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atclmum ? an? outl)ro?i ? THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. 'Be Jost and Fear not-Let all the ends Thon Aims' t at be thy Country's, Thy God's and Troth's." THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jone, ISM Consolidated Ans. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. MAY 16, 1906. Sew Series-Yol. XXT. No 43 I C|e Maicinitaii at? Sont|t0iL Published Every Wednesday, -BY OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY, SUMTER, S. C. Terms: $1.50 per annum-in advance. Advertisements : One Square first insertion.$1.50 Every subsequent insertion...... 50 . Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communications which sub? serve private interests will be charged for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respects will be charged for. ROOSEVELT IN A HOLE. TILLMAN AND CHANDLER PRE? PARED TO PROVE THAT HE MED. The President Guilty of Dirty Politics, j a Complete Backdown and Deser? tion of Men Whose Aid He Solicited. It's up to Roosevelt and Lodge to Prove Which One Told the lie. Washington, D. C., May 12.-The senate proceedings today were de? voted exclusively to the consideration of the railroad rate hill, and they in eluded many interesting and some sen? il sational features; Of the latter class was a statement by Senator Tillman, j covering the details of his and Sena? tor Bailey's negotiations, through Ex Senator Chandler, with the President, regarding the rate bill, and Senator Lodge's reply for the president to the ^statement. Scarcely less exciting was ^an attack made upon the President by ^ Senator Bailey and a defense hy Sen? ator Carter. In his statement Senator Tillman said that the President had referred slightingly to to Senators Knox, Fora * ker and Spooner, and ,in his answer } Senator. Lodge said that the President had characterized the statement as a .falsehood. Senator Bailey's criticism of the President was made in response to a .speech by Senator Carter, lauding the Chief Executive- in-high terms, . and contrasting his course with that of the Texas Senator and other Democrats who had, he said, done comparatively little to meet the demands of the peo? ple foi railroad legislation. Senator Bailey accused the President of varia r hility, and said that instead of being a fe -man of iron he is a man of clay, "and ; .very common clay." The actual accomplishments of the . day consisted in the completion of the consideration of the Allison amend? ments, covering the questions of a re? view by the Courts of the orders of -, the Inter-State commerce commission. v There were several of the provisions, and all were accepted as presented or suggested by the Iowa Senator, show? ing an almost , perfect agreement among Republican Senators. Indeed, one of the noteworthy features of the day was the practical unanimity of the Republicans. They not only voted almost solidly for the Allison .amendments, but were just as nearly united against opposing propositions. Senator LaFollette continued to act . with the Democrats. The session began at ll o'clock and continuer until almost 6, and when an adjournment was reached there was still a prospect of muqh debate for next week. Who's the Liar? Washington, May 13.-Senator Till? man, who yesterday made a statement In the senate covering the dtails of his and Senator Bailey's negotiations through ex-Senator Chandler with President Roosevelt, regarding the rate bill, tonight made public a por? tion of a written statement made to him by Mr. Chandler of the last named various conferences with the * president on this subject. The portion given out by Mr. Tillman is largely a repetition of of the part of his state? ment in the Senate yesterday. It cov? ers, however, that portion where Mr. Tillman had quoted Mr. Chandler as saying that the president had stated that he had come to a complete disa? greement with the senatorial lawyers who were trying to defeat or injure the bill, naming Knox. Spooner and .Foraker, regarding which statement Senator Lodge subsequently said he .was authorized to say from the White .House that it was an unqualified false? hood. On this subject Mr. Chandler, referring to the president, said, in his written statement: '"He said that he had been much troubled by the advo? cacy of an unlimited court review by some of the lawyers of the senate, naming Senators Knox. Spooner and Foraker as trying to injure or defeat the bill by ingenious constitutional ar? guments, but that he had come to a complete disagreement with them. He made this point emphatic by repeti? tion." The statement given out by Mr. Ti 1 man follows: Wanted it in Writing. Senator Tillman today said that Saturday, May 5, he insisted on ha lng from ex-Senator Chandler a wr ten statement of the various conf< enees by the latter in connection wi the plan of the president to control t i railroad rate legislation by allian I with the Democrats of the Senate a: : Mr. Chandler gave him such a stal ? ment made prior to Saturday, May 1 I and signed by Mr. Chandler. Mr. Ti man said that he would give out a pc ?on of that statement relating to t interview of Mr. Chandler with ti president on March 31, which had ti come a subject matter of dispute b would retain the remainder for use case any other parts of his stateme m the Senate on Saturday should denied. The following is the portion of 2? Chandler's statement given out by _J Tillman: "On Saturday afternoon,? March 3 1906, a friend of mine came into n office and told me of the White Hou conference of that date in which i understanding as to a limited cou review had been reached with Senat Long and others, and. he told me th; the president wished to get into con muncation with Democrats and wou shortly ask men to come and see hir While he was talking a messenegr bc arrived with a letter to me from M Loeb, as follows: " 'The White House, Washingto: March 31, 1906. " 'My Dear Senator Chandler: Tr president requests me to say that I would be glad to have you come t the White House to see him at 8:3 o'clock tonight. Will you y?ease h the bearer know whether you ca come. Very truly yours, " 'Wm. Loeb, Jr., " 'Secretary to the President. "I told the messenger I would b there. What Senator Chandler Says. "At the time and place appointe the president said to me that he wish i ed through me to get into communica tion with Mr. Tillman, Mr. Bailey an other Democratic senators. He stat ed his purpose slowly_and careful!; fand in exact substance his statemen j was this* that he had reached th conclusion that the best plan for rail road rate legislation was to expressl; grant a court review but to distinctl; limite it two two points; first, an in quiry whether the interstate commerc commission had exceeded its authorit; and, second, an inquiry whether th' constitutional rights of the carrier h_< been violated. He said that he ha< been much troubled by the advocac: of an unlimited court review by som* of the lawyers of the Senate-naminj Sc-nators Knox, Spooner and Forake as trying to injure or defeat the bill b: ingenious constitutional arguments but that he had come to a complet? disagreement with them. He mad? this point emphatic by repethion; sai< that he would go thus far and n< farther and this decision wouic1 be un alterable. He said thr.t lie wished t< ascertain whether there could b< united action in the Senate among th< friends ofi the b'.U so that it could b< su? ely pa?Sfi without Injuriou; amendments and he named variou: Republican senators whom he though were the friends of the bill, but said i would take nearly all of the Demo? crats to carry the limitation and de? feat all obnoxious provisions. "After the president had made hii statement I replied that I had reasor to believe that most of the Democrat.5 in the Senate would sustain his limita? tion of the courts' powers but that 3 was sure that Mr. Bailey and Mr. Till? man would insist upon coupling with the limitation some restriction upon the power of the courts to issue in? junction against the orders of the com? mission. Before I had finished my statement on this point the presider: interrupted me, saying that I need not explain further because he was warm? ly in favor of some such restriction. . "That evening I saw Mr. Tillman and told him what had occurred." The Principal Topic. Senator Tillman's statement in the .senate yesterday was the principal .topic of discussion in official circles to? day. The senator had a -number of callers at this apartments with whom .he talked freely about the matter, among whom were Senator Bai loy and ex-Senator Chandler. Mr. Chandler has boen urged by some of his friends ?to make public statement over his own signature regarding the denial .by Senator Lodge of the accuracy of the president's remarks in reference to Senators S].ner, Knox and Fora ker. I?> declim d. however, to be fur? ther brought into the controversy at this time, saying he would let the mat? ter for the present rest on the state? ment made public by Mr. Tillman, [t .was with Mr. Chandler's consent that the portion of Iiis written statement to .Mr. Tillman of his conferences with the president, was made public. Attorney General Moo,dy whose par? ticipation in the rate bill conferences was referred to by Mr. Tillman, was in New York today. He is expected back in Washington tomorrow. Senator Lodge called at the White House this evening and took dinner with the president. Subsequently Sec? retaries Root and Taft arrived at the .White House and joined the president and Senator Lodge. ROOSEVELT'S REJOINDER. Washington, May 14.-The sensa? tional rate bill incident in the Senate Saturday, during which Mr. Tillman, on the authority of Former Senator Chandler, made statements regarding the president's course in connection with pending railroad rate legislation, one of which statements was denied by Mr. Lodge on behalf of the presi? dent, had its sequel this evening, when an official statement was issued from the White House, gaving an account of the subject on the part of the presi? dent and Attorney General Moody. The statement comprised two letters, .one from the president to Senator Al? lison, and the other from Attorney General Moody to the president, both dated today. Senator Tillman talked freely to? night with a number of his callers about the statement issued by Presi? dent Roosevelt. He expressed his preference, however, not to be quoted, pointing out that whatever he wished to say on the subject of the statement .he would say on the floor of the sen? ate. He expects that the question will be brought to the front in some way in .the senate tomorrow. He discussed the president's statement tonight with Former Senator Chandler and he urged Mr. Chandler to issue a state? ment giving af ull history..of the whole matter. Senator Tillman wanted the fact to go into the newspapers that he did not in any way initiate the negotia? tions with the president regarding the Democratic support for the railroad rate bill and that he did not ask Sen? ator Chandler to go to the White House. Mr. Roosevelt's Statement. Following is the correspondence embraced in the statement given out at the White House: The White House, Washington, May 14, 1906. My Dear Mr. Allison: As Senator Tillman brought in your name in connection with mine in the statement he made concerning our re? lations to the rate bill last Saturday it is perhaps due you that I should write you on the matter. After the rate bill was reported from the com? mittee, and after by vote of the com? mittee Mr. Tillman had been put in charge of it, many senators and many outsiders came to see me with refer? ence to it. Among others I was asked to see ex-Senator Chandler as repre? senting Mr. Tillman, who was in charge of the bill. I stated in re? sponse that I was of course entirely willing to see Mr. Tillman personally or to see Mr. Chandler or anyone else who could speak for him, and I ac? cordingly directed my secretary to make an appointment for Mr. Chan? dler to see me. My understanding was that he was the representative of Mr. Tillman. In his first interview he stated to me the views of Mr. Tillman, with seeming authority. He called on me several times. During the same period. I saw other gentlemen who pro? fessed to give the views of other sen? ators. In addition I saw numerous senators, both Republicans and Dem? ocrats, some of them once or twice, some of them many times. I also saw numerous outsiders, railroad men, shippers, newspaper men and students of traffic regulation, including espec? ially the attorney general and the members of the interstate commerce corn mission, and on two occasions I saw groups of newspaper men in a mass. To all of these, senators, repre? sentatives of senators and outsiders alike, I made the same statements; those that I made to Mr. Chandles being the same in substance that I made to you and to those of your col? leagues of both political parties, with whom I had many extended confer? ences on the subject. The letter of the attorney general, which I enclose, shows fully the facts as to the confer? ences which, at my instance, he held with Senators Tillman and Bailey. Those conferences were precisely such as, at my instance, he held with many other senators to determine the phras? eology and discuss the effect of amendments proposed by them. To all whom I saw I stated that Hie Hepburn bill was in its essence en? tirely satisfactory to me. The Hep? burn bill as it passed the house sim? ply recognized the right of review by the courts-that is. the jurisdiction of i lie courts-but did not attempt to de? fine it. thus leaving the courts to pre? scribe the limt of their nun jurisdic? tion. This was in accordance with the views of the attorney general, his be lief being that thereby we avoided a danger of the bill being declared m constitutional because of the attem; to confer either too much or too litt jurisdiction on the courts. I also repeatedly stated that while was entirely satisfactory to me sin ply to le?ve the Hepburn bill in sui stance as it was, that is, with the re ognition of the jurisdiction of tl courts, but without any attempt to d< j fine that jurisdiction; yet that I w< entirely willing that there should be ?definition, provided that this definitic did not seek to grant a broad r< view, but explicitly narrowed it to tl two subjects which, as a matter < fact, I believed the courts would alor consider in case there was no Pattern] to define the limits of their reviev that is, would limit it to the questic as to whether the commission had ac ed ultra vires and as to whether ar man's constitutional rights had bee impaired. I stated that if the que: tion of defining or limiting the revie was brought up at all, I personally fe that this was the way in which should be limited or defined. At different times at least a score ( tentative amendments were either pr< pared by the attorney general at tl request of senators or submitted to rr by Senators. As many of these am?ne ments (including among others tr. substance of the so-called Long, Ovei .man, Bacon and Spooner am?ne .ments) I stated that I should be er tirely satisfied to have them in the bil as to others I suggested modificatior which would make them satisfactory as to none did I ever say, either to M Chandler or to anyone else, that should insist upon having them in th bill as a condition of my approving i On the contrary, I was always moi careful to state that I was not tryin to dictate any particular programm of action. In no case, either in th case of Mr. Chandler or in the case c anyone else, was there the slightes opportunity for any honest miscor ception of my attiude or any belie that I had pledged myself specificall to one arid only one amendment or s? of amendments or that I would not h satisfied with any amendment whic preserved the essential features of th Hepburn bill as it came from th House. You will doubtless recall tha in the course of the several visits tha you personally made me we discusse a number of these amendments, tryin to find out for which one there coul be obtained a sufficient body of asser to secure its passage and the passag of the rate bill. To almost every amendment propos ed by any one I found that there wer other excellent men who objected, o who at least wished to change it, an I finally became convinced that it wa impossible for senators with advantag to use me as the intemediary in com ing to an agreement with their co) leagues, especially when they onl communicated with me through an other intermediary, and I earnestl suggested to all to whom I spoke tha they should communicate with yoi whose purposes and mine were identi cal. About this time I was informe by various Democratic senators tha they could not come to an agreemen upon any amendment and that th best chance for success lay in passin the Hepburn bill substantially un changed. I was informed and believe that this was Senator Bailey's view and a number of the Republican sena tors who favored the bill expressed th same opinion. Shortly after this yoi: in company with Senator Cullom, call ed upon me with the amendmen which'is now commonly known as th Allison amendment. I told you tha while I should prefer the Long am Overman amendments, yet that you amendment was entirely satisfactory Your amendment does not in th j slightest degree weaken or injure th? Hepburn bill. It merely expresse wrhat the friends of the bill have al ways asserted was implied by th? terms of the bill. I may add that m: own opinion that your amendment ii no way changed, whteher by diminish ing or enlarging, the scope of the cour review as provided in the origina Hepburn bill, is also the opinion of th< attorney general, of Mr. Root and ol Mr. Taft. Their judgment is that thi amendment merely avoids the criticsn that the Hepburn bill would be con? stitutionally invalid in not expressly providing the court review which its supporters have always contested was plainly implied in the original lan? guage. The original Hepburn bill stated that the venue for certain actions was in certain courts; the amendment ?tates that these courts shall have ju? risdiction to consider such actions. To my mind it seems difficult to assert that tliis works any elia ago whatever in tho principle <^f the bill. Yours sincerely. Theodore Roosevelt, lion. Wm. li. Allison, U. S. Senate. Mr. Chandler s Statement. Former Senator Chandler tonight refused to discuss the statement from the White House. Regarding his vis? its to the White House, Mr. Chandler said that he did not go to the White House as an emissary of Mr. Tillman, but that he went in response to the president's invitation. STATE CAPITAL NEWS. STATE CONVENTION PRELIMINA? RIES ARANGED. Immigration Commissioner Watson at Work on Plan to ?Jrain the Rich Coast Lands of the State-A Hand? some Gift to Governor Heyward. Columbia, May 9.-The State board of railroad assessors today yanked up the assessments against the railroads to forty million dollars above the re? turns made by the roads, approxi? mately doubling it, and similar raises were made in the cases of the tele? graph, telephone, Pullman and ex? press concerns. The street car con? cerns assessed by this board are the Aiken and Greenville, Columbia and Charleston companies, which were al? so raised stiffly. The assessments in the total for the railroads are nearly forty million higher than last year. The increase over returns in the case of the Coast Line is fifteen mil? lions, Southern sixteen millions, Sea? board three millions, C. & W. C., near? ly three millions, other companies one and a half millions. Following are some interesting to? tals taken from the report: Atlantic Coast Linc Railroad. Returned by company_$ 4.293,385 Assessed by board. 19,944,470 Increase over company's return.$15,651,085 Southern Railway. Returned by company-$ 7,959,220 Assessed by State board.. 24,067,707 Increase over company's return.$16,10S,4S7 Seaboard Air Line. Returned by Company_$ 3.762,823 Asessed by State board.... 7,511,265 Increase over company's return.$3,7S4,442 Charleston and Western Carolina. Returned by company.. ..$ 1.713.933 Asessed by State board... 4,610,169 Increase over company's return.$ 2,896,236 Local Railways. Returned at.$ 1,512,S43 Asessed by State board_ 3,OSS,929 Increase. $ 1.576.0S6 * * ? The secretary of State today issued a charter to the Catawba Valley rail? way, which on a capital of $45,500 proposes to complete the railway started between Catawba Junction and Catawba Falls, a distance of 20 miles. Ten miles of the way has been built by the power concern operating at Catawba Falls. Columbia, May 10.-Governor Hey? ward was pleasantly surprised last night by a visit from a committee, representing his staff!, which presented to him a very handsome silver service of five pieces. The members of the staff took occasion to call when it was .known that Gov. Heyward would be at the mansion on a business engage? ment, and the entire visit was a great surprise to his excellency. The object of the visit hf so many militia officers in uniform was some? what of a puzzle to Governor Hey? ward at first until.,the large case con? taining the silver service was taken into the drawing room. He was then apprised by his chief of staff, Gen. Jno. D. Frost, of the occasion for the formal call. Governor Heyward was for once taken entirely off his feet, and he was overwhelmed by the senti? ments conveyed in Gen. Frost's speech of presentation, but he easily recover? ed his usual poise and made acknowl? edgement gracefully and with evident feeling. Some time ago Governor Heyward suffered the misfortune to lost a valu? able horse, and the members of his staff, prompted by the commissary general, Coi. Watty G. Smith of Orangeburg, proposed to present him with another saddle animal. From this the movement took broader form and finally it was decided to offer a testimonial which would last longer than life itself. The inscription or. thc large plate is as follows: To His Excellency Duncan Clinch Heyward Governor of South Carolina 1902 io 1906 presented hy t!:<- members <>f his military staff to their friend and co ai ni a n.ler-iu-chief as a token of high regard and esteem for one who has served his State faithfully and .well. ? * * The Democratic state convention will be called to order in the hall of the House of .Representatives next Wednesday att noon by State Chair? man Wilie Jones. He has requested the following to act as temporary sec? retaries: Geo. R. Koester of Columbia; Jas. T. Parks of Orangeburg, and T. C. Hamer of Bennettsville. The con? vention will be opened with prayer by Rev. S. M. Smith of Columbia. In order to expedite the organiza? tion of the convention, Chairman Jones is having a roll of its elected membership prepared. The name of the delegates and alternates elected by each county are-being sent in by the county chairman and members of the State executive committee, He has done this for previous conventions and by accepting this roll subject to cor? rections, two or more hours are saved in the organization. / For permanent chairman of the convention there will probably be several candidate. Friends of ex Governor Mcsweeney are anxious to present his name. Col. Robert Ald? rich and J. Wm. Thurmond have also .been mentioned in this connection. It .is probable the prohibitionists will center upon a candidate for chairman and it is said that Dr. Geo. B. Cromer of Newberry, will probably be their man. It seems to be the consensus of opinion that Gen. Wilie Jones will be re-elected State chairman with y\t op? position as a recognition of his fair? ness and impari-tality and the thor? oughness with which he discharges even the minutest details of the office. ?All factions are satisfied that with him as state chairman they will get an absolutely square deal. * * * Commissioner Watson leaves here Friday night for Charleston for the purpose of accompanying the mem? bers of the historic South Carolina Ag? ricultural Society on their annual out? ing trip in a steamer up Cooper river. The object of the conference with Com? missioner Watson is to arrange for a general convention of the representa? tives of ali the coast counties to be h ld in Charleston with a view to drafting and agreeing upon a general bill to be presented to the next legis? lature looking to draining the entire coast country through a bond issue to be predicated upon a srciall continu? ing tax to be levied against the lands to be drained. The idea is to have the bill pattern? ed after the Indiana law on this sub? ject, this law having stood the tests of the courts. The valuable coast sec? tions of Oregon and California have been reclaimed in this way. It is proposed to drain the South Carolina rice and other lands in sections of fifty square miles, a commission being au? thorized by the proposed act for eg?hj section and the draining to be done at once from the sale of the bonds, which .will be retired gradually by the tax. Columbia, May ll.-Arthur Wright, the negro slayer of two other negroes, Charlie Ruff and James Satcerwhite, last Saturday night, was captured this morning at Chap?n, a small station on the C., X. and L. road a few miles from this city. Wright is now in the Columbia jail awaiting trial for the double murder. The capture was made by H. F. and C. F. Koon, who knew the negro and had been on the lookout for him. They found him walking leisurely along the public road. He did r.ot deny his identity and did not resist arrest. He does not deny the killing, but he will not say what his defen.-e will be. ? . . The Doremus Vending machine man has appealed U the Supreme Court to come to his assistance with his fight with the city authorities to keep his machines selling cigars and chewing gum on Sundays. ? * * A fire at Ft. Mottee last night de? stroyed the store and dwelling of Mr. W. Walling. In the same building was the dispensary and it was de? stroyed with all the stock. What that amounted to will not be known until the dispenser makes a report, but the loss is covered by insurance. The Whiskey Wa* Released. - The United States government has released the 114 barrels of whiskey seized some time ago at the State dis? pensary as the property of the Deep Springs Distilling Company of Savan? nah. It will be recalled that the whiskey, valued at about $30.000, was taken by the revenue department be? cause of failure to properly state the tare or gauge and bora use of technical violations of the laws on these points. The proper statement has since been made to the government and an order has been received from Washington to release the whiskey. lt will be turn? ed over to the State dispensary, the purchaser, if arrangements are so made with the State board of control.