Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-05
New YorL Helald speoIaI.

sew YORK Herald Special,
Washington. April I'm the struggle
between the President and the Senate over
railroad rate legislation the batteries were
unmaskcd today.
President Roosevelt has been sending
for Democratic SCantors all day and he has
asked the support of his DemocraJic visi-
tors for Rate bill embodiyng the admins
tration judicial review amendment or
some provision OF a similar character. He
has made il clear that he no longer de-
pends on Republican votes to pass this
legislation. In doing this he admits that
bis party is hopelessly split, so far as the
Senate is concerned, and that he is only
the leader OF a faction, and possibly
minority faction at that Still, that does
not dismay him. He wants Democratic
votes to carry his bill into effect
ave must beat Aldrich and that crowd
around him. Aldrich must not be allowed
TO triumph. Good government demands
that this rate legislation be saved. This
is a fight of the people.
These have been some of the President 5
expressions at today's conferences. His
earnestness indicated to the Democrats
that he is willing to wash his hands during
the rest of his term Of the Republican Sena-
tors who are engaged in the movement to
insert in the Hepburn bill a court review
provision on the lines laid down by Sena-
tors Knox and Spooner. The President
is very much displcased withothese two
| Senators, and Senators Knox and SpoOner
are not entirely pleased with the President.
Among the Democratic Senators whom
the President summoned to the White
House today were Messrs. Daniel of Nir-
ginia, Clay of Georgia, Taliaferro of Florida
and Foster of Louisiana. Mr. Roosevelt
would like to see Senator Bailey Of Texas,
but it is said tonight Mr. Bailey would not
go TO the White House to discuss rate
legislation with the President.
II is not impossible that Senator 1illman
may to invited to the White House very
soon. The President intimated today that
| he would be willing to talk this matter over
with Mr.. lillman, only he was afraid his
personal differences with the South Caro-
linian had gone so far as TO make this inn
possible.
The feud between President Roosevelt
and Mr. Iillman has been one of long stand-
| ing and much harshncss. Mr.. Tillman
/ hit Senator John McLaunn above the ear
| in the Senate chamber for calling him liar.
In consequence the President withdrew
| the invitation he had sent TO Senator Till
man to attend the State dinner given to
| Prince Henry of Prussia in the White
| House in March, 1902. In resentment,
| James lillman, a nephew of Senator Till
man, refused to allow President Roosevelt
/ to make the presentation OF a sword given
| by the State of South Carolina to young
| officer of the Spanish-American War.
/ Since then Senator Tillman has lost no
/ opportunity TO attack the President in the
/ Senate
President Roosevelt's willingness to let
| hygones be bygones and meet Senator
| 'Hllman reveals his intense earnestness in
| this rate struggle. He believes "a majority
| of the Republican Senators are bent on
passing the Rate bill in such form as will
/ defeat the prime object of the legislation.
/ lie holds that this object is to clothe the
Interstate Commerce Commission with
authority to make just and reasonable
rate which shall remain in effect pending
n review by the courts as TO whether the
| constitutional rights of the carriers have
been violated
Mr. Roosevelt holds that the attitude of
a majority of the Republican Senators is
4 altogether on the side of the railroads, and
that they are seeking to make the Inter-
state Commerce Commission only the pre-
hminary agent in the making Of q rate,
and design to amend the bill so that any
rate so made can be suspended and that
the court viii be the judge of what th e
rate should be- as well as of all other
| questions surrounding the matter at issue.
President Roosevelt was asked today,
| by Mr.. Haskell of South Carolina, whether
he would use his influence with Congress
to have provision made for the payment Of
claims arising out of the confscation of
cotton during the Civil War.
"Ise my influence with Congressw the
President is reported TO have exclaimed.
"Ihat is out Of the question. ! have no
influence with Congress. as is shown by
the situation regarding the Rate Regua-
tion bin
Mr. Roosevelt is not the only one who is
after Democratic votes. Republican Sena-
tons who are opposed TO the President s
idea have been after Democratic votes,
feeling assured that with a majority of
these votes in the Senate they can force
their amendments on the House and then
"put it up to Roosevelt"