Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-05-25
THE PRESIDENT AND THE LIE.

THE PRESIDENT AND THE LIE.
The President has placed himself in
a very awkward position with refer.
ence to his conduct toward the Demo.
Gratis of the Senate touching the rail
road rate bill. The President was so
anxious to pass this bill that he sent
for ex-senator Chandler, who resides
in Washington, that he might get in
touch with Senators Tillman and
Bailey, the Democratic leaders, because
the President saw that he could not
hope to have the bill passed by Repub
lican votes. After some parlylDg
Messrs Tlllman and Bailey agreed to
help pass the bill on certain lines. All
was going on IN good shape, and al
though MIR. Tillman does not speak to
the President and Mr.. Bailey would
not 60 to the White House, still the
bill under these circumstances was
progressing favorably. All Of sudden
Mr.. Roosevelt dropped the Democrats
"AoAOos AoOANO hA1A uOOh OAO Ahl-
son amendment, which related to linn
tied court review. Mr.. Tillman was
astounded. He could not believe his
own eyes when he saw in print what
Mr.. Roosevelt had done, so he made
public IN the Senate his connection
with the matter. In the midst of this
HiaaIna,vra Mr. I ha 30
mouthpiece in the Senate called the
President over the phone, and in res
ponse to what Mr.. Lodge told him in
regard to what Mr.. Chandler should
haye said. the President pronounced
the statement "a base falsehoOd " Mr..
Chandler has made bis statement and
the country has been left to Judge
between the parties, and so far the
decision has not been in favor of the
President.
About this time two newspapers, the
New York Tribune and Chicago Tri
bune. published articles rejecting on
the character and conduct of Senator
Bailey. These articles and the authors
and inspirers of them Mr.. Bailey pub
licly on the floor of the Senate de
nounced as lies, and the authors liars,
NO matter. he said, from whom or
whence they came. The newspapers
to vindicate themselves made explana.
lions. These explanations involved
Mr.. Chandler. Mr.. Chandler showed
Mr.. Bailey what he had said. There
was no reflection on Mr.. Bailey in the
Chandler note. The Chandler note
was in the Presidents hands and thus
the newspaper man was shown to have
gotten bis suggestion of duplicity and
bad faith on The part of Mr.. Bailey
directly from the President. When
this became apparent Mr.. Bailey
again took the floor and not by name
but as directly as it could have been
done otherwise, denounced the Presi.
dent as liar.
AS the Chandler note which the
President used as his excuse for break
ing away from the Democrats, because
it, as the President put it, showed
Bailey traitor was written on the
18th, and on the l4th the President
had arranged for Senators Tillman
and Bailey to confer with the Attor-
ney General, Mr.. Bailey said: ~
have no words to express my contempt
for the man who treats with others
whom he suspects of treachery, and
none but traitor would do So"
mo man ever before impugned my
character" said Mr.. Bailey. mo man
ever charged that have dealt double
and no man shall escape my denunci-
alton who so charges me. When a man
SO accuses me, no matter where l NAV
be, will brand across his Torch cad q
liar, and in after years all men may
know him, and all men may shun
him."
1t is possible that this is the FIRST
time in the history of the country that
the President has been called directly
liar by man in 80 high a place as
the U. S. Senate, and it is surely the
first time that any President has been
SO nearly convicted. just before the
last presidential election Mr.. Roosevelt
leaped into the arena and challenged
Mr.. Parker to mortal combat, hurting
the lie at him because of Mr.. Parker's
statement in regard to campaign con.
tributions. Mr.. Parker has lived to
see that what he said was true, and
whether Mr.. Roosevelt knew 1t or not
he ought to have then known 1t was
true. Again Mr.. Roosevelt had some
cock and bull story about Mr.. J FL
Morgan visiting him at Oyster Bay
last summer. which upon examination
put him in bad light. MIR. Roosevelt
Is too impetuous. He speaks before he |
thinks. lie is loosing caste. Nobody
believes man simply because he is
President.
At Zion City the Rev. John Alexan.
der If0Wia had haou<iP,,l LIE ~