The San Francisco call., 1906-05-16
Charges theChief EXeCu-
tive Of Nation With
Bad Faith.
Senators Laugh When
Roosevelt Letter to
Allison Is Read.

"AS11A-NG4O ON, May l5.-ln the
Senate today TiIlman presented a
statement, a memorandum from ex-
Senator William E Chandler regard
ing the court review amendment TO
the railroad rate bill. 1t was the same
statement made by Senator Tillman on
Saturday last
Tillman referred to the letter ad-
dressed by the President to Senator
Allison. He said he hoped that Sena-
tor Allison would put the letter in the
record and that something would be
said in reference to the question of
veracity. Tillman said that the Presi-
dent. was ingenious, and not ingenu-
Gus. Tiliman declared emphatically
that he had never made any overtures
to the President.
This is Tillman speaking now" he
said, and wave of laughter went over
the Senate and galleries
The charge 1 make" he said. 'is
that the President is guilty of bad
faith
Tillman stated that he had. never
sought an interview or any communi-
cation with the President
Senator Allison then said he had re-
ceived a letter from the President and
said he thought it ought TO be placed
on the records of the Senate He had
been waiting patiently for an oppor-
tunity to present ii.
The letter was read. When the
words, Il saw the newspaper men in
q mass" were read there was a roar
Of laughter in the Senate and in the
galleries
AS soon as the Presidents letter and
Moody's letter had been read Senator
Nelson moved to lay the pending
amendment on the table This was
carried by a viva voce vote, taking the
Lodge amendment and collateral
amendment with IT, Such was the
close Of the Tillman- Roosevelt Incl
dent
The TiIlman statement was as fol-
lows:
There are only two points in the
Presidents letter which / deem worthy
Of notice. His attempted explanation
is ingenious, but not ingenious. He
calls in question the integrity Of pur-
pose and utterance by Mr.. Chandler
by declaring: I was asked to see ex-
Senator Chandler, as representing Mr.
Tillman, who was in charge of the bill.
He stated to me the views of Mr.. Till
man with seeming authority
Mr.. Chandler has declared most
positively in a written statement that
the President sent for him for the pur-
pose of getting into communication
with Senator Bailey and myself and
he has produced the letter of Mr. Loeb
Il now declare most emphatically
that to no human being have / ever
given authority or even expressed
wish to have any conference with Chief
Theodore Roosevelt in regard to the
bill now under consideration. On the
contrary I have expressed the opinion
in more than one public interview that
he had nothing to do with ii and that
II was the business of the Senate, and
while l did. at his request, enter into
negotiations with the Attorney Gen
eraI, it is well known to every Sena-
tor on this floor what my attitude and
feelings have been and il is most re-
markable, while the President sent for
Democrat after Democrat to confer
with him about this measure, that he
should undertake under the circuIn-
stances to assert that / sent an agent
10 him to begin negotiations. The
statement is absurd on its face.
The other point to which I shall
refer is the way in, which Mr.. Moody
discusses the idea of the President not
being bound While coatradicting in
no instance. however slight. my state
ment of what occurred, the Attorney
General seems TO think that the code
of honor among gentlemen is not bind
ing upon the executive and his Cabinet.
The President asked him to see Mr.
Bailey and myself We met by APP
pointment made by Senator Chandler
and talked over the vital question. He
wrote and sent to Mr. Bailey his un
dersianding Of our views and when we
met subsequently we reached an abso-
lutte agreement. both as to the form
and substance of a proposed amend
ment. TO which. he said. the President
would assent and help get votes for.
"Of course, the President was not
bound not 20 change. but he was bound
under such circumstances to give no
ticc and this was not done. Even the
Attorney General himself was not noti-
fed. The charge made and still make
IS that the President is guilty of bad
faith and that the rate bill which will
be. when enacted into law. much bet
ter and stronger measure than we had
hoped to get. has been cmasculated in
one of its most valuable and essential
features by the Presidents action.
4 am ready to leave the whole ques-
ton 10 the thoughtful and honorable
men of the country"