Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-05-19
PRESIDENTS
STATEMENT
Did Not Pledge Himself to Any
Amendments To Rate Bill.
NOT TRYING TO DICTATE ACTION

Washinf ton. May 1.-THE sensa-
ticnal rate Till incident IN the senate
Saturday. during which Mr.. Tillman.
on 9 authority OF former Senator
Chandler. made statements regarding
the presidents course In connection
with pending railroad rate legislation.
some of which statements were denied
by MIR. Lodge ON behalf of the presi-
dent. had It's sequal when an official
statement was issued by the White
House giving an account of the sub
ject on the part of the president and
Attorney General Moody. The state
mcnt comprised two letters. one from
the president to Senator Allison and
the other from Attorney General
Moody to the president The president
says:
In no case, either in the case OF
Mr. Cha dlcr or any one else. was
here the slightest opportunity for any
honest misconception Of my attitude or
any belief that | pledged myself spe-
officially TO one. and only one. amend
ment or set of amendments. or that
would not be satisfied with any
amendment which preserved the essen
tial features of the Hepburn bill as 1t
came from the house
The president says that as to many
of the amendments. including the so
called Long. Overman. Bacon and
Spooner amendments he had said he
oh uaeiCffad IN haU
them In the bill. and suggested modi-
flcations as 10 other amendments. but
that "as to none (of the amendments)
did | ever say either To Mr. Chandler
or to any one else that | should insist
upon having them in the bill as con-
dition of my approval" and that on
the contrary. he the president, was
careful to state that he was not trying
to dictate any particular programme OF
action.
The president then says Il also re-
peatcdly stated that while Il was en-
tircly satisfactory to me to simply
leave the Hepburn bill in substance as
II was. that IL. with the recognition Of
the jurisdiction of the courts but with
ont any attempt to define that jursdic-
ton. yet that | was entirely willing
that there should b. a definition pro-
vidcd that this definition did not seek
to grant n broad review. but explicitly
narrowed II 10 the two subjects which
as a matter OF fact | believed that the
courts would alone consider In case
thprn 1nftnn TIM
limits OF their review; that is. would
limit IL to the question as TO whether
the commission had acted ultra wires
and as 10 whether any mans cOnstitu-
tional rights had been impaired. |
stated that II the question OF defining
or limiting the review was brought up
ut all personally felt that this was
the way In which II should be limited
or defined"
The president says the statements
made TO Senator Chandler were the
same In substance as those made To
Mr. Allison and other senators OF both
parties. He said he was asked TO see
Senator Chandler as the representative
of Mr.. Tillman In charge of the bill
and that the conferences Attorney
General Moody had with Senators Till
man and Bailey were such as had been
held with many other senators To de-
termine the phraseology and discuss
the effect Of amendments proposed by
them The president states that he
became convinced that II was impossi-
bic for senators with advantage" Ia
use him as an Intermediary. and sug-
gested to all to whom he spoke that
they communicate with Senator AM
son. whose purposes and the prcsi-
dents were identical"
The president says that his own
opinion that the Allison amendment In
no way changed the court review as
Is also the opinion of Attorney Cen
eral Moody and Secretaries Root and
Taft.
The attorney generals letter gives
an account. nj the presidents request.
OF the conferences which Mr.. Moody
had. by the presidents direction. with
Senators Tillman and Bailey regarding
the court review feature. He says he
advised the president that he should
not. at any stage. become finally COM
mitted beyond recall TO any form of
language in any part of the bill. and
the president affirmed the wisdom of
that course. He reviews the discus
sion of interlocutory injunctions. and
concludes that there was nothing In
the conversation" between the sena-
tors and himself which bound the
president 20 any particular amend
maut