The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-17
CONDITIONS IN FAVOR OF NICARA-
GUA LOOK MORE FAVORABLE
THAN FOR YEARS
ACTION WILL BE FASTENED
Friends of Measure Know That De-
lay Is Dangerous and Will Try
TO Force an Early Vote
on Measure
BEvERIDGE GOES TO WORK
FROM THE GLOBE BUREAU,
Washinn-fon. n q

= interested spectators watching isthmian
canal legislation are almost persuaded
that the end is in sight. The Nicaragua
r. canal bill has passed the house of rep
resentatives; it has been favorably re-
ported from the senate committee on ca
mans; 1t Is up to the senate"-so to
speak-for q vote. 1t is even said that
the senate as a whole appears favorably
disposed toward the canal. When Hanna
was making his persistent and dilatory
battle against it in the committee it was
confidently predicted and generally be-
lleved that if the bill could come before
the senate it would be passed. Now 1t
IS before the senate. All that is neces-
sary now is to get a rule from the steer
ing committee to bring it up; and then
to take much time as any senator
wants to talk it over; and then to vote
Tor CT against it.
1t looks easy, but a constant we'll
spring of optimism is required to over
come the experience of the past fifty
years. Nothing in the world is easier
than not to do things. He who would
lay wager on any future action of the
United States senate would bet with the
- county fair man as to which shell COW
ers the little pea.
At the same time conditions look moro
promising for a canal than at any hour
since the plan was suggested some hum
dred years ago.
ton of the Hepburn canal bill until the
short session. Delay is dangerous if not
fatal, and friends Of the enterprise will
try to crowd it to the front during the
next three months.
Senator Albert J. Beveridge. of Indiana
has proved a pleasant surprise to some
of his older colleagues. He has develop
ed into a worker, rather than a talker
With the fame of his oratory and the
stir of his early speeches, it was feared
that the man from Indiana was going
to be a nuisance. They thought he would
be doing spectacular things, and always
wanting to talk. They have found Just
the reverse. No member on either side
of the senate has spoken less during this
session than Beverage. He has made
no set speech, not even on the Philippine
bill. when everybody talked. On the 9th
er hand, he has devoted himself unspar-
ingly to. committee labor and has won
high commentator from Hanna, Hale,
Plat and Frye.
The shipping subsidy bill, now being
considered, contains no limitations either
as to the time when the government shall
cease to pay bounties nor the amount of
bQunties to be paid. The bill which was
- thfdshed over i'm the last congress limited
the total bounties to 100000 a year, and
the time for the law to run at ten wears
would stop the subsidies proposed in this
bill.
Ia the past hundred years of her his
tory England has had but one day of alb
solute peace in her vast doman.-Senator
Vest in speech on shipping subsidies.
The supremacy of the English merchant
marine is declared by senator Vest to
. be due to her iron tramps Fifty-three
3 -
world, he says. is done by these iron
tramps, which, by the way receive not
l cent of subsidy or bounty from the
government. England encourages speed
ID. in mail-carrying ships by contracts which
are very lucrative to fast vessels; but
she does not in any case pay a pure
bounty. The French government which
subsidies her merchant marine, ranks
below the United States in the amount
of its carrying trade.
The two largest freight-carrying YES
sells in the world, when they are com
pleted, VIII be those building at New
London, Conn. for James J. Hill, of the
Great Northern, etc. railroads. They are
H,OG tons burthen each and will ply
from the Puget Sound terminal of his
railroads to the Orient.
An important feature of the interstate
commerce commissions campaign against
the railroads will be an effort to apply
the principle of the Injunction to pre-
vent violations of the law. Whatever the
department of justice may determine to
do with the evidence gathered at the Chi
cago hearing, and it may be said that
the prospects of criminal prosecutions are
very remote, the main interest will CEN
ter in one or more equity proceedings
TO be begun by the commission in the
name of the United States Chairman
Martin A. Knapp explained the purpose
Of the commission as follows:
About five years ago this commission
began a suit in Kansas City to enioin
a railroad from continued violation of
the interstate commerce act The de-
PENDANT company demurred TO the bill
The railroad company contended that
the commission could not legally enjoln
the Company from the acts mentioned
for the reason, as they claimed Tat
the commission had power under the
law to make specific and particular or
ders, after an inquiry had been held.
but that the commission had no power,
without hearing, to enjoin a railroad
company from the commission of acts
Z alleged to be in violation OF the law.
The court overruled the demurrer
thus sustaining the contention of the
commission. The railroad company APP
pealed 10 the circuit court of appeals
where the decision of :he lower court
was affirmed Another appeal was taken
10 the United States supreme court, and
there the case is still pending.
The interstate commerce commission
has been waiting for the supreme court
TO rule finally on this question Nat
urally we should like to know whether
we are going 30 be upheld before bring
ing other suits of this sort. But, in view
Of the disclosures of the Chicago hear
ing, and in view of the fact that the
lower courts have been uniform in their
d. support of the contention of the COM
mission, We determined to go ahead and
bring other suits of this sort. They arc
Drought in the name of the United
States against the officers and managers
OF the railroad corporations The aim
IS TO enforce the law. The commission
IS not concerned with past offenses so
t,much as it is with the future
1t should be understood that the COM
mission and the department of Justice
are entirely distinct, This commissions
has nothing to do with actions which NAV
be brought by the department of Justice
for the punishment of offenses which
may have been committed. All we do
is to conduct inquiry into such matters
and turn over the findings to the depart
ment of justice. There are reasons, how
ever, il seems to me. which would make
1t particularly difficult, ii not imprac-
ucabie, to attempt to enforce the crimi-
nal features of the act.
The title OF the case to which Chair
man Knapp referred is the United States
VS.. The Missouri Pacific. 1t is still a
long way from final decision hoe Y,o&