The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-14
ELKINS BILL
WAS PASSED.
Six Democrats Voted Against.
the Measure.
.sUNDRY CIVIL MEASURE
It Was Practically Completed, butas No
Quorum Was Present Effort TO Pass
twas Not ade-Depew At
tackled the Norman Church
nv. Assocla ted press.>

(By Associated PrcSs.)
WASHINGTON, Feb, l3.r--Under the
operation Of a special order which cut
off opportunity tos offer amendments, the
House, after a. debate OF. an. hour, to-day
by vote OF 2i1 to 6; passed the Elkins
bill, to prohibit; rebates to shippers. The
six members. who voted against the bill
were Democrats
Mr.. Little1eld, Of Maine, was present.
but did not voter on either the rule or,
the bill.
The Democrats protested against. the
rigorous terms OF the! rule. tt had been
their purpose they, said, to offer, the pro-
visions of the Llttlefeld bill as an am end
ment to. the bill. Mr. Qalzell, Of Penn
syNania; Mr.. Oyerstreef, Of. Indiana.
and MI. Hepburn, of Iowa, practically
annoln cedt that with tho passage Of the
Elkns bill the anti.tr,st, legislation for
this session would be completed. During
the debate Mr.. Cochran (Democrat). OF
Missouri branded one of Mr.. Hepburn.s
statements as a. deliberate, lie,' Com.
trary to the usual CUSTOM, this strong,
language had no. sequo..
Tho remainder Of tho session was de-
voted to the sundry civil. appropra ton
bill. which was, practically completed. No,
effort was made t.: pass IT,, as there was
no quorum present.
Mr.. Dalzell, Of Pennsylvania, presented
the rule which provided for an hours,
debate and vote on the bill and
committee, amendments at the, end OF that,
time, without intervening motion, The
previous question. being ordered on the
adoption Of the rule, twenty minutes de-
bate on each side was allowed under the
rules Mr.. Dalzell contented himself
with very brief explanation. He said
the provisions OF THE measures were
familiar to all, that It was one phase. OF
anti-trust legislation which, had received
consideration. E,jts & 4 :
DEMOCRATS PROTEST..
MI Richardson. the Democratic leader,
protested that there was no emergency
which required such a drastic course as
the special order proposeu. It permitted
no opportunity to amend or recommit RI.
bill. Wv
MIR. Underwood. Of Alabama, said he
FAVORED the passage Of the bill, but he
protested that 1t did not go far enough.
Mr. Cannon called attention to, the
fact that less than three weeks OF the
session remained. Public sentiment de-
manded trust legislation. The pending
OIL. he declared, would do more to solve
some or the troublous quest than any
othef. He urged the House 70 take what
II could now and try for more later on.
Mr.. Littlehed attempted to get in with
an inquiry, but ,rNrr. Dalzell declined to
yle.d MIN the time. He, however, got a
minute from Mr.. Richardson. In that
minute he called attention to the word
'wilful' before failure in the provision
imposing penalties for the a.wilful,e failure
OF or carriers to publish and observenrates.
ne SAID the word ought to come out and
that Senator Elkins the author,,of III,
BILL agreed with him.
Mr.. De Almond, Of Missouri. denied
emphatically that the country was do
mahding the enactment Of the Elkins
MI. 1t will do no good" said he, land
the people foremost in urging It. know
It. That Is the reason they urge IT,"
Democratic appause.)
Inc Dill, he declared, was an attempt
70 .onnco" the. people and to- prevent the
oller1ng of amendments the majority
dare not vote against" It was a mere
demagosic plan to stifle Legislation
Nlr. R1charuson concluded the debate ON
his side, and urged the House to vote
down the rule and compel the production
Of another that would open the bill to
amendment.
The roll was called and the rule was
auopted l4o TO ITO, strict party vote.
BRAzEN AND SHAMELESS.
The deb1te on the hill proper then pro.
ceeded. Mr.. Cochran. of Missouri. char
acterized the bill as "brazen and shame-
less imposition on the cradullty of the
people. Ills argument was directed chiefly
against. the repeating of all the provisions
OF existing law making officers and agents
OF railroads guilty Of scrimination pun
ishable BY fine and Imprisonment,
Mr.. Shackleford denounced the course
of the majority in refusing to permit the
minority to offer as an amendment the
Lltte6eld bill, passed last Saturday.
During the course of Mr.. Hepburns re.
marks he denied a statement previously
made by Mr.. Cochran that the bill re-
lieved individual officers of responsibility.
Il say there is no repeal from first to-
last in all this legislation he was saying,
when Nh. Cochran sought to interrupt
him.
7 prefer not to YIELD" said Mr., Hep-
burn.
Mr., Cochran-"The gentleman ought not
to refer to the gentleman from Missouri
II he docs not want to yield
Mr. Hepburn-'I ought to refer to the
gentleman at any time when he delib-
erately misstates a propositions"
MIR. Cochran-"I brand that as q. DELHI
crate lie, did not deliberately mlsstate
| the proposition
1