CORRUPT POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 402, 11 January 1909, Page 5

CORRUPT POLITICS.

AMERICAN SENSATION. CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT. TILLMAN CHARGED. (by. assooiation—corriiiaHT.) (Rec. January 10, 4.30 p.m.) New York, January 9. . : '• A bitter struggle is proceeding between President Roosevelt and Congress. :.President Roosevelt, intimated that, tho Senate is not entitled to dircot* members .of, the Cabinet to furnish information, inasmuch as the Cabinet is solely under tho President's, control. . . ' , [The administration of the United States is conducted under the immediate authority of the President by a Cabinet of nine Ministers, obosenby htnvand holding office at his , pleasure, though confirmed by the Senate.]Steel Trust's Absorption of a Rival. J The ..President assumed entire, responsibility in connection with the question of allowing,the, Steel Trust to purchase the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company's stock a year ago in.order to prevent a panic. His <rpponents have emphasised that the Steel Trust's. , - : only .competition has; thus been absorbed. ,' . . ' The Senate yesterday resolved'by a large majority; at the instance of Senator C. A. , Culborson (a ■ Democrat from. Texas) to instruct the Judiciary. Committee to report whether President Roosevelt was authorised to , permit the absorption of the Tennessee company by the Steel Trust.: ■ ■ ■ Representatives Up In Arms. Tho House of' Representatives, ■ by 212' votes t0.34; resolved to ignore, any disre-, spectful communication ■ from any source, and , declared' that President Roosevelt's language with regard to secret services was riot-justified, was,'without a , basis, of faot,. and constituted a breach! of the'- privileges of the .House.:, ~ ■ ;..-.','.■• ■■■■'■'. v ..

It. was therefore decided to lay on the table of the House the obnoxious portion, of President Roosevelt's December. Message— (which .was understood to suggest,, that secret;'service' meii should be employed to watch ■ legislators, in order, to , discover whether their - private acts conformed with their ■public ;professions)—also'; tho.-,President's Special Message, early in January (in which' be' denies - thai: he intended to. cast. rcflec-. tions on Congress, and., justifies his '■'statements;, by',referring to tho records of speeches of members themselves in' the- deb»te.;pre» Coding the reduction,-of •■ ■ the service vote). , y. The'House; points out. that the': latter .Message does not 1 respond to thei House's inquiry: (cabled on , December 18) for evidonco justifying the' President's references.. : '. ■■■ Many Republican speakers condemn ■■ the President's as, a. libol' --.-'on'-; ire Houses y , -■'•'.-■>'. .':; ■'■■';■ ''.-,■:.' ■ '■-'..;:•. .- ■'■■ ;■:Democrats demanded a - witlidrawal. of 'tho words and an apology by the President. : ; v.; -. Roosoveit;Hitting Back. .'-.;.■ . : ; The;; Bensation ...culminated by. President. Roosevelt publishing,-dotails of an, investigation by ( . post-office inspectors and by, sec Vet service agents of the connection;-'«>f-. Senator 8.-'Ei. .Tillman (Democrat, South .Carolina), withan alleged land grab in Oregon; : , • . President declares that'-- Senator' Tillman used his' influence as,a. Senator in an effort to' forcoi.the; poyornment to.com-. pel a railroad corporation to relinquish tho control, of; land .grants ,from,. ,the -United States, .in. order; -io enable; him and' his famand his.secretary,.to. profit;by .the. : pur-. chaso of "the land. ;Mr. .Roosevelt also allpges' that Senator TillmaiiVfrcguently used. .hjis- granting privileges in the .conduct,of hisprivate,business.-;. v . i-'-'.;.-..!'. . ; ' , Senator Tillman veill reply in the open;Senato on Monday, .:... ■'~■':'.' ■"-',.- ■-■'■ '."■... .'-..' ~•■";'■' '■"■■',';.■'■■ V Londorii January 9. ;. : The. New .York correspondent, of . .''TheTimes" 'states that, the Senate's resolution; is intfltpreted.'to-be meant as a eop to-.the Democrats) 'rather, than as a desire on/the. part of.ithe. leaderß 'of tho Senate, to press , mattors. v /' ■ v' : v,[, ■'-.■:■■'.''-.. ,'.■■■'/"■ THE s'teeL'TRUST'S DELEGATION TO :-:\ ; ' ' : -'■■: ; V:Tho-'hand'of 'Mr. J; P. 1 Morgan arid the Steel Trust was very, busy in :Noyeinber,-'1907, when the.finanoial .panic was,at its height.-".-It was. Currently, reported Mr. Moreon came to the■ rescue iof certain: shaky, institutions only "on. condition- that ;the Steel,, Trust secured .control of the Coal, Iron, and Eailroad Conipany.'qnthe ste'ek of whioh New York banking insttutions had advanced ten million dollars, It was reported:in the press at the time:—. .' "Immediately after the conference at -Mr. Morgan's house on the":night ■■ of.•;.'.the- 3rd, Si.' H; Gary.:(chairman of- the -Steel Corporation) and Henry C. Frick went to Washington and had -..'ah ; interview with President 'Roosevelt and Secretary Eopt. ; It is oommonly believed, that they inquired whether 'the ; . acquisition the Tennessee Coal, Irony and Eailroad Company by the Steel' Corporation would oxoite the Government'e opposition, They returned promptly tp. New ifork, and-the purohase;was speedily made." ■■■■•'■■ . .'■-It was stated that the Steel Trust acquired acontrolling interest by, taking 27,000,000-dollars of stock m the Tennessee Company. The report adds:—"Mr.-Gary says that the acquisition raises : the corporation s proportion of the 'steel, output by 1\ per cent, to'about.GO per cent,, The,property inoludes Iβ blast.furnaces and a gfeat open hearth rail' plant, at Birmingham and Unsley, Ala., -105 miles of rail-' road; and 450,000 aores of land containing iron ore, 'limestone, and coal. It has been-esti-mated that'the ore supply is 700,000,000 tons,and that there'are more than 1,500,000,000 tons in the coal deposits.' , " / '. ; . V . . SENATOR TILLMAN. 'J-V MrJ ?enjamin Eyan '■■ Tillman, ■'. farmer and Senator, alsa.Democrat, followed farming as his sole pursuit until ,1886, when he became prominent in.an agitation for industrial and teohnical education.; and other reforms. Ho was elected Governor of South Carolina in 1890 ani 1892, and United States Senator for three terms,' 1895 to 1913,: He founded Clomson Agricultura and Mechanical College at Port Hill, and also Winthrop Nornnl and Industrial College at ; Rock HUI-HJie first for boys, the'last for girls They, are the two largest schools of the kind in the south. He is the author of,the dispensary system of selling liquor under State control and was «.central figure in the South Carolina constitutional convention in 1895J which instituted an education-4 qualification for suffrage. Senator.Tillman was also pneof the leaders in securing the insertion of advanced positions in the Democratic platform of 1896. He minent in the' Democratic National Conventions of 1900 and 1904, and in the latter -vis active in the work of h«Wenifing contendins factions of Democracy. - ■. . , ■ ; ... ■■■•■■■'> The recent election's give the Republicans a majority of 47 in the House of Representatives and a substantial majority in the Senate (probably 60 to 32), But as the charges of corruption involve uiany men on both sides, party linos may disappear, ■ ■ » ''. ..