The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-06-14
POOR OLD BILL
ne Made a Fool Of Himself in Refusing
to See a Representative.
CALLED OFEICJz
Congressman Harrison, Democra

Congressman Harrison, DemocrAS'e /
New York, Was the Innocent Vii
tim of Taft's Bad Manners, Wher
He Called to Introduce Some Of
Constituents to the President.
On last Thursday President Taf
declined to receive Representative
Francis Burton Harrison, Democrat
of New York, who called at the
White House, in company with two
other Representatives to introduce.
number of Jewish rabbis, who took
up with the President the question
of the expulsion of Jews from Rus
sia.
The President received the. delega
tion and chatted with its various
members for fiftaen MINUTES or mole
Representative Goldfogel, Of New
York acted as spokesman for the par.
ty and, SO adroitly had the situation
been handled by Secretary Norton
that no one of the callers knew
anything of the incident until Repre-,
sentative Harrison returned to the
Capitol, and there made statement
to the effert that he had been re-
buffed by the President.
Mr.. Taft based his refusal to see
Mr.. Harrison on statements, attribu'
ted by newspapers to the Represen'
tative, in connection with his res
olution in the House, calling upon
Attorney General Wickersham for
full information as tc the connec-
tion of mis- office with the Ballinger-
Pinchot episode. Mr.. Harrison, ac-
cording to. the White House version
of the matter, charged the President
and the Attorney General with hav-
ing willfully attempted to mlslead
Congress in the back-dating of the
Attorney Generals summary of the
CLAWS charges against the Secretary
of the Interior.
It was the first time Mr.. Norton
had ever met Mr.. Harrison, and when
the two were alone, the Presidents
desire having been expressed private
", the secretary said he was extreme
ly sorry that the first meeting should
be the occasion of e disagreeable
duty. He told Mr.. Harrison the Pres
ident would not see him. Mr.. Har-
rison, according to Mr.. Norton, said
he thought he knew why it was
the statement he had made regard
ing the connection of the President
and the Attorney General with the
allinger-Pinchot controversy.
Mr.. Harrison was quoted on May
13 as having said of the back-dating
of the Wickersham summary:
1.-The confession of the Attorney
General amounts to conclusion that
the President and Attorney General
had agreed to furnish to Congress
misleading information to supply an
official document as Of one date,
which was really many weeks later. -
Representative Harrison was very in
dignant. when he returned to the
Capitol, ever the refusal of the Pres
ident to see him, inasmuch, he said,
as he had made the appointment with
President Taft ten days ago, and mad
received no warning that he was to
be publicly humiliated. He declin-
ed to comment upon the incident fur
thar than to give brief statement
of what occurred.
when l reached the White House
with the delegation,' said Mr.. Har-
rison, Il Informed Secretary Norton
that we desired to see the President,
The secretary went to the Presl-
dents private office and returned
with the information that the Presl-
dent could not see me. j then told
Mr.. Norton that had made an ap-
pointment ten days ago for the dele
CATION accompanying me to see the
Pr. sident, and Mr.. Norton again con-
ferred with the President.
when he returned, he Informed
me that the President would see the
delegation accompanying me, but
would not see me- l admit l was
surprised almost beyond expression.
Immediately left the White House.
Mr.. Harrison said he knew of NO
reason why the President took the
action he did, as their previous rela-
tions had always been pleasant. 1t
was suggested that perhaps the Pres
ident had refused to see him because
of his introduction in the House some
days ago of the resolution calling
upon the Attorney General for infor-
nation bearing upon the preparation
o. the Presidents letter, of Septem'
Der 13, last, generating Secretary
3allinger. Mr.. Harrison replied thai
he did not know whether that was
the cause or not.
Mr.. Harrison is Democrat aao
Is serving his second term from the
New York district, which he repre-
sentS.
Representative Harrison made the
following statement:
1T is unfortunate for the Presl'
dent that he cannot stand criticls"'
it is unfortunate for the countr." 80
he cannot stand the truth. My
paper statement, at which ~"
offence, was merely an eXpositio4. o
the scandalnuS fact that the PreSl