Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-05-15
TUESDAY EVENING. MAY Is. 1906.

TUESDAY EVENING. MAY IS. 1906.
In AN evasive letter the President
last night gave out his defense OF the
charges of perfdy and double dealing
made against him in connection with
The railroad rate bill. There is not one
word i'm il 10 show whether or not ex-
Senator Chandler told the truth when
he said that the President had stated to
him that Senators Knox, SpOOner aud
Foraker "were trying to iDjure or defeat
the rate bill by ingenious constitutional
arguments" On Saturday Senator
Lodge told the Senate that the President
had teIephoned to him that this state
ment was deliberate aud unqualified
falseho0d There is not word in the
statement TO show whether the President
entered into an agreement with Senators
Tillman and Bailey whereby a cOmbina-
ton was TO be effected of 26 democratic
and 20 republican votes TO pass the rate
bill There is no adequate explsna-
ton of the Presidents precipitate
surrender to the railroad senators
and his desertiOH, without notice,
of the democrats with whom he
had formed secret combination.
Accompanying the Presidents statement
which is in the form of letter to Sena-
tor Allison is a letter from Attorney
General Moody TO the President that Is
along exactly the same lines as the Presi-
dents statement. The whole document
is half confession and half denial OF the
charge of perfdy made by Senator Till
man. 1t is admitted that the President,
as charged by Senator Tillman, secretly
negotiated for democratic votes to pass
the rate bill with limited court review
amendment, bat it is denied that The
President ever pledged himself nnslIer-
ably TO any particular amendment 1t
is admitted that the President summon
ed ex-senator Chandler TO the White
House and that Mr.. Chandler was en-
gagged to act as gO-between for the
President and Mr.. Tillman, but the Presi-
dent declares that the invitation to Mr..
Chandler was extended only after the
President had been asked TO see Mr..
Chandler as the representative of Tillmsn.
Attorney General Moody id his statement
of his negotiations with Messrs. Till
man and Bailey admits that he did write
ont and send to Mr.. Bailey court review
amendments for the rate bill, but he
denies that The President was pledged to
that amendment To the exclusion of any
other provision. He further declares
thai he advised the President not 20
finally commit himself to any amend
ment. As to his acceptance of the ALI
son amendment, President Roosevelt
says he is still of the opinion that the
specific court review provision makes no
material difference in the Hepburn bill
as it originally passed the House. As
an excuse for the President severing
negotiations with the democratic, it 10 as
serted by Mr.. Moody that the President
was informed by several senators that
the democrats could not agree among
themselves. In the end Mr.. Moody
further hemuddles the whole situation
by saying that he has never been able to
give Il decided opinion TO the President
upon the cOnslitutiOnality OF the rate
bill. The whole explanation is intensely
disappointing to the Presidents friends.
The general feeling is that the President
Is LETT in worse light as a result of
his statement than if he had not made it
at all. He has lodged. He has failed
20 meet the issue squarely.