Evening star., 1912-07-16
INTERFERENCE is CHARGED
Senator Declares Executives Action
Violates the Constitution.
QUOTES LETTER TO ROOSEVELT
"Dear Theodore" Salutation Brings
Caustic Comment - Archibald
Case Cited in Bitter Speech.


meddlesome." Senator Bailey today made
his promised attack upon executive in.
reference in contests involving seats OF
United States senator's. Mr.. Bailey yes
terday introduced a resolution declaring
that any attempted interference in sena-
torial contests by the President consti.
tutes "a violation of the spirit, if not the
letter, of the Constitution, and ought to be
severely condemned
Executive interference in contest in
volving seat in this body is so manifest
ly improper" said Senator Bailey, be-
ginning his attack on the President,
that 1t must seem very improbable if
the facts did not prove beyond the ques-
ton of a doubt that the President did use
influence in the case recently before the
Senate.
Not "Dear" Now.
Senator Bailey based his resolution, he
said. on the Presidents speech, April %.
1912. when he made public the letter he
had written January 6. 1911 to ex-Presi-
dent Roosevelt, telling Of his activities
against Senator Lorimer.
As the clerk began at Senator Bailey's
request to read the Presidents letter,
which opened with the words, My Dear
Theodore the senator interrupted:
He would not use that term now, per-
haps." he said.
No Right to Interfere.
The Texas senator declared he had
postponed presenting the resolution until
after the Lorimer vote was taken SO as
to avoid complications.
That President Taft had no right to in
terfere and appreciated he should not in
terfere was evident, Mr.. Bailey said,
from the endeayors he made according to
his letter to keep his activities secret.
Even II the President had a right to
use his power to influence the vote. said
Senator Bailey, he acted wrongly. be-
cause in the letter Of January g. 1911, he
said he had only read such Of the evil
dence as he could get at"
Senator Bailey declared the President
had not read a line Of the evidence, be-
cause it was not printed until January Z.
Senator Borah challenged the state
ment. He declared the committee print of
the evidence was available before the
preceding holidays.
name-of what Is dearer than his
name--on such evidence as / could get
at?" demanded Senator Bailey.
The senator quoted President Tafts
that he had been urging senators to
read the record carefully.
In Gods name has the Senate
reached such state of degradation"
summon sepators to the White House TO
urge them to discharge their duty under
their oath of office?'
Senator Bailey took up the Presi-
dents reference to his activities
"The President of the United States
should never do anything in reference
to the Senate that could leak OUT" he
said
Refers to Archibald.
yesterday we witnessed one of the
rare. scenes in this Senate. the impeach-
nlent Of an Official continued Senator
Bailey. What senator would think of
going to the White House to listen to
as to how he should vote
on that Impeachment. And yet he would
have more right to do that than to have
gone there in the Lorimer case, for
Judge Archibald officially is creature
of the Presidents hand"
1t was not until Mr.. Bailey came to that
clause in the Presidents letter which
suggested to Mr.. Roosevelt that he with
he'd his Outlook article on Lorimer lest
such senators as Bailey. who were intent
term it outside interference.
Senator Bailey said this was an intima-
ton that he would not vote according to
the law and the evidence, but on the
ground OF outside interference.
The Texas senator said that he was
justifying the confidence placed in him
in regard to resentng IT. He suggested
that he had been singled out because
President Roosevelt entertained an AN
cient prejudice against him.
Il once proved that he slandered me-"
added Senator Bailey, "and when I de-
nounce the present President the coun-
try held up it's hands in horror. None
held them higher than the present Presi-
dent, but l have lived long enough to see
him ransack the records Of the War De-
partment to convict President Roosevelt
Of a guilty falsehOod, and he seems to
have succeeded"
Texans Warm Words.
when the President penned that in
famous slander of me in this letter. no
one knew it better than the President
Of the United States himself"
Senator Bailey continued that It were
far better that ten corrupt senators
should sit in the Senate Of the United
States than that the Constitution should
be ravished to oblige these presidential
politicians
1t was at this point that Senator Bailey
was interrupted in his denunciation of
President Taft by the Archibald impeach-
ment proceedings.
Senator Bailey continued his attack on
President Taft after the impeachment
trial recess was taken.
Compared With Johnson's Case.
Nothing. he declared, could be palmer
than that the President thought that the
1ortmer case was not to be decided ac-
cording to the law and the evidence, but
was to be managed merely as combat
II nothing else, the concluding words OF
the letter, about winning" proved that
the senator declared. He dwelt upon the
Presidents speaking OF a quiet" pre-
sentation Of the case on the floor Of the
Senate.
the Senate Of the United States" Sena tor
Bailey added, upon allegations which, If
true. were less serious ipvasions OF the
rights Of Congress than this letter pro-
claims the President Of the United States
to be guilty Of. But that Is not all. He
has doubtless sent other and worse ones
I have his own word for 1t that he has
sent others and am justified in saying
worse by his not making them public"
Bailey Withdraws Charges.
AS result of an explanation which SEN
ator Borah made to the Senate. Senator
Bailey asked permission Of the Senate to
withdraw his charges against the Presi-
dent for intending to reflect upon him
ing to keep Lorimer in the Senate.