The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-05-18

Washing gton, May 16.-The recent eff
forts Of the president and the demo-
cratic senatorial leaders to reach an
agreement on the railroad rate bill
received further notice in the senate
to-day from Senators Bailey and Till
man The matter was referred 10 by
the Texas senator in the course of a
personal explanation called out by an
article in the Chicago Tribune charg-
ing Mr.. Bailey with the failure to
find common ground, and by Mr.. TILL
man in a speech in support of Mr.
bailey and in presenting a further
statement from former Senator Chau1-
Ter
In bis address Mr.. Bailey denounced
the article in question as "a lie and
the author and inspirers of it as
Glars"
The charge made in the Chicago na-
per was to the effect that Mr.. Bailey
had been responsible for the failure Of
the agreement between the president
and Senator Tillman. Former Senator
Chandler was given as authority for
the statement that Tillman had been
suspicious of Bailey, who, it was also
sytated, was really opposed to rate lig-
HsIation and was also in constant con-
ference with Senator Aldrich with the
purpose of defeating the rate bill.
After this statement had been read
by the clerk, Mr. Bailey said deliber-
ately:
81 have taken no part in the ques-
tion of varacity between the president :
and Mr. Chandler and | had not even
given any public expression on the
question of good faith because | knew
nothing about either question. I had
never conferred with the president d.
rectly nor with Mr.. Chandler. 1t was,
therefore a matter of great surprise TO
me when a senator called my atten
ton to the extract which I have read
That correspondence, it was under
stood, was sent by a correspondent
who is very close to the white house.
and is presumed to speak with some
degree of authority concerning trans
actions there | don't know as to the
truth of that and I do not charge that
his statement was made with authOri-
ty but | denOunce the publication as
an unqualified, deliberate and mali
cious lie. | denounce that correspond
ent as an unqualified, deliberate and
malicious liar l denounce the man
who inspired the statement as an un-
qualified, deliberate and malicious liar,
whoever he may be, and however high
the place he holds.
The statement was made in a de-
!, lfberate monotone, but it was not the
= less impressive on that account. 1t
was received with absolute silence and
the silence continued for a few mo
ments until, indeed, Senator Tillnlan
had taken the floor also on a question
of personal privilege, because the at
ticle quoted had stated that he mad
been suspicious of Mr.. Bailey. He had
read the parts of the correspondent S
letter which Mr.. Bailey had omitted
and then proceeded with his state
ment, saying:
This correspondence is undoubtedly
a muck rake. Into whose house the
handle goes, Or what hand holds it.
will not attempt to say" He said
he counted eight distinct falsehoods
fin the article, but he desired to ad-
dress himself first to a denial that he
had ever been suspicious of Senator
Bailey. He declared his great esteem
and admiration for the Texas senator
and that their cordial relations mad
always existed. Articles of this char
acter were being sent broadcast over
the country, said Senator Tillman, al
the instance of the republican machina
to "befuddle" the situation. AS to the
statement by Attorney General Moody
that he could see no hope for an
agreement or any amendment unless
it were drawn by the senator's them
selves, Senator Tillman said that was
an adroit effort to give color to the
presidents retreat behind the Allison
amendment.
II do not care to pursue this sub
4 ject further" said Senator Tillman
y but that future historians may ne
able to get at the truth as to who lied
I shall make another contribution.
He then had read the letter sent lin
today by former Senator Chandler ir
To .na aoo, al ri