The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-16
PRESIDENT UNDAUN1ED
WILL INSIST UPON RAILROAD RATE
 LEGISLATION.
Also Has Given Members of Congress to Understand that There should Be Revision of the
 Dingley Law.

Not few people believe that the hour and the man have met in the emergency involved in affording relief to the peo- pie who are gouged by the tariH and run over by excessive railroad rates, and that the hour is for an extra ses sion next Spring and the man Is Theo- dore Roosevelt, President of the United States.
 Certain it is that President Roose- welt has got bis party leaders exceed ingly disturbed by his unfiagging in- sistence that they shall do something to demonstrate they were not arrant hypocrites in their platform profes- sions. He gives them all to under stand, as they gather at the White House, that while he is Republican and believes in the principles of a pro. tective tariff, that there is limit even to that blessed doctrine. that 1t does not sanctify all it touches and that there is point at which it may nox- iously survive utility.
 The Republican leaders are not used to this sort of thing. They have been accustomed to having somebody in the White House who is so conservative as to bow to the consensus of opinions advanced by the policy makers Of his party. They are rather non-plussed by the spectacle of a Chief Executive
 
 about what is good and best for the country. This condition of things Is particularly painful to Speaker Cannon who, for a good many years, has about as near had his own way about doing and emitting legislative things as any Republican who has ever sat in high seat in Republican councils.
 Speaker Cannon is just naturally op- posed to disturbing the Dingley tariff: L EIal@1 thing is pecuniarily lovely in this coun- try and that only foolish and fatuous fanatics and fool Democrats would | think of changing the tariff, especially 1 after the result of Noyember's elec- tion. But with all that Your Uncle Joe does not relish the idea of a scrap with the Man in the White House, and it is a reasonable belief that MT. Cam non will tell the boys that perhaps 1t would be better after all to tackle the thing and be done with if.
 Indeed, he has intimated already that If 'twere done, it were well 1t were done quickly"
 The bigger protected interests are. 1 of course, exerting their customary powerful influences against any tarin | tinkering now or hereafter; but there are some other protected interests that realize that if the thing is carried too far a time may come when the system will be more seriously attacked than Is now threatened by the revisionists and they are not averse to little trimming on the assurance that the Government is rather in need of a revenue -produc- | ing tariff than standing behind any as- sault upon the protective system per SC. They are in favor of an early ses- sion to settle the question so that they may adjust their interests according Fly. President Roosevelt is quoted as being in favor of a partial revision, and that report represents him as In so conservative mood respecting the tariff that 1t has somewhat softened a number of the old-time protection ists to the idea of an early extra ses- sion. The chances for meeting or Congress, therefore, In the spring, are 1 ripenirg.
 There has been a good deal of ir- reverent talk of late about the policy or lack of policy of the Democrats in Congress. If it means that there IS an abs alce of cohesion and party un- ity of vigor. there is substantial | ground for skepticism and perhaps | criticism. Undoubtedly, looking back a little, there Is not near so much | Democratic spirit manifested at this session as there was during the last l It may be that Democrats are waiting to see how the administration is going to come out of it's contentious with the | standpatters and the numerous rail- road congressmen on the Republican side who are doing all they can to embarrass MT. Roosevelt's ostensible purpose to stop railway rate extortion as far as such a thing may be done by Congress
 Democrats are prepared to support | MT Roosevelt on all propos tions which do not violate their obligation to party faith, and they are generally inclined to think that he is disposed to avail himself of some good old | fashioned Jacksonian Democratic | ideas Most Democrats are waiting and watching and resting their par tisan parts. Doubtless some of them agree with Cord Meyer, the chairman of the New York Democratic commit tee, who has just remarked that this Is no time for party meetings or re- organization. but time for all good Democrats to rest up and muse on the late election"
 There was, it must be admitted some sign of waking up one day during the past week, when John Sharp Williams and Bourke Cochran rallied the minor ity to victory on the formers amend ment to the currency bill. It was to the effect that government deposits
 
 subject to the caprice, discretion or favoritism of the Secretary of the Treasury Mir Cochran described the amendment as in "the highest degree desirable and absolutely essential to the honest, fair and meritorious work ing of the proposed act MT. Will liams's amendment carried by the handsome vote of IA to 90 the Demo- crats winning by the ald of Republi- cans.
 During the course of the debate 8 coloquy occurred between Bourke Cochran and Representative Fowler of New Jersey who has long posed as the most potent authority upon banking finance in Congress. The encounter aptly illustrated the instant resource fitness of the New York dehater when he had seemed to get the worst of a retort Cochran had said something about admitting that the gentleman from New Jersey was the most pro- found and respectable and imposing mad majestic authority on this ques- tion in this House or in the political rid, when Fowler jumped up and brought down the Republican side of the House with the shot: If your Sudg- ment were worth anything, I would thank you"
 The Republicans howled; but the Democrats made a louder racket of ap- plauSe and IauRbtar u-haD rocbro,, 3r,