The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-02-17

legislation. He never said ne would
make a fight for tariff legislation.
He strongly recommended and earn
estly urged the leaders in congress to
do something along this line. But
he always said he considered 1t a
matter of expediency, not a moral
issue. Railroad legislation he re-
CARDS as a moral issue. He has said
that will make fight for this. He
will keep fighting for it. If neces-
strength between himself and con-
gress.
There are many signs that the
test of strength between Roosevelt
and the United States senate is close
at hand. The house leaders have
capitulated. Seeing the storm of
public sentiment brewing on the sub
ject of rate regulation, the house
leaders have promised to pass any
reasonable sort Of a bill. Even Col
onel w. p. Hepburn has withdrawn
his name from the measure reported
from his committee and will let the
Esch-Townsend bill go along as far
as it can get toward becoming a
law.
But all this has been done with
the understanding that solid line
of defense had been constructed by
the senate, against which the storm
Of public opinion might beat in vain.
In the private conferences which
have taken place at the White House
the senators have declined to meet
the president on any common
ground. They were willing to per-
NIT further legislation touching, Sc
cret rebates, but when 1t came to
governmental control over the whole
rate proposition, they said they
would never consent.
@ @ O
President Roosevelt relies on the
support of public opinion to enable
him to take a fall out of the United
States senate. In order that the
public might know just what he in
tends to do he took occasion recent
ly to make the speech at Philadel-
phiafi discussing the policy of rail-
road legislation. He wants the pub
lie to think about and discuss the
subject, and is confident that the
more it is discussed the less able the
senate will be to stand against it.
There is a suggestiveness in the
fact that President Roosevelt has re-
Gently called in two professional box
ers and wrestlers and is spending
every afternoon prancing and writh
ing over his office floor. He is get
ting into training likewise for a bout
with the big men up on Capitol hill.
He loves a fight, and it promises to
be a pretty mill.
An eastern newspaper, not over
friendly to the president, has had
some amusing cartoons lately illus
trating the theme that President
Roosevelt has stolen Miss Democ-
racy's clothes. There is as much
truth as humor in the situation, as Is
we'll illustrated by the fact that Will
liam ]. Bryan is spending most of
his time and printers ink endorsing
Roosevelt, while John Sharp Will
liams, leader of the democratic mi
nority, is contributing much the
same to the pages of the Congress
ional Record. Meantime, Congress
man Hearst is getting up bills so
near like the administration meas
ures that the secret service force is
strongly tempted to get after him
for violating the counterfeiting laws.
@ o o
But every democratic endorsement
secured by Roosevelt is offset by an
other secret resolution of censure by
conservatives" of his own party.
The opposition to Roosevelt is today
not defined by party lines. He has
more and more bitter opposition
among the republican leaders Of the
senate than in all the democratic
party put together. These gentlemen
are close to the railroad and cor
porate influence, and today are more
in sympathy with the safe and
sane" democracy which thought it
was running a presidential campaign
last November than they are to the
administration" Of which they are
supposed to be a large part.
DEATHS.