special
ambassadors. He defended his own
record on the ground that during his
congressional service his party had
been in power only the first four
years. If during that time the demo
Gratis were in the minority, he had
introduced a bill to regulate the rail-
roads, the senator said, he would have
been a9rforming an act of buncombe.
He repeated charges of inconsistency
on the part of the president in his
legislative program, saying that the
absolute rate" first contended for
had been deserted for the maximum
rate" and that the president had
changed his position on the subject
of suspension of rates pending a re-
versal by the courts.
Senator Tillman also got busy with
his pitchfork during the session, and
before he had got through he Had
pried up the lid covering the record
of negotiations between President
Roosevelt on the one hand and the
democratic senator's on the other, the
most interesting result being the ap-
narent :. eciptation CT a question of
veracitv in which ex-senator Chand-
Ter Of New Hampshire, and the
president are involved.
Senator Tillman quoted state
ment of Mr.. Chandler, in which the
president was said to have put SEN
ators Foraker, Knox and spooner
down as enemies Of the rate bill.
Senator Lodge at once telephoned
4bo white house and got from the
president denial couched in good,
strong English. a denial that went
70 the length of saying that the state
ment attributed to him by the former
senator from New Hampshire was
deliberately and unqualifedly false.
Senator Tillman retired to the
Long amendment, saying that he did
50 with the purpose of making an
explanation. He said that the sena-
tors probably would be sur%-ised to
know that he had been in conference
with the president. He then, con-
trarv to his usual practice, read
statement Of his negotiations regard
ing the bill.