The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-05-16
WHITE HOUSE LETTERS
Bearing on Conferences With
Senators Tillman and Bailey.

Attorney General Moody Says There
Was Nothing In the Conversations
Between Himself and the Senators
Which Bound the President to Any
Particular Amendment.
Washington, May 15.-The sensa.
tional rate bill incident in the senate
Saturday during which Mr.. Tillman on
the authority of former Senator Chand-
Ter made statements regarding the
presidents course in connection with
pending railroad rate legislation,
some of which statements were de-
MED by Mr.. Lodge on bel alf of the
president, had its sequel last evening
when an official statement was issued
by the White House giving an account
of the subject on the part of the pres
ident and Attorney General Moody.
The statement comprised two let
ters, one from the president to Senator
Allison and the other from Attorney
General Moody to the president, both
dated yesterday. The president says:
I'm no case either in the case of Mr..
Chandler or any one else was there
the slightest opportunity for any hon
est misconception of my attitude or
any belief that l pledged myself spe-
officially to one and only one amend
ment or set of amendments, or that
would not be satisfied with any amend
ment which preserved the essential
features of the Hepburn bill as it
came from the house"
"The president says that as to many
Of the amendments, including the So
called Long, Overman, Bacon and
Spooner amendments, he had said he
should be entirely satisfied to have
them in the bill and suggested modifl-
cations as to other amendments, but
that "as to none (of the amendments)
did ever say to either Mr.. Chandler
or to any one else that should insist
upon having them in the bill as a con-
dition of my approval" and that on
the contrary he (the president) was
careful to state that he was not trying
to dictate any particular program Of
action
The president says the statements
made to Senator Chandler were the
same in substance as those made to
Mr.. Allison and other senators of both
parties.
He said he was asked to see Sena-
tor Chandler as the representative of
Mr.. Tillman, in charge of the bill, and
that the conferences Attorney General
Moody had with Senators Tillman and
Bailey were such as had been held
with many other senators to determine
the phraseology and discuss the effect
of amendments proposed by them.
The president states that he became
convinced that it was impossible for
senators with advantage" to use him
as an intermediary and suggested to
all to whom he spoke that they COM
municate with Senator Allison, whose
purposes and the presidents were
identical"
The president says that his own
opinion that the Allison amendment in
no way changed the court review a,
provided in the original Hepburn bill
is also the opinion of Attorney General
Moody and Secretaries Root and Taft.
The attorney generals letter gives
an account at the presidents request
of the conference which Mr.. Moody by
the presidents direction had with
Senators Tillman and Bailey regarding
the court review feature.
He says he advised the president
that he should not at any stage become
finally committed beyond recall to any
form of language in any part of the
bill. and the president affirmed the
wisdom of that course. He reviews
the discussion of interlocutory injunc.
tions and concludes that there was
nothing in the conversations" be-
tween the senators and himself which
bound the president to any particular
amendment.
Senator Tillman talked freely with a
number of his callers about the state.
ment issued by President Roosevelt.
He expressed his preference, however,
not to be quoted, pointing out that
whatever he wished to say on the sub
ject of the statement he would say on
the floor of the senate. He expects
that the question will be brought to
the front in some way in the senate
today.
He discussed the presidents state
ment last night with former Senator
Chandler and he urged Mr. Chandler
to issue statement giving full his
tory of the whole matter.
Senator Tillman wanted the fact to
go into the newspapers that he did not |
in any way initiate the negotiations
with the president regarding the Dem
Dcratic support for the railroad rate |
bill and that he did not ask Senator |
Chandler to go to the White House.