The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-17
s not that common sense?
A Losing Game.

In the Senate on Tuesday Mr.. TILLMAN
denied with unnecessary emphasis that
he had sent his friend ex-senator
| CHANDLER to the President to discuss
rate legislation as his personal repre-
sentative. ITO no human being said
Mr.. TILLMAN, "have ! ever given author
ity, or even expressed a wish, to have
any conference with THEODORE RoosE-
WELT in regard to the bill nov under
| consideration" Mr.. TILLMAN added that
il was remarkable that the President
should undertake under the circum-
stances to assert that sent al agent to
him to begin negotiations. The state
ment is absurd on it's face
Mr.. TILLMAN was setting UP a thing
OF straw to tilt at. The President had
made no such statement. What he did
say was this, in his letter to Senator
ALLISON:
AFTER the rate bill was reported from the com
mlttee. and after. by vote OF the committee. Mr.,
TILLMAN had been put In charge Of II. many Sen.
ators and many outsiders came TO see me with
reference to II. Among Others was asked to see
cx- Senator CHANDLER, as representing Mr., TILL
MAN. who was In charge OF the bill. ! stated in
response that | was. OF course. entirely willing 10
sec Mr.. TmLMAN personally or 10 see Mr.. CHANDLER
| or any one else who could speak for him. and !
| accordingly directed my secretary to make an
appointment for Mr.. HANpLRR 10 see me. Ny
understanding was that he was the representative
of Mr.. TILLnAS."
This is a very different thing from
asserting that it was Senator TILLMAN
who began negotiations by sending Mr..
| CHANDLER as his personal representative
| 10 talk with the President. 1t Is clear
! enough that it was one Of the many
! Senators or one of the many outsiders"
who suggested Mr.. CHANDLER as an
| intermediary. 1t is also plain as a pike
staff that the same adviser gave the
| President to understand that Mr.. GRAND
LER would be able to speak with author
| ity for Senator TILLMAN.
Nor has Mr.. TILLMAN established the
fact-far from it-that the President
made a compact with Senators Of the
minority to join them in approval Of a
| court review amendment and to deliver
enough Republican votes to get it
! through the Senate. The President, Of
course, asked Acknowledgement MoopY
10 confer with Senators TILLMAN and
BAILEY, On that point there is no
| controversy. Mr.. TILLMAN says:
We met by appointment made by Senator
CHANDLER and talked over the vital Question,
He 1.-The Attorney. G,nerall wrote and sent 10 Mr..
BAILEY his understanding of our views. and when
we met subsequently VIC reached absolute agree
ment, both as TO the form and the substance Of q
proposed amendment, to which he said the Prcs,.
dent would assent and help get votes for
Did they reach absolute agreement,
and did Mr.. MOODY promise the Presi-
dents indorsenent of the agreement
| and his assistance in getting votes for i'll?
There must be two parties to a bar
| gain. Acknowledgement MOODY says
| that lone was made, and that he was
not authorized to bind the President. In
his letter to the President Mr.. MoopY
states that he told Mr.. TILLMAN and Mr..
BAILEY that he was not empowered to
agree to any form Of language whatever
for the President, "but would submit
any proposed amendment to you for
your consideration 1t appears from
Mr.. MooDY's account Of the negotiations
that a tentative draft was made. AT
the close of the interview, to quote the
Attorney-G General again, Il said to
| Senator BAILEY that / would put my
understanding Of their views upon the
| question Of p~hraseoloev In writing. send