The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-08
Senator Clapp on the Cooper Bill.

Is the Cooper bill desirable legis-
lation or. not?
Senator Clapp's interview, given to
The journal yesterday at Wash
ington, leaves a doubt as big as a
barndoor as to his exact attitude on:
this important legislation. While in
general terms he indorses the proposal
to give increased powers to the inter
state commerce commission, he is care,
full not to indorse the Cooper bill, and
intimates that amendments proposed by
Senator Quarles and others. will i'm
prove it. -..
The presidents message is less
equivocal. After urging the necessity
Of more effective rate regulation, the
president says:
In my judgment the most important
legislative act now needed as regards the
regulation Of corporations is this act to
confer on the interstate commerce COM
mission the power to revise rates and
regulations, the revised rate to. at once
go into effect, and to stay in effect unless
and until the court of review reverses it.
That sentence describes the Cooper
bill in all it's essentials. Tt also states
the essentials of any measure that will
make federal regulation Of rates any
thing better than a farce. ...., 80.
Amendments Of any material char
acter are dangerous to such measure.
The favorite method Of putting such
bills to sleep is to amend them. Sen
ator Quarles, who has charge of the
Bill in the senate, is one Of the lead
ers of the "stalwart' faction in Wis
consin and has close railroad affilia
lions. Without charging Interior mo
tives,. it may be said that amendments
proposed by Senator Quarles or anyone
else will bear the closest scrutiny.
!, Senator Clapp's constituents have
waited long for an utterance from hin
on this subject, and they had reason
to expect something more clear .ant
definite when at last he broke silence
The bill touches very nearly the in
terests of the shippers and producer
Of Minnesota, and is greatly favored
Z by them. It is not wanted by the rail
road interests. The bill has slept quiet
" in Senator Clapp's committee for
near A national organization of bust
ness men has been formed to urge it
passage, and it has canvassed the ser
ators and representatives. Senate
Glapp has been counted as against II
When pressed last summer for state
\ ment, he replied at the end of tw
months silence that he would give tn
subject consideration. - Those il
terested in the bill felt that there ough
to be definite statement. Howeve
the senator absolutely declined to di
cuss the question. AS late as last Sa
urday he side-stepped the quer,
He now explains he was waiting unit
The president had spoken in his me
sage.
We can see no good reason for tn
Alphonse-and- CASTOR attitude Of tt
Junior senator. The president is n,
the law-making power Of the natio
Congress has that power, and it is +
discourtesy to the president for a men
Der of congress to state his views {
d legislative topic at any time.
The senator's constituents have bee
waiting a long time for this delive
ance. Having waited for the presidep
1t seems that Senator Clapp might ha,
been more explicit-or at least as Gle:
as the executive. He agrees with tt
president 3 Espolicy and purpose, e b.