The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 16, 1906, Image 1
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
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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.