The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-06


who went to the White House yesterday
ia the confident hope that the mention of
Senator Penrose's name in connection
With the disclosures of the alleged con
sriracy" within the Republican party to
wrest control from President Roosevelt
would bring forth another statement were
obliged TO go away disappointed. Where
freedom of speech existed before. reti-
cence-decp-seated impenetrable retieenee
rcigned. There was nothing further to
say, 1t was explained, and whether there
would be anything more about the con
spiracy" was a matter 10 be determined
Sull the correspondents did not go away
entirely empty handed. They managed 10
set a statement, oral and very Informal
from William Loeb, jr., the secretary to
The President ia regard 10 Senator Pen
roses denial that he had told at a private
dinner or elsewhere Of a 100000 plot to
keep President RooseteIt from controlling
the next Republican convention.
senator PenrOse's denial that he was
The man that gave the first Information
of the conspiracy to defeat the Presidents
policies is of no interest" said Mr.. Loeb.
senator Penrose's name was not mem
tened ia giving out the news. How his
name came TO be connected with the pub
l.eauons in this mornings papers l do
not know"
FIR. Loeb was asked if he would say that
Ar. Peurose was not the accused Senator.
viii not say that ne was or was not,
hc answered. Il can only add that his
name was not mentioned, either by me or
by any one else in the White House, as
ir-sfrr tod f4sa
Bourne Gave Dinner.
According 10 information obtained yes
tcrday from a reliable source. the dinner
az which Senator Penrose disclosed the
alleged plan of the Presidents opponents
10 prevent him from getting control of the
Republican convention of 1908 was given
hy Senator Jonathan Bourne of Oregon,
1T the Shoreham Hotel. within the week
prior TO the adjournment of Congress
hat is, in the last few days of February
cr the first few days of March. Among
tAose present, in addition TO Senator Pen
rose, were Senator Henry c. Hansbrough,
# North Dakota, and Secretary Loeb.
The wonder of it is that Mr.. Penrose
should have talked freely ia the presence
Of the Presidents secretary of a plan 10
overthrow Mr. Roosevelt or granting that
he did talk in the way represented, that he
should in the circumstances, have been
taken seriously. But whether ne was
serious or not, or whether he was taken
seriously. the fact remains that the White
House insists that he disclosed evidence Of
a rich mans conspiracy against the
President the existence of which was
confirmed by subsequent developments.
white House Named No One.
In connection with this. however. it is
proper 10 say that the White House did
not announce that it was Senator Penrose
who told of the alleged cabal, but con-
fined. and still confines. It's description Of
the prattler TO "a big man. one of the
biggest men politically in the country"
Senator Bourne is a new member of the
Senate. He was elected for the six-year
term which began on March + last. but
as Congress adjourned at the moment his
credentials became effective. he has not
yet taken the oath or had a seat in the
upper House. lie is a Republican, and
was elected as nearly as il was possible
10 do so directly by the people. His
choice was the result of party primaries
and the Oregon legislature was practi-
cally obliged under the new law In that
State. TO confirm his selection. Senator
Bourne has been in Washington since
early in winter He established cordial
relations at the White House, and is re-
garded as one Of the Presidents strongest
supporters. He is also a close personal
friend of Secretary Loeb.
Host at Many Little Dinners.
During the winter he was the host at
about half dozen little dinners which
were not advertised in the newspapers.
At the dinner given by him and attended
by Senator Penrose, Senator HansbTough
and Secretary Loeb and only two or three
others We're present
Senator Bourne is still in Washington.
absurd, absurd, he said last night when
asked if Senator Penrose had revealed the
alleged plot at one of his little affairs.
IT'S a pity man can't give a private
dinner without its getting into the news
papers" he added
And that was all he would say. Sena-
tor Hansbrough is here also. Il don't
know anything about it, was his answer
10 the same question that had been put 10
Senator Bourne. Mr. Loeb wouldn't talk
about the report that ne was at the din
ner wher1 the alleged plot is said 10 have
been revealed
spoke in JocuIar Spirit.
According to a story going the rounds
OF political circles yesterday, Senator Pen
rose did say the things attributed to him,
but spoke in a jocular spirit i'm order to
have fun with Secretary Loeb and other
friends of the President who were present
This. however. is met by those who sup
port the contention that Senator Peur0se
was talking by the cards. with the asser-
ton that on the day following the dinner,
he admitted TO one OF those present that
his tale of the s. 900 plot" was true.
and that he would draw a check for 81. 00C
right then and there and give il TO his
visitor If the latter would use 1t in his
own State in the interest Of clecting anti
Roosevelt delegates to the national con-
Vention. Il was said that a greater SEN
sation in connection with the alleged
cabal was yet 10 come, but nobody whu
had heard this or pretended to know
something Of its nature. was able to say
when the promised disclosures would be
made.
Disposition Is 10 Laugh.
On the part of some political doubling
Thonases here there is a disposition Il
laugh at the whole story that any com
bination OF rich men, and politicians
with S. 600 behind them IS in existence
for the purpose of preventing a Roosevelt
man from getting the next Republican
Presidential nomination. They insist
that. even admitting that Senator Pen
rose or somebody else did say that this
alleged plan was under way. such foolisl
talk has been taken too seriously, and i:
being used 10 create an issue which i,
bound to prove popular IN the battle fOi
the selection of delegates TO the cOnven
ton. the issues being Rooseveltisn