St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-13
FROM BEHIND A WALL.
Senator Stewart Fires Harmless
Missiles at Secretary Fairchiid--
The Interstate Law Discussed.

Senator Stewart Fires Harmless
Missiles at Secretary Fairchiid--
The Interstate Law Discussed.
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, June 12.-ln the senate
to-day Mr.. Stewart gave notice of two
proposed amendments to the legislative
appropriation bill as follows: First,
that when any national bank circula-
ton is surrendered (the bank not being
in liquidation) if an equivalent amount
be not taken by other national banks
within thirty days the secretary of the
treasury shall purchase and coin an
equal amount of silver in excess of the
two millions month already author
lied; second, authorizing and directing
the coinage of 100000 of silver per
month. Mr.. Chandler offered a resolu-
ton referring the credentials of Senator
Gibson, of Louisiana, to the COM
mittee on privileges and elections,
with instructions to that committee
to report whether "a lie time of the al
legged senatorial election a Republican
form of government existed in Louisi-
ana, and the election of Mr.. Gibson was
legal, and whether the legislature was
elected according to law; also to aScer-
tain whether at such state election there
was any violence or fraud which pre-
vented a fair election, and whether re-
turns were made and counted. The res
olution went over until tomorrow. The
Stewart resolution, calling upon the
secretary of the treasury for a statement
of the offers and purchases of bonds
since April, 1888, with the names, ETC.,
was discussed. MI. Stewart argued
against the Cockrell amendment to
strike out the names. He said that he
believed some persons
DEALT FROM THE BOTTOM
all the time, and he wanted to know
who these ''secret partners of the gov
eminent" were. After discussion be-
tween Messrs. Beck and Stewart, MIR.
Cockrell modified his amendment by in
serting after names the words ''Other
than private persons" Mr.. George
asked Mr.. Stewart if he had any infor-
nation that any lower bids had been re-
accepted? Mr.. Stewart said he had not,
and that was why he offered the resolu-
ton. Mr.. Cockrell said that the
senator from Nevada would not
dare to charge the secretary of
the treasury with misconduct. He
bitterly criticised Senator Stewart
and said that the whole process was in
the interest of trusts and corporations.
He thought they could pay round sum
for the passage of the resolution for the
advertising sought to be elected by it.
Mr.. Stewart said when he offered the
resolution, he had no suspicion that
there was anything wrong, but his faith
had been shaken by the vehemence with
which the senator from Missouri was
attempting to conceal the facts.
Mr. German 1pnrapatpu the iptr0dnn-
ton of party politics on such subject
and moved that it be referred
to the finance committee. Mr.
Stewart said that he did not
want it to go to that committee as he
did not want it killed. Without action
the resolution went over until tO-mor-
row. The agricultural appropriation
bill was reported and placed on the cal
endar. Senator CullOm then addressed
the senate IN favor of the proposed
amendments to the interstate commerce
act. One of the most important causes.
he said, that Influenced the passage of
the interstate commerce law was dis
elimination by railroads in one form or
another. One OF the immediate effects
of the law had been the
ABANDONMENT OF ALL POOLS
by carriers, but pooling associations,
reorganiZed and known as traffic asso-
Citations. still managed to control rates
in certain classes of important traffic as
arbitrarily as in the palmiest days of the
old pooling system. Special freight
contracts had been broken up by the
law, resulting in largely increased
revenues to the roads. The progress
made under the law in the direction of
uniformity of classification had been
most gratifying, and in the matter of
transportation of passengers some very
important reforms had already been ac-
complished. Speaking of the cases
brought by George Rice against a num-
Der of Southwestern roads, based on
determinations against him and in
favor OF the Standard Oil company, Mr..
Cullom said: ''The testimony made 1t
evident that the officers of these
roads acted in concert doing what
ever they could to interfere with bust
ness, and the proceedings in these cases
demonstrated the shameless Subserv-
iency of the railroads involved to the
communicating influence of the most I'M
scrupulous and uncOnscientiOus ''cOm-
bine" of the present day-the Standard
Oil trust. After reviewing the effects
of the operation of the law, Mr. Gull
lom explained what was proposed to be
effected by the amendments. They had
been suggested by the difficulties en-
countered in securing a thorough en-
forcement of the law. One was to re-
quire three days notice of reduction
of rates, not provided for in the law at
present. This would prevent rail-
roads from giving favored shippers
secret notice of the intended reductions
and would result in greater stability of
rates.
Another amendment proposed to ex-
tend the penalty for unlawful discrim-
nations to Imprisonment as well as to
fines. Another was to break up
THE PRACTICE OF UNDERTAKING,
practice that has increased enorm-
ously since the law went into effect,
by nderbilllng goods which should
come under one classification to be
entered upon lower classification.
This practice was as clearly unlaw
full as the payments of rebates.
The railroads had found themselves
unable to stop the practice, as no
penalty could be inflicted upon the
shippers when detected, except the
collection of full and proper rates.
When MI. CullOm finished his speech