Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-15
ROOSEVELT BACKS DOWN.
Betrays Democrats In Order to Pre-
serve Party Advantage.

Betrays Democrats In Order to Pre-
serve Party Advantage.
The. reputation that President
Roosevelt has established with so
many people for frank, open sincerity
and blunt honesty received a very Sc
we're blow in the senate last Saturday.
The blow was administered by Senator
Tillman, and II seems to convict the
president Of duplicity and double
dealing In connection with his efforts
to secure the passage Of the rate bill.
That the president has been placed In
a position that is not altogether envi-
able from the standpoint of honesty
there is no question. i
According to Mr.. Tillman, Mr..
Roosevelt has been carrying water on
both shoulders. He has been blowing
He has been trying to make 1t appear
that he was working honestly for the
American people, and Senator Tillman
has furnished the proof that he has
really been playing into the hands Of
the railroad interests, and secretly
using his exalted position TO defeat
the very ends for which he was osten-
sibly working.
The principal issue in the rate fight
was whether the rates should be made
by commission or by the courts.
That is the question in a nutshell. OF
course 1t has been understood that
the rate making power should be del
egated primarily to a commission es-
pecially constituted to look after this
particular matter. But then came
the question of review by the courts.
1t is understood that II the courts are
to be allowed to review such rates as
may be fixed by the commission, then
after all the power of making rates
rests finally with the courts.
1t Is fair to say that neither side has
ever entertained the idea of denying
to the railroads the right Of appeal,
especially as to questions involving
their constitutional rights; but the
Democrats have been insisting that
the powers Of the courts be restricted;
that the law shall be so constructed
as not to leave 1t within the power
Of any little Federal Judge to enjoin
any given rate at the request Of the
railroad people without even giving the
shipper a hearing and thus hold up
the law in such a manner as to defeat
Ats entire object; The Democrats
have been holding that the injunction
features can be restricted without In
justice to anybody, and the president
has all along been leaning to that
view of the matter. The majority Of
the Republicans under the lead Of Al
drich, Knox and Spooner have been
contending for the widest exercise Of
authority by the courts, including the
right Of issuing ex parte injunctions.
and so matters have been standing.
: About ten days ago there came into
the situation what have since been
known as the Allison amendments.
These amendments are In the nature
of compromise in that they provide
that there shall be no preliminary In
functions without hearings and no.
rices; that United States circuit courts
are to hear suits against the rate COM
mission and that appeals are to be d.
rect to the United States supreme
court The amendments seem, on
their face. to meet some of the objec-
tions that have been raised by the
Democrats; but they are far from ac-
ceptable in that 1t is feared that they
leave open the way to complete de-
feat of the prime objects of the law.
the making and enforcing OF reasona-
BILE rates by the commission.
President Roosevelt had all along
beer with the Democrats, insisting
that the powers Of the rate making
commission should be clearly defined
and that there should be no hampering
interference by the courts; but short
ly after the promulgation of the Alli-
son amendments, he called to the
White House the representatives OF
various big newspapers, some thirty
six in number, and gave out state
ment, which made clear his accept
ance Of the Allison amendments; but
| which at the same time, sought to
make it appear that there had been
no change in his position; that he was
still consistent. The Democrats, OF
course, construed the statement to
signify that the president had desert
ed them completely.
When the Allison amendments came
up in the senate last Saturday, they
went through as If they had been
creased, all the Republicans with the
exception of La Toilette of Wisconsin,
voting for them and all the Democrats
voting against them. In view Of this
situation, Senator Bailey took occa-
sion to make a bitter attack on the
president for his duplicity, and he
| handled the chief executive without
gloves. His speech is published In
part elsewhere in today's issue. But
the most sensational development of
the day was the reading by Senator
Tillman Of a carefully prepared state
ment covering the negotiations be-
tween the president and the Demo-
crr tic senators and showing how the
president had deliberately gone back
on his solemn promises with regard to
the whole matter.
Senator Tillman prefaced his read
ing with a statement that many Of the
senator's would no doubt be surprised
to know that he had been in confer
ence with the president and later on
he explained that he had pocketed his
pride for the good Of the cause, not
withstanding a feeling of just indig-
nation on account Of a great wrong
he had suffered. His written story Of
the negotiations were, in part, as fol-
lows:
In