The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-05-16
ROOSEvELTs REJOINDER.

Saturday, during which Mr.. Tillman,
on the authority Of Former Senator
Chandler, made statements regarding
the presidents course in connection
with pending railroad rate legislation,
one Of which statements was denied
by. Mr.. Lodge on behalf of the presi-
dent, had its sequel this evening, when
an official statement was issued from
the White House, gazing an account of
the subject on the part Of the presi-
dent and Attorney General Moody.
The statement comprised two letters,
one from the president to Senator AL
lison, and the other from Attorney
General Moody to the president, both
dated today.
Senator Tillman talked freely to-
night with number of his callers
about the statement issued by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. He expressed his
preference, however, not to be quoted,
pointing out that whatever he wished
to say on the subject Of the statement
he would say on the floor Of the SEN
ate He expects that the question will
be brought to the front in some way in
the senate tomorrow. He discussed
the presidents statement tonight with
Former Senator Chandler and he
urged Mr. Chandler to issue state
ment giving a full history, of the whole
matter. Senator Tillman wanted the
fact to go into the newspapers that he
did not in any way initiate the negotia-
tons with the president regarding the
Democratic support for the railroad
rate bill and that he did not ask Sen
ator Chandler to go to the White
House.
Mr.. Roosevelt's Statement.
Following is the correspondence
embraced in the statement given out
at the White House:
The White House,
Washington, May IA, 1906.
My Dear Mr.. Allison:
AS Senator Tillman brought in your
name in connection with mine in the
statement he made concerning our re-
lations to the rate bill last Saturday
it is perhaps due you that I should
write you on the matter. After the
rate bill was reported from the COM
mittee, and after by vote of the COM
mittee Mr.. Tillman had been put in
charge of it, many senators and many
outsiders came to see me with refer
ence to it. Among others was asked
to see ex-senator Chandler as repre-
senting Mr.. Tillman, who was in
charge Of the bill. I stated in re-
sponse that was of course entirely
willing to see Mr.. Tillman personally
or to see Mr.. Chandler or anyone else
who could speak for him, and I ac-
cordingly directed my secretary to
dler to see me. My understanding was
that he was the representative Of MI.
Tillman. In his first interview he
stated to me the views of Mr.. Tillman,
with seeming authority. He called on
me several times. During the same
| period. I saw other gentlemen who pro-
| fessed to give the views Of other SEN
ators. In addition I saw numerous
senators, both Republicans and Dem
ocrats, some OF them once or twice,
some Of them many times. also saw
numerous outsiders, railroad men,
shippers, newspaper men and students
Of traffic regulation, including espec-
tally the attorney general and the
| members Of the interstate commerce
| commission, and on two occasions
! saw groups of newspaper men in a
mass. To all Of these, senator's, repre-
| sentatives Of senator's and outsiders
| alike, I made the same statements;
those that I made to Mr.. Chandles
being the same in substance that I
made to you and to those of your col
leagues Of both political parties, with
whom I had many extended confer
| ences on the subject. The letter Of
the attorney general, which 7 enclose,
shows fully the facts as 70 the confer
ences which, at my instance, he held
| with Senator's Tillman and Bailey.
Those conferences were precisely such
as, at my instance, he held with many
other senators to determine the phras-
eology and discuss the effect of
amendments proposed by them
To all whom I saw I stated that the
Hepburn bill was in its essence en-
tirely satisfactory to me- The Hep
burn bill as it passed the house sim
ply recognized the right of review by
the courts-that is. the jurisdiction of
the courts-but did not attempt to de-
|