Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-12-30
DAILY POST -IKTELLIGENcH


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Thars are indieafions thai . viEossoe
aohf vii Be insseuEsled osar TIE inssE-
stats ComnaFss bilI snmediatslg upon
she FsaassmklIne d CcnersaA The
railroads are esssrnInsd 70 psssent The
massage Of shs bin aereed upon b. The
sonfssenas ssnmftsse. u 4 u possibis
10 DO 90. aud shey aIready have . strong
lcbby 81 tbe capital Fesdy % begin wofk
as aoon - Congress shail sssaaembls.
Ths main stsask apon The biil vii b
nsde 10 the senate. Il 4 10 that body
thas The bill mnst b defeated Il Il h
dsfsatsd e all The Reagan bili paastd
ne Houss b. sneh : decisive majority
a Chs last session thai Il voald BE- folly
20 attempt e secure majority against
he eonfeFsnes bill, which u merely
blight modification Of the Reagan bill
and contains al Of its essential features
That Il vii be promptly aeoepsed b. the
Houss, theirs can be 10 doabs.
In sks Senate, however. tie fate OF
shs bill 10 not 70 certain. The Gallon
bin originally passed only after bitter
confess, and me conferences bill d much
more radical In ita Stature. The Reagan
bin could not possibly hsve passed ths
esuass AZ the Iass session, and the con
feEenes bill may meet with an opposition
stronger than is friends seem 10 expect
n Il does not, Ii viii not be bscaass ths
railroads have nos made an eaert 10
arouse opposition 70 it.
The opposition in she Senate viii Be
made 10 Of several eisssss Of Senator'S
OF oourss, those Who are the subaefyient
tools Of sbs corporations viii Oppose the
bin, both bscauss they are in the habit
Of opposing sach things, and bssause
their corporation masters are bent upon
the defeat Of this measure. They viii
Be- reinforced 10 their opposition, how
ever, By senators whose motives will
mot be 20 iHdefensible. AmonR shesa
win be those vie, thonRh they eeiieve
in the regulation Of the railroads, ere
afraid that the present bill ID too sweep
ing in ita nature and thas the business
interests Of tbs country would suaeF
from lie passage. Among those Who
opposs Il on this ground will probably
Be- several Who voted for the Gallon bill
n The last session.
Addsd 10 shsss will be the Senators
Who bsllsve IN regulating the railroads.,
and who believe IN regulating them even
TO The extent contemplated IN The bill,
but who fear that IL would Be disastrous
10 make - radical q change in the law
at one stroke. They would lead up 10
q gradually, passing q mild bill this
year, adding TO Il next year and again
the year after. and experimenting as
they 20 until . complete and saiisfac-
tory Law is placed upon she statute
books. etiil another class Of opponents
Of the bill viii b those Who are simply
timid and Who. bsoaase Of their timidi
", opposo all legislation Of . radical
and startling nature. The recent fairy
In Wall street. which is attributed By
ahreud railroad men TO the apparent
certainty Of the passage Of tue inter
state commerce ball, will be used 10 ad-
vantage upon such cautious ones and
viii doubtless influenoe some to oppose
ihe bill who would otherwise support IL.
From ell Of these glasses the oppo.
nenta Of the measure hope 10 gather
enenah votes 10 defeat II. Al resent II
scarcely seems possible that they viii be
able TO do 80. bat an active and IN
sorupnlous lobby with such plausible
case to work upon can accomplish much,
and there need be little surprise II the
defeat OF the inter State commerce bill
agreed upon by the Conference Commit
less IL accomplished.
There are probably provisions IN the
bill which will not be satisfactory. Il
il impossible to make 50 radical de-
paFtnFe In legislation without making
some mistakes. Seine Of the things re-
quired Of she railroads may be found
70 be impossible, and some Of the re-
stFiotiona placed upon them may be
such a. cannot be enforced. Only sx.
perlcnoe can remedy such defects. aIid
experience can be acquired only by
making 3 move in the direction Of reRu.
latlon. The peeple can better afford 10
run the risk Of possible mistakes in the
bin than 10 have Il defeated. Its de-
feat would mean that commerce be-
tween the States would be left entirely
unreeulated for another year and that
the railroads veuld be given an opper-
tunity TO renew the struggle before she
Next Congress with greater hopes Of
nuaraaa