Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-29
Foraker and President Pay Old
Scores at Gridiron Club
Banquet
FORAKER LOSES HIS TEMPER
Bitter Word Clash Over the Browns
vile Affair-RaiIways Seek to Make
Rate Law Unpopular Tariff War
Will, Germany Averted-Govern-
mont Wants Right Of Appeal.

President Roosevelt and Senator For
aker at the banquet of the Grid1ron
club Saturday night, when they unpur-
dened themselves in the frankest KIND
OF way about their conflicting opinions
on the. Brownsville affair. So tense was
the feeling for time that several OF
the &C urses Of the dinner were entirely
neglected. No reference to the clash
was made in the regular reports OF the
dinner. Sunday morning, but the story
leaked out yesterday and is being dis
cussetl on all sides.
AS is customary at the Gridiron
dinners, the president was called upon
/. for talk. He generally unburdens
himself freely, and Saturday night, in
the course Of his remarks he made
some reference to the Brownsville at
fair and characterized the senator's
course as purely academic There are
many verions of the matter in which
this was said. Most Of them are to
the effect that it was uttered in way
to confirm the general belief that the
president does not hold the senate in
very high esteem.
Whether by accident or design, Sen
ator Foraker, who has been the leader
irl this attack on President Roosevelt
for his course in discharging the negro
soldiers, was next called on He took
up the presidents references to the
senatt1s academic discussion" Of the
BROWNSVILLE case, and told Mr.. Roose-
welt l,luntly that the liberties and
rights Of free American citizens were
at stake and that under no conditions
could such q vital issue be dismissed
by calling the discussion of it "aca-
demic."
In dis earnestness the Ohio senator
walked toward the president and,
shaking his finger at him, emphasized
his declaration. Going in between the
tables which were arranged in the
form Of gridiron, he stood directly in
the front OF Mr.. Roosevelt, and told
the president something about usurpa-
ton OF power by the executive that no
one before had ever dared to tell him
to his face.
The bluntness Of the attack took the
president by surprise, and he had great
difficulty in restraining himself from
getting up and interrupting Mr.. For
aker. Some Of the supplementary
tthings that both the president and
Senator Foraker said of one another
failed to take away any of the serious
ness ef the clash between the two men,
~ their differences are too well known
*ts
Instead Of lowering rates on ac-
count OF the Hepburn law, the railroads
are using it as an excuse to advance
them and to refuse excursion rates,
have been made in former years. This
is true OF freight rates as well as pas
senger fares. Quite a number Of COM
modify rates, which were in effect be-
fore the passage of the Hepburn act
have been abolished by the railroads
and there is a endency to stiffen up
the rates ia all II the territories.
Attic the int state commerce COM
mission has tried to make it plain that
there is nothing in the Hepburn act
which will prevent the railways from
making special and excursion rates,
traffic managers profess to fear that
they will be liable to the charge of
discrimination, If they authorize ex-
9cursion rates for special occasions,
which has been done in the past. 1t is
evidently the purpose Of the railroads
to make the Hepburn law as unpopular
with the public as possible and that
the measure will be used in every man
ner TO inconvenience and harass the
public.
In an interesting letter to the presi-
dent, a professor of one Of the western
colleges has called attention to this
new policy Of the railways. He says:
AS q trustee Of the National Edu-
cational association, / have recently
been having some very interesting ex-
periences with the trunk line passen-
ger committee, in reference to rates for
the next years meeting Of the associa-
ton. It is astonishing to find out how
dead-set all Of the railway officials are
to make the new railroad rate law up
popular with as many organizations as
possible.
'arhey tried to make us believe that
the responsibility for their refusal to
treat us as they had heretofore done
was due to the railway rate law, and
when we showed them that the rail-
way rate law had in it no clause or
phrase which affected our matters in
the least, and that the interstate COM
mert.e commission has SO pronounced,
1t was amusing to see their confusion
and to listen to their rather futile ex-
plantations. The campaign that you are
engaged in is not going to be won all
at once. These people have infinite re-
sources, and time is on their side, so
far at least, as you are personally con-
cerned. That we shall win in the end,
how ever, am perfectly certain"
Tie senate committee on the judic-
larry discussed the bill giving the gov
eminent the right to appeal in certain
criminal cases and authorized SUBJ
committee, consisting of Senator Nell
son, Knox, Spooner and Pettus. to per-
feet the measure, and report 1t to the
senate. The bill was reported last ses-
sion, but In a form that was said to be
susceptible to question as to its consti-
tutionality, and it is this fault the sub
committee is expected to correct. The
measure is the outgrowth Of the inef-
fectiveness of the governments prose-
cuti,n Of Chicago meat packers.
The diplomatic and consular appro-
priation bill was reported to the SEN
ate yesterday by Senator Hale, who
gave notice that today he should cali
the measure up for consideration. Mr..
Hale remarked incidentally that the
sen,lte was considerable behind In the
consideration of appropriation bills.
The bill carries $3,0S5,47S, the same