The Washington herald., 1907-01-20

With characteristic cOmbatiVeness
President Roosevelt has let it be known
that he has no wish to avoid whatever
consequences may follow vote on tho
Blackburn amendment in the Senate.
He is fully aware Of the degree tC
which the fortunes of the Republican
party and himself are involved in the
present situation, and he is not inclined
TO change his position in any way on that
account He holds that he is I'm no wise
responsible for the predicament in which
the majority of the Senate finds itself
and that if the necessity of voting on the
question of whether his discharge of the
negro troops was legal and right results
IN an open break. it will be through ne
fault OF his
de realizes that many of the members
of his party in the Senate are unfriendIy
TO him because Of his attitude toward
corporation control and the stand he has
taken on other vital questions. and he be
Heves that the contest over his discharge
order is only cloak for a movement to
discredit him and restore the control of
the party to the conservative element
which dominated il before his accession
TO the Presidency He is quite willing to
meet the issue as it has been raised. and
although II was asserted by more than
one Republican Senator on Friday that
he was Indifferent as 10 whether the
amendment offered by Mr. Blackburn was
defeated OF adopted, it may now be said
positively that he desires to have "A vote
on il. and that he viii expect his friends
to support il. He made that point quite
plain to some of those who called on him
yesterday.
RepGdiatiOR of Policies Involved.
Broadly speaking, the Presidents
view is that those Republicans who vote
against the Blackburn amendment will
not merely record themselves as believing
that he erred in discharging the three
companies Of the Twenty-dfth Infantry.
but as reDudiating his policies generally.
lie acknowledged to some who called On
him yesterday that he believed crisis is
at hand. and that the action of the Sen
ale on the Blackburn amendment proba-
bly, VIII determine whether there shall be
factlonal battle o4er the continuance
OF his course in the past as the course
OF the Republican party. or whether that
From what the President said 10 tbosa
IN his confidence it was evident that he
had been expecting FOR long time that
an effort would be made within the Re-
publican party 10 prevent the adoptioD
OF some of his policies as party princiDles.
lie maintains that the opposition to his
action in the Brownsville matter merely
serves TO cover general opposition TO him
and is in line with a carefully planned
movement 20 bring the party leaders 10 a
state Of mind that will result in produc-
ing a less radical platform for the cam
paign Of 1908 than he desires.
There is no doubt that the President
wishes the Republican party. at it's navr
national convention. to adopt planl,s ca11-
ing for the enactment of inheritance tax
ana income tax laws, and he has indi-
cdted ',haJ he regards the ATTEMPT to
prevent an Endorsement of his dismissal
OF the negro troops as the first move in
the direction Of so curtailing his influence
with the party that these policies and his
general attitude against corporations will
not be approved
Two Conferences with Lodge.
Senator Lodge. the principal champion
OF the Presidents Brownsville policy had
two conferences with Mr.. Roosevelt YES
terday over the situation which the negro
dismissal order has produced in the Sen
ate. The Republican leaders have been
lmportuning Nj. Lodge to make a speech
to the effect that vote ag,linsf tho
Blackburn amendment would not be a
repudiation Of the Presidents action Mr.
Lodge did not give them definite answer
He was equally reticent after his late
talk with the President yesterday even
ing, but il is regarded as probable that if
no change in the situation is brouobt
about he VIII vote against a motion In
table the Blackburn amendment. Thara
Is "A possibility that a change will come
through hard and fast agreement
among the Republicans to adopt the For
aker resolution without the amendment
and 70 carry with that action a clear nm
ueTstanding that regardless Of the result
OF the proposed investigation. the question
of the Presidents legal and coDstitu-
uonal rights in the premises shall not he
raised by any Republican at any time in
the future. II he did this. Mr.. Lodge
would take the stand that he was main
tanning his attitude that the Senate has
no right to investigate the Presidents dis
charge order. inasmuch as the Foraker
resolution provides merely for an inguirv
into the facts of the riot only.
Whether such an understanding viii he
reached by the Republicans will deDend
on the outcome of a conference tn he beld
to-day by some of the Senate leaders
Senator Aldrich will be back from New
York. and the others who viii attend the
conference are Senators Lodge. Cran,
and Spooner, and probably Hale ana
Knox. Every effort viii be made to
reach a compromise for, in spite of tn
attitude of the President and some Of his
closest adherents. the Senate leaders an
paTently are anxious 10 avoid a situation
where they may feel compelled To vote
against a resolution indOrsing the admin
isuatiOn's Brownsville policy and there
by lay the beginning Of bitter factional
party strife.
Democrats Are Firm
The Democrats are standing firm IN
their determination to demand an in
dorsement Of the dismissal order. Whether
they viii stick to the Blackburn amend
meEt or substitute for it a declaration
in the Presidents favor much more ex-
plieit and radical has not been deter
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