The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-26
SENATE PASSES ELECTIVE
 RAILROAD COMMISSION BILL

Oi the OtIldlo was QeLeTmlH6Q 10 TallrOdu the. measure through the upper house at all hazards and before 1t had been proper ly considered. He referred to the Senate in sarcastic vein as a "deliberative as- sembly" and deplored what appeared to him as undue haste in the consideration of what he termed a partisan bill. He criticised the committee which had had the measure in charge and hinted that 1t had not been passed upon fairly. Senator Craig of Dallas vindicated the committee, declaring that the bill had been most carefully considered and that all parties interested had been accorded hearing. The committee, he said, had been unanimous for a favorable report on the bill.
 "As a member of this Senate, and for once in the majority, l say that the action we propose to take in this matter Is not to railroad a bill through the Senate, but to prevent the bill being rail- roaded out,'' said Senator Rodgers in reply to the charges made by Senator Goldsby. Tt fs not snap judgment that we are seking, -we are making an enort to prevent snap judgment" Senator Blackmon of Calhoun was recognized. He said that he mad a num- Der of amendments to the bill which he wished to'offer. and in doing so desired to discuss the measure.
 At this point a motion for d recess until 3:30 o'clock carried and the Senator from Calhoun deferred bis speech.
 Blackmon Deplores Haste. On reconvening in the afternoon Senator Blackmon declared that 1t had been his intention all along to vote for an elective railroad commission bill, for it was clear to him that the people demanded legisla- tion along this line. But the measure up for consideration appeared to him to be vicious in many points, and he regretted the apparent determination of the Senate to shelye all other possible legislation un- til this bill was gotten through. Then came what appeared to be simply fight to delay action on the bill in the hope ot ultimately defeating 1t altogether. Senator Blackmon offered an amend | ment relieving the railroads of liability for the costs of suits instituted by the railroad commission where the courts render decisions against the commission. The bill leaves the fixing of costs to the discretion of the courts. The Senator from Calhoun held, contrafy ot statements that had been made, that the bill under consideration was not ono of the greatest importance to the State, and proceeded to lash his opponents for willingness to lay dbluC d HlcdSuIC OL BICdtCt ihpOlL lO the people of Alabama. the revenue bill, just to hasten the progress of "a minor matter like the railroad commission bill He inveighed against what he regarded as a disposition to enact discriminating laws against an interest of the State that was greater than all others. one that rep- resented an aggregate property value of more than $6O,0O0,0Oo. He warned the Senate against nasty legislation deciar- were only casually known to most -of the ing that the various provisions of the bill members of the upper house.
 Opposed by Castleberry. Senator Castleberry of Talladega fol- lowed with an impassioned speech against the measure as 1t came from the House. He said that he himself had been commit ted to an elective Railroad Commission during the recent campaign in his dis trict, but nevertheless he could not allow the present bill to become a law without protest against the apparent iniquities 1t contained. He was for amending the measure as vigorously as had been the Senator from Calhoun.
 The bill as it stood, he declared would give the comsission an advantage before the courts. presumption in it's favor and he therefore, favored the amend ment the Senator from Calhoun had of fered.
 Senator Screws of Montgomery also rose in defense to the railroads. He granted the need of a Commission but bearing their full burdens in the way of taxation, and opposed the granting to the Commission of the power of actual con- fissation. The railroads, he contended, were not the oppressors of the people, as had been held, but were the most power full agents of developments for the State. He also saw danger in a political way in the passage of the bill. and feared for the future of the Dedocratic party in case the roads saw fit in future campaigns to esyouse the cause of the Republicans.
 Frazer Met the Argument.
 What was probably the ablest defense of the bill was that of Senator Frazer of Bullock, who, in a brief but vigorous speech, met squarely all the arguments that had been advanced against the meas ure He could see nothing vicious in the section of the bill which Senator Black mon regarded as discrimination against the roads and a direct blow against the greatest interest of the State He held that the bill as it stood involved no de- parture from the common procedure fin many of the courts of the State notably the equity courts where the levying of costs of suits rests with the discretion of the courts. There was nothing strange CT unusual in the bill inP this particular, he declared He severely arraigned Sena- tor Castleberry for the position taken by him, declaring that had the Senator from Talladega studied and pondered upon the subject for days, his plea could not have been more fully in line with the wishes of the railroad people.
 He moved to table the motion of Sena- tor Blaclkmon. and his motion carried.
 Senator Bostick of Jackson then moved to adjourn, but the Senate refused to do so.
 Amendments Were Defeated.
 Senators Long of Henry and Woolf of Marengo offered amendments slightly changing some provisions of the bill, but they were voted down. On one of these the Senate was tied the Lieutenant Gov ernor deciding is favo.' of tabling.
 Senator Goldsby submitted an amend ment providing that two of the Commis sioners should be elected by the people. the third. who should be a railroad man. to be appointtd by the Governor.
 Senator Bostick of Jackson favored this and argued at some length for it's adop- ton.
 On motion of Senator Rodgers. the amendment offered by Senator Goldsby was ta abled, the vote being IS to 13, as fol- lows
 Ayes-Messrs Bullock. Craig. Dunn, Frazer. Hogue. Jones, Kennedy Lascas- ter. Long. Morrow, NeSmith. Norman. Rodgers. spragins Spencer. Stone. Thomas-1s.
 Nays-Messrs. Acree Arlington. Black
 mon Rostick Goldsby Hall Hurst