The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-25
CONVERSION OF
THE PRESIDENT
Mysterious Change Of Boss After
Conference With Standard Oil
Magnate, When Announce
ment Was Made That
He Would Accept
Amendment.
fFrom our Regular corrcspondcnt)

(From our Regular Corrcspondcnt)
WASHINGTON, D. c.. May 24.-scna-
tor Aldrich went to the White House late
yesterday afternoon, and spent over half
an hour talking with the President. 1t
was stated authorItatively to-day that
the subject of the rate BIZ was not mem
toned in the course Of the conversation,
which referred to various matters now
pending In Congress.
1t is strange that the President should
want the country To know that nc dld not
discuss rate legisla ton with the chief
fighter for the railroads. It is easy to
,Inders tand that the President felt some
embarrassment as the result OF the Visit
of Mr.. Aldrich, whom lie had denounced
in a sen-publc fashion as being untrue
to the interests of the people, but not
plain why he should have wanted the
country TO know that they did not DIS
cuss the rate bill when they met. "a
month ago Mr.. Aldrich would not go to
the White House. He and the President
were so wide apart on the subject Of the
court review provision of the rate BILL
nnd the opinion which the President en-
tertained Of Senator Aldrich was so well
known to the latter that conferences
were unpleasant, If not impossible. But
nv some means, which are mysterious.
SO far as the majority Of the county is
concerned the President came around,
and endorsed precisely the court review
provision for which the Standard on
senator had been fighting
The Presidents Conversion.
some Of these days the whole story
of the manner OF the Presidents con-
version Will come out. The methods
used by the willy senator from Rhode
4 Island Will be known. The public esti-
mate OF him will not he lcsscned there
bv. and he would not care little u
ri
fipr Of Mr. Roosevelt for sincerity and
y frankness and square dealing" will not
be enhanced when all the facts are known
MS they are known to a few In wash
ington now. !, -,
written about the great men. whose
greatness was developed in the rate piil
struggle t,ailey's unanswernble argu-
,ncnts the tenacity Of Tillman. the
steadfastncss Of Foraker In refusing 70
vote for the bill when 1t vas put upon
Its passage have all been comInchteo
upon and each of these senators mas
been picked by admirers as a man VINO
rot most glory out Of the long struggle.
senator Aldrich Is the hero OF that
frht When he begun 1t. he found tre-
mendo;Is odds against him. The Presi'
dent. with all the influence OF the ad-
minlstration behind him, was against
MIN, A pronounced majority OF the
y
taxing of snuff ut the White House.
r,ere against him. The Democrats OF
the senate were solidy against hin' Inc
country was clamoring for the leGisla.
tion contemplated by the Hepburn bill
as ii passed the House, or lot "hat me
HenbIrn bill was believed to be-
Mr.. Aldrlch was undismayed. He made
ncht against the bill In the Commit
tee on Interstate Commerie, which was
n draw. He took the fight to the floor
Of the Senate. His arch enemy, Mt
Tulman. was in control of tho bill.
lAldrich never for momcnt lost cour,
age. Possibly he knew he had one card
which he could play In the last eXtrem-
ity that would make victory certain
Al n time when ne appeared to be beaten
bev5nd all doubt he seems to have
nlayed that card. The President and
majority of Republican senator's were
standing firmly for a restricted court re-
view proposition. The Democrats OF the
ssepatc were almost soidly with them
The Visit of Rogers.
Mr.. Rogers and Mr.. Archbold. the
actual heads of the Standard OIL monop
olv came over from New York. Thay
enent over an hour at the White House.
4 day or two later Mr.. Roosevelt sent
n,s message to Congress Illuminating
against the oil monopoly. The SAME
afternoon he had the newspaper corre-
Sn0n1entS 'A'N''S .
alyzed them by his announcement that
bn would support and be entirely salts
Ned with the Allison amendment, so
called although 1t is ulu1<rstood that 1t
was drawn In Mr.. Aldrich's, committee
room. This amendment, which 10 nov no"
in the bill, gave the proauest poss.p,a ..
authority to the courts In the matter
of review of the decisions OF me inter-
state Commerce Commission
az course. there is not in existence ana
accessible to newspaper men Verpa.iil'
report of the conversation between Az
Roosevelt and the Standard on maenh.es'
The tenor OF that conference IS '.'a. ;.
.a or sneculation. The Standard is said
10 have contributed very heaVilS 10 VIZ
election of Mr.. Roosevelt In 1901 seq
rotarv Cortelyou. of the national COM
niittee former secretary of comlnerca
and labor, was charged during the ias'
presidential campaign with having eN-
torted contributions from various trusts
nv means of information of their alleged
Violations OF law, information of which
had been achieved through the depart
n,ent's bureau Of corporations.
The standard saw that the message. ac-
,nupanylng the report of Commissioners
Garfeld was coming. Something had to
ta saved from tho wreck. Better let the
message go to Congress, for messages
ora MS n rule a long way from legls-
iatIon ~, and try to adjust the provisions
of the rate bill to suit the oil people
The visit ana conference of the big oil
men suggest tho balance Of the story. 1t
Is not a pretty one, but It Is being dis
cussed very generally by Democrats and
nv Republican representatives who hon
nsslv favored regulation OF railway
charges by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, instead of by the courts as
is provided for by the Senate bill.
= i u