The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-04
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.
THE SENATE.
The Cullom Bill Substituted for the Reagan
Interstate Commerce Measure.

the center of attention from visitors and such
senators as were in the chamber A beautiful
floral harp rested on tia tribute. as is pre-
sumed. of Mr. Riddleberger's Irish admirers.
The harp was over two feet high, and was com
posed of tea roses camellias, hyacinths, hello
trope and mignonette. The base was made of
azaleas. euphorbias lilies and other rare exoics,
The strings of the harp were wreathed with
smilax.
rs that Welsh harpr Senator Dawes asked
of Senator Jones, of Nevada.
No" Senator Jones replied; lit is harp of
Erin"
Mr., Miller, of New York, presented the Gre
dentials of VIM. M. Evarts, elected United
States senator from the State of New York. The
credentials, which were unusually lengthy, were
read. During the reading Mr. Hoar remarked
that, in his judgment certificate from the Gov
ernor of State, simply saying the person
named in the certificate was duly elected sena-
tor of the United States from the particular
State named, for given term, was a sufficient
credential, according to the usage of the Senate
and the laws of the United States.
The Chair Mr. Edmunds) stated that the pa
pers read did not contain any certificate from
gress. The papers were referred to the COM
mlttee on privileges and elections.
Mr.. Dawes. from the committee on Indian al
fairs, reported favorably bill to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to extend the time for
payment of each of the several annual Install
ments to be paid by settlers on the Omaha and
Otoe Indian lands, to such time, not exceeding
one year, as he shall see fit
The Senate resumed consideration Of the in
terstate commerce bill The question was on
Mr.. Piumb's motion to ada the words, 'under
similar circumstances to the amendment offered
by Mr.. Beck, which amendment prohibits a
railroad company from charging more for trans
porting goods over part of its line than for
transporting the same over its whole line
Mr.. Plumb's motion was agreed to--yeas, 26;
nays, 20 The question then required on Mr.
Beck amendment as modified, and on this Mr.
Vance took the floor. He thought the eloquence
of senator's was In an inverse ratio to their dis
position to do anthing effective. 1t had been
said that so many people were interested in rail
road stocks that We ought not to pass bill to re-
strict their charges. The same argument would
apply to the business of robbing hen-roosts The
clamors of the railroad men were like the pro-
tests of the chicken stealer, who would inform
legislators that they did not understand the
business OF chicken stealing that it was very
complicated business, and differed totally from
the vulgar business of stealing things other than
chickens. The references to railroad authorities
as experts were in Mr.. Vances opinion, as
though chicken-stealers should insist that one
Of their number-Bill Sykes, for example
should be consulted by the representatives of
the people before laws were passed ON the sub
ject Of chicken stealing, because Bill Sykes
thoroughly understood the subject Bill Sykes
had been in the business forty years, and could
tell an old hen from pullet by starlight in the
top of the Hottest apple tree in the farm yard
There, was in Mr.. Vance's opinion one
great mystery about the railroad business,
and that was the meek endurance and long suffer
ing patience of the American people. The claims
of Vanderbilt Gould. Albert Fink, eft id omne
genus, to have cheapened the price of commodi-
ties by railroad trans portation were claims that
property belonged to science and not to parties
named. AS well might sieve claim credit for
letting water pass through it. There was not
much credit to be given to the people who said
Vile public be damned" The Cullom bill was the
direct progeny of the circumlocution office, and
would result in nothing. The Senate should NOT
dodge the issue by passing such bill. Mr.. Vance
favored the House bill.
Mr. Beck said he would now vote against his
own amendment since it had been modified by
the amendment of Mr.. Plumb. It would make
the bill utterly useless if passed. He severely
criticized the BILL
Mr. Cullom defended it, and said the persist.
ent declarations of the opponents of his BILL that
its friends belonged to corporations and were
trying to do nothing, were declarations that. as
a matter of fact, were simply untrue He (Mr.
Cullom) had never in his life had five cents
drawn the Senate bin himself. and, if passed, it
would afford the relief sought by the people.
Mr. Becks amendment, as modified, was then
voted on-yeas g. nays Al.
Mr. Beck then moved to so amend the House
bill as to permit reduction of rates without
previous posting of notice to that effect but re-
quiring notice to be posted within FIVE DAYS.
Mr. Maxey favored the Reagan BILL 1t was a
constitutional measure, he said and would afford
the relief desired
NJ
CONGRESS had a perfect constitutional right to
regulate interstate commerce. He thought the
Senate bill the most conservative of the meas
ures presented. It was the duty of Congress to
protect the peonle against these corporations,
but he would not go so far as to destroy the cor,
porations They had been instrumentaiities in
the development of our country. But these roads
have been eaten to death by parasites
and rings, He doubted if there was
railroad IN the United States
that did not have in or about it some of those
parasites that prevented proper dividends from
being paid stockholders Such parasites were
sleepingc car companies and express companies
that often became more valuable than the roads
themselves over which they ran. He had no
doubt that Ill time railroad stockholders would
be seeking the protection of Congress against
the officers and managers of their roads. But
upon the present question before the Senate we
should be careful not to ruin the railroads If the
roads were forced to break their long lines into
diately run up.
Mr.. Kenna opposed the commission bin Why
was it, he asked, that the people of the United
States, who owed so much to railroads, should
demand that the strong hand of the law should
be laid upon them2 Why was it that West Yir-
ginia, with all it's mineral resources and depend
ing upon railroads for development Of those re-
sources, should be clamorous for legislation of
this character It was not from any instructive
hostility to the roads or to anassed capital but
to obtain relief from great evils from which IL
does not seem possible'to secure remedy other
wise.
Mr.. Beck's amendment permitting the re-
duetion of price without previous notice, was
agreed to-yeas 46, nays7
The House bill provides that no discrimination
shall be made between passengers account of
race or color. but the furnishing of separate and
equally comfortable accommodations should not
be deemed discrimination.
Mr.. ingalls, moved to strike out all this provis-
ion, except the statement that there should be
no discrimination account of race or color.
Mr.. Ingallss motion was agreed to, thus striking