The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1891-02-27
4 nuHIIlAriso SPECTACLE.

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'rhe course Of railroad legislation cui-
minated Wednesday In one Of tie most
humilIating scenes that has ever been wit
ncssed In an oregon legislature. In the
early part OF the session Senator veatch,
OF Lane, Introduced two bills, one 10 repeal
the Railroad Commission law, and tie
other to establish maximum rales 10 be
charged by railroads In transporting
freight. The reason for The repeal Of the
Railroad Commission law Is In the
fact that the commission has never heen
OF any benefit TO the state, for rover TO
regulate fairs and ireighis can not be del
egated TO commission. Hence Senator
veaish concluded, and truly 10, that II was
folly 10 continue commission that cost
the state ten thousand dollars year with
out securing for the state any benefit In re.
turn. Mr. Miller, Of Josephine, also intro
dueed bill cnlarging the powers Of the
commission. which could they have been
exercised, would have been benefit 10
the state. veatch's bill TO repeal The COM
mission had passed the senate. Milier's
bill had passed the house but defeated
In the senate. .srhc republican, senstors,' =
says tho Oregosias, "who did not stand
In with the railroad companies were then
forced to do The nest bes. think, and vote
with the democrats TO repeal the commits
sion." 1T was generally understood
continues that paper that they, sthe sEti-
railroad republIeans.) would continue 10
aet with the democrats and rass maxi
mum rate BILL" The Ovfgssiaa continues
lie account thus;
The house, angry nj Tic refusal Of the
senate 10 pass MilleF's bill. Il was expected
would also vote 10 repeal the commission
and enact the desired rate Law. The
democrats felt sure they had the repubil
cans In q hole, hence their jnlIicatlon; bat
two events transpired TO defeat their we'll
Laid plans. Their exhibitions OF joy aroused
the republicans suspicion, aud In the
meantime the railroad companies had be-
come frightened at the close probability of
hagIrg 10 work under 4 maximum rate
law.
Railroad attorneys and officials were as
thick about the capital this morning as ap-
piicanis for oinmisaionerships. There
| .eTe hurried consultations and u was soon
discovered that the railroads were willing
to coneede great deal ,aiher than have y
maximum rate iaw enacted. This, taken
| with the fact that the republicans had be-
come aroused 10 the knowledge that the
people would hold them responsible tor
the iaiiufe to give the railroad commission
power TO redress grievances. brought about
compromise. At o'clock this after
i noon, the hour for ghe consideration os
Senator veatch's maximum rate bill. Full
l ton asked that its confederation be port
poncd uatiI 4 o'clock Weather fofb asked
| why this should be done. Futon under
stood Il vas for the purpose Of reconsider.
ing The vote BY which Mr. Miliefss bl.
failed 10 pass. Vea,ch hoped there woaic
be no posironemeni, and said he thought
there Was something very peculiar In al
this. Fulton asked " the senator referred
10 the caucus hclc by the democrats iasi
night. veaich's bill was postponed ans
Miller'a bill rrconsldered. Severl amend
menta were then made Ia the open senat.
10 Milier's bill (housc bill 81 Section
was 50 amended As 70 substitute for the fin
Of 5000 for violation Of tariff rates pro
vision by which the commission MAJ
bring suls In equity TO determine whtthe
the charges fixed by the ooard are just an.
reasonable and section makes II the dat
Of The com mia1iUn 10 bring suit Ia behal
Of complaints against the railways. Sen
aior WeatherfoFd and vea.ch opposed tn
amendments TO the bill, and heated de
bate ensued betweens these two democrat
and Senator fulton and Tongue. Wealth
erford thought there had been wonder
iri change In twenty-four hours.
That tells the whole story. The rail-
road companies were alarmed at the ide
, oil having the maximum rate law passe'
which Mr. 4eatherford and Mr Veascl
] were battling 80 gallantry for. and the
gathered thick IN the lobbies and brcugh
their powerful influence to bear not oni
with lihe republican senators who wei
. standing In" with them, hn, on every n
publican senator who had not been stand
ing In with them, and secured the adoptso
OF such amendments TO Miller's bill .
! rendered II harmless TO them, and then
} passed the senate with every iepublica
senator for II and every democratic SEM
tor voting against II. The amcndmen
0 were then concurred In by the hous
, doubtless after seveIal'o OF It's members HI
! beeneinhaenced" by the swarm of railro'
! officials aud attorneys who were then
/ actiy ely present in the lobbies. II vi
: Openly charged by Mr. weatherford tn
! the railroads were having their own ";
! IN securing amendments TO the bill, and
/. conscientious men who were presen II "
l. said to be most humiliating spectacle
see republican senator's who heretotol
thad been refusing TO stand In with I
railroads now with meekness aud humili
e bending their necks and fitting them 10
a railroad collar. II was evident that ,
a Legislation most feared by the railroa
! was Veatch's bill fixing maximum rates
freight and fares, and the least feared
a them was the continuance of the railre
commission. From this IL Is evident q
y the maximum rate bill was most IN the
= = terest Of the people and the..commision
Il least beneficial to them. Senators wea
.r crford and veatch stood up manfully
c. the people and their best interests but
railroads had captured the republican 8
ators In a body and the little handful
Ia democrats could only enter their protes
10 One OF the latest novelties in astronom
phenomsna, as brought to light by studying
spectra Of certain stars. is the showing
= two Of these, heretofore classed as single.
in fact double, and belong to that class kn
,le as binary stars, or pairs which reyolvc arc
he common center, The hinaries thus dis
cred are the stars known as Zeta, Ursa Ma
Is and Beta Aurigae, the former being
star which, in popular phrase, would be
res scribed as the middle star in the handle 0
Clipper"
nd
and