The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-05-18
STATEMENT FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE
CALLED OUT BY THE RATE BILL
CONTROVERSY
TWO LETTERS MADE PUBLIC
The President Denies Trying to
Dictate Any Particular FRO
grnmme with Reference to
Rate Legislation.

HatS
Washington, May 15.--The sensation
Il rate bill Incident In the s"nate Sat
lrday during which Mr.. Tillman, on
he authority Of former Senator Chand-
or. made statements regarding the
presidents course in connection with
pending railroad rate legislation, some
If which statements were denied by
Mr.. Lodge on behalf of the president,
had its sequel, Monday evening, when
III official statement was issued by the
White House giving an account Of the
subject on the part OF the president
and Attorney General Moody. The
statement comprised two letters, one
from the president to Senator Allison
and the other from Attorney General
| Moody to the president, both dated
Monday The president says:
In no case. either in the case of MIR.
/ Chandler or anyone else, was there the
| slightest opportunity for any honest
| misconCeption of my attitude or any
belief that pledged myself specifically
! to ono and only one amendment or set
| Of amendments. or that | would not be
satisfied with an amendment which pre-
served the essential features Of the
! Hepburn bill a. It came from the
| house"
The presi !2nt SAYS that as to many
Of the amendments including the so
called Long, Oyerman Bacon and
Spooner amendments, he had said he
should be entirely satisfied to have them
In the bill, and suggested notifications
As to other amendments, but that 'as to
none (of the amendments) did | ever
say either to Mr. Chandler or to any
one else that should insist upon hav-
Ing them In the bill as n condition OF
my approval" and that, on the contrary,
he (the PRESIDENT was careful to state
that he was not trying to dictate any
particular programme of action. The
| president says the statements made to
Senator Chandler were the same, in
| substance as those made to Mr.. All
| son and other senator's OF both parties.
! He says he was asked TO see Chandler
as the representative % Mir Tillmnn,
in charge Of the bin. and that the con-
fereuces Attorney General Moody had
with Senators Tillman and Bailey were
such as had been held with many other
senator's to determine the phraseology
and discuss the effect of amendments
proposed by them. The president
states that he becamc.convinced that II
was impossible for senator's with adj
vantage" TO use him as an intermediary,
and suggested TO all to whom he spoke
that they communicate with Senator
Allison, whose purposes and the presl-
dents were identical" The president
says that his own opinion that the Al
lison amendment IN no way changed the
court review as provided in the original
Hepburn bill Is also the opinion of At
torney General Moody and Secretaries
Root and Taft. The attorney generals
letter gives an account at the presi-
dents request, Of the conference which
| Mr. Moody had, ut the presidents d.
reCtiCn, with Senators Tillman and Bali
ley regarding the court review feature.
He says he advised the president that
he should not at any stage become
firally 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 inter-
locutory injunctious and concludes that
there was nothing in the "conversa-
tons" between the senators and him
self which bound the president to any
particular amendment.
senator TIilmnn TaIhs.
Washington, May Ex-senator Till.
man talked freely with a number OF
his callers about the statement issued
by President Roosevelt He expressed
his preference, however, not to be quot
ed. pointing out that whatever he
wished TO say on the subject of the
statement he would say on the floor OF
the senate. He expects that the qucs-
tion will be brought to the front in
some way in the senate He discussed
the presidents statement with former
Senator Chandler, and he urged Mr..
Chandler to issue statement giving a
| tull history or the whole matter.
Chandler Declines to Talk.
Washington, May l5.--Former SEN
ator Chandler refused to discuss the
statement from the White House He
indicated that he did not expect to issue
a statement at this time bearing on the
subject He also indicated that he was
anxious to have railroad rate leglsla-
ton enacted. Regarding his visit to
the White House. Mr. Chandler said
that previous tn his invitation to call
to see the president on March 81, fob
lowing which he conferred with the
president regarding the pending rate
bill he had not been at the White
House for about month.
H..