The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-02-27
TILLMAN WONT CALL
ON THE PRESIDENT
MR.. ROOSEVELT HINTS THAT
VISIT WOULD BE APPRECIA-
TED.
The Situation Interesting Motives
in Placing Rate Bill in Senator
Tillman's Charge Are Sus-
pected.
Zach McGhee in the State.

Zach McGhee in the State.
Washington, February 24.-Eve1y
one in and about Washington who
keeps tab on public men and meas
ures. has a picture in his minds eye
|of Senator Tillman at the White
House comforting with the president
on what now will be known as the
Tillman-Hepburn rate bill. 1t is the
same bill, by the way, which in his
speech last week South Cardinals
senior senator caused some consider
able merriment over by his pictur-
esque description Of it as something
which the president handed out to Mr.
Hepburn on waiter saying, 'Here
Pete, pass this!' It is Senator Till
man s job now to pass it in the senate
and the situation is interesting and
amusing. =
Since the action Of the committee
Yesterday, Senator Tillman has been
receiving files of callers, particularly
newspaper men. not one of whom bat
has asked him-and always with a
twinkle in, the eye" When are You
going to the White House, senator, to
confer with the president?' He has
not been to the White House since the
time the president, on account Of fight
with McLaurin, recalled an invitation
to dinner there. He knew the boys
were having some fun at his expense.
He took it good naturedly, once re-
marking, though, in impat1enee,
Here, I m not going to be any clown
in this circus any longer
It has been generally considered
necessary for the senator who would
have charge of the bill in the senate
to confer often with the president.
Today number Of senators friendly
to the measure were at the White
House and when some one remarked
that the man in charge Of the bill was
absent, the president said. "Tell Till
man to come up, he is a fighter, hon
est and square, and like him.
But Senator Tillman says he has
no cause to call on the president. He
saws the rate bill is before the senate
and it is the senate's business to con-
slider it. $50 far as the president IS
concerned,' he said tonight, "he IS
secondary matter now. He has had
| his say and done his part, now 1t is
none of his business. -
Senator Spooner expressed the
opinion to a newspaper man this al
ternoon, "that the president had no
occasion to confer with Senator Till
man, who knew as much about 1t as
the president did and could handle 1t
without aid.' The democrats are
looking upon the sudden turn IN az
fairs as one Of the greatest victories
they have won in many a day.
The situation, it is generally bellev-
ed. was brought about by the great
engineering ability of Senator Bailey:
though nearly every one continues to
be puzzled to understand exactly why
Senators Aldrich, Foraker and others
threw the bill into the hands Of Till
man. It is looked upon by some as, a
! tactical move to give the matter an
extremely radical turn and bring the
whole rate making business into OBJ
loouy, while by others 1t IS looked
| upon as a practical surrender Of the
railroad senators, who. seeing they
| would be unable to obstruct the meas
ure, decided to push it off on the dem
ocrats, intending to hold them to
blame for the whole thing, not feeling
that there is any honor-or at least
anv eraft-in it. At the same time
thew would take their spite out on the
president by putting his pet measure
into the hands of his bitterest enemy.
Anyway, everybody is thoroughly
keyed up to the point of expectancy.
Something far more interesting is
about to happen than anything hereto
tofore anticipated.