The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-15
FIGHTS
PEOPLES BATTLES
Democrats Sought to Discredit
Him for Noble Performance
ILL., of Duty.
Shafts of Tillman and Bailey
Flattened by Documentary
Evidence.
Bv w, w, Jermane.

! .. BY w. w. Jermane.
Washington, May 15.-since Lass
Friday President Roosevelt has been
the subject of almost continuous furi-
GUS partizan assault upon the floor of
The democrats, led by Messrs. Till
man and Bailey, have been trying to
convict him of changing his mind on
the question of court review, and final
ly accepting an amendment, that pro-
posed by Mr.. Allison, which the dem
ocrats claimed was as broad as it was
possible for the English language to
make it,. "
Coupled with this charge, they tried
to convict the president of bad faith.
with having invited the democrats to
combine with him at a time when it
seemed that democratic votes would
be necessary if legislation was to re-
suit, and with afterwards, when he
found that the republicans were will
ing toEvote for the bill with the ALI
son amendment, deliberately deserving
the, democrats, without a word Of warn
ing or notice of any character to them
whatsoever.
Bitter Charges Fly.
It was further limited that Attorney
General Moody, who had been the pres
ident's representative in the confer
ences with Messrs. Tillman and Bailey,
was in a huff, and likely to leave the
cabinet, he also being impressed with
the fact that the president had been
guilty of bad faith. y>~ ri.
The attorney general, it was claimed.
had been left in the 1urch by the pres
ident, and did not know that tie presi-
dent had abandoned the negotiations
until informed of that fact by the
newspaper men, -s-ss,.-..,-
The debates which were the out
growth. of-the situation thus briefly
sketched have been the most bitter that
the senate has known since the DAYS
OF the second Cleveland administration.
1t has been the greatest sensation of
the entire Roosevelt administration, and
has been the sole subject of converse
ton in the capitol, the hotel Hobbies
and the streets of this city, by public
men OF every party.
President Cites Facts.
Finally the question became so acute
that the. president considered it best
to notice it officially, and so last night
he gave out to the press a long letter,
which he had addressed to Senator Al
ison, and also letter from Attorney
General Moody to himself, which gives
the president IS side of the case and
will no doubt bring the matter to an
early close.
The democrats, as have stated re-
peatedly in this correspondence, have
been @led on in this furious attack on
the president thru their bitter disap-
pointment at not being permitted to
help In the Ell otment of rate leCisla-
ton. The polf> cal significance of
their being pernn1 ted thus to help in
the passage of the Gsate bill would have
been SO great that some excuse per-
haps exists for their bitterness, and
the degree of their disappointment is
| treme lengths to which they have gone
In bitter denunciation.
1t will not be necessary for me to
discuss the president IS letter to Sena-
tor Allison. or the attorney general s
letter to the president. These docu-
ments follow. -
Charged Too Much Action.
One of the charges brought against
the president in this connection by the
democrats was the charge that he was
violating the spirit of the constitution
and trying in his position as chief exec
utive to influence the action of co-or-
| dinate branch of the government
| There are perhaps some old-fashioned
! folk in this country who adhere to the
| old-taSh1oned doctrine that there should
be an eternal separation between the
three coordinate branches, and who see
"a man on horseback every time any
president confers with members of the
two houses of congress with view to
! discussing pending bills These old
| fashioned folks are sadly in the minor
ity.
The active participation of presidents
in the work of shaping legislation be-
gan with Jackson, and it has grown
steadily into the present moment. Tenn
porarily, under Lincoln, owing to the
great stress of the times, this participa-
ton assumed formidable proportions.
1t has been part of the policy of
every president since Lincoln IS time,
! and it will continue to be part of the
| policy of every man who sits in the
| White House.
/ People Demand It.
/ This participation is the outgrowth
l Of demand made by the people them
selves that the president be their per-
sonal representative. The question
asked by the country is no longer, will
the president enforce the laws of con-
gress, but rather, will, congress enact
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