Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-11

conspiracy to oppose the President in any
thing, much less did | ever hear of the So
called five-milion- dollar conspiracy of
which we have heard SO much during the
last week.
I trust l may he pardoned for going fur
Their and saying never John d. Rookie
teller but once in my life and that was
twenty years ago or more while / was gov
ernor of Ohio.
] then had the pleasure of meeting him
in connection with tie ceremonies connect
ed with the laying of the corner stone of the
Young Mems Christian Association building
at Cleveland. Ohio. With that single ex-
ception l never saw him, never spoke to
him and never communicated with him in
any way, directly indirectly.
Mr.. Hartman have seen oftener l have
seen him three times-twice at the White
House; the last time honored guest
at the wedding ceremonies of the Presi-
dents daughter. On neither of these occa-
sions did have any conversation with him.
Where the Stories Belong.
The only other tine l ever saw him was
to meet him at a dinner party given by Sen
ator and Mrs Depew, where Speaker Can
non and his daughter. Senator Spooner and
his wife. Senator Elkins and his wife and
many others were present.
Except only the brief conversation of the
evening in the presence of all this company
1 never communicated with him directly or
indirectly on any subject whatever
l call attention to all this with particu-
larity so that at the outset such wild, reck-
less, crazy stories may be put into the class
of campaign literature where they properly
belong.
Samples of Other Stories.
But these stories are but samples of many
others, all of which taken together seem
to have for their object the dissemination
of the idea that ain at war with the poll
cies of President Roosevelt.
No man ever occupied the White House
who has been identified with so many leg
islative measures President Roosevelt.
He is a tireless worker. He is constantly
doing, or causing to be done, something of
great Importance This is true not only
as to domestic, but also as to foreign af-
fairs. He has been President since Sep
tember 1901, almost six years.
During all that time l have supported all
measures that have come before the Sem
ate of the United States for consideration
with which he in any way identified
except only three.
l differed from him as to Joint statehood
for New Mexico and Arizona, insisting
that they should not be forced into the
Union as one state, unless a majority of
the citizens of each territory might so
vote.
Adopted by Congress
The proposition I favored was adopted
by Congress, and the people of the terri
tories voted against joint statehood.
That U1S q al,o
| might well differ. There was no occasion
for any bitterness of feeling in connection
! with its consideration; and there was none
on my part, and l never heard that there
was any on the part of the President But
however that may lie, l am satisfied that
not only the people of those two territories
but the great majority of the American
| people also approve what l contended for
| in that ease.
Why He Disagreed.
l was unable also TO agree with the Pres.
dent as to comforting the rate-makinp
power upon the interstate commerce com
mission, provided in the Hepburn law
| passed at the first session of the Fifty.
ninth Congress.
l was not opposed to that proposition.
however, because l did not want govern
mental control and supervision of railroads
engaged in Interstate commerce, for 1 was
among the first to advocate such a meas
ure, but because l thought the Hepburn
law in that particular was both unconstitu-
tional and unnecessary, and that it was a
| long and serious step in the wrong direc-
ton a matter of public policy.
l thought it unconstitutional because I
did not believe then, and I do not believe
now, that the three great powers of gov
eminent which our fathers who framed the
Constitution intended should be distributed