The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-07

mind Of a sufficient financial return for
the interests they represented.
The traffic managers, he declared.
were obliged to earn the utmost out of
their properties in order to hold their
positions. Many of these men, he said,
had told him that neither the president
nor directors Of their roads had ever di-
rected them to change a rate.
He would support the Townsend bill
but he predicted it would not afford
form. It would, he said, operate more
psychologically than actually.
&. House Convened Early.
The house convened one hour earlier
than usual, the exclusive business for
the day being debate upon the bills reg
ulating freight rates.
Under the rule, adopted Yesterday;
Until 1ae s 3 o;cioeR Thur Dti WV when e9 i It is to
be placed on it's final passage. The rule
provides that no amendments IAN pc
offered, but that the minority g sub bill
can be offered and voted upon.
Cant Amend the Bill.
The rule prevents any amendment to
the bill. Any attempt to amend 1t Will
be ruled out Of order, ana the Eseh !
~ reported to the house. ,
The Davey bill, which. will be oHered
by the democrats as a substitute Tor the
Esch-Townsend bill, will be voted down
by the republicans. .o
Es ahe oSmDead'S bill, Representati7e
Williams, the minority leader. holding
that railway rate legislation is demo
cratic doctrine and that the democrats
must support the best bill they can get.
Began Debate.
Mr.. Townsend (Mich.9, one Of the
hate. He said the bill presented ample
opportunity to bring into prominence
the agitator who desired notoriety be-
fore his constituents and who was ready
To strike a blow at the railroads "above
or below the belt.' The. occasion, he
said, was equally fruitful 'for that
greed and s%elfshness born OF great
bower and nurtured by a desire TOT
financial gain, which would deceive the
CONGRESS and nation into believing that
the creatures of the government are
outside and beyond it's control, and the
problem Is so great and comnlex that
only tina railroads, can solve It,"
Court to Hasten Decision.
Taking up the merits Of the bill, Mr.,
Townsend said that it had the two
fold object of giving to the interstate
commission power to Tx 9
rate and to hasten and. expedite the
work of determining whether the rates
would stand by a special court created
for that purpose of expedition. There
never would be a day, he asserted, II
the history of this country when the
people would ask less.
"tTomorrow,'' he said, ''Sthey ma
demand more, because they a suffered
.-s .-l mn - 1~oroan6ino a fal
dea1.' -
1HIf the railways comply with thi
law,V he said in conclusion, g and vol
UNFAIRLY correct any evils not covered
by this bill, it will be we'll for them
Let them oppose it's just provisions an
they will but accumulate trouble
against the day Of judgment.o
Mr.. Townsend, in reply to MI. Rich
ardson (Ala.), said positively that tn
bill In. connection with the '~so-calle
Elkins oct would reach the ~private-ca
Praise for President. -
Mr.. Richardson. (Ala.) said the DE-
mand for legislation to regulate freigh
rates had come in such an earnest wa
that congress for a moment could nc
disregard 1t; but he counseled agains
engaging in hasty or hostile Legislation
He was particularly ~antagonistic to-
special court to pass upon rates; mail
tanning that it was a departure from tn
President Roosevelt, he said, was
practical, straightforward man, who, j
q recent speech in Philadelphia, ha
stated that this republic could not ia
from the same cause as government
and republics Of history had failed.
The president, he declared, did NJ
give that admonition idly. It behoove
Il. --1->x1 IL coSl - roaron IN or
join congress in the matter and prevel
even the probability Of a calamity
the government.
Legal Points Involved.
Mr.. Richardson discussed the leg
points involved. It was, he said,
the federal. courts that the railroads e
their protection. The special court pr
posed by the Townsend bill he chara
ferized as a fifth wheel in the judici
wagon, with no necessity for it exec
to embarrass the movement for equs
izing rates. Mr.. Richardson denied tn
the Davey bill embodied any Of t.
provisions of the so-called Hearst bill
Mr.: Rainey (Ill.2 vigorously assert
that it would not have hurt the Dav
bill if the democrats had incorporat
in it every provision of the Hearst bi
because it represented "the prese
progressive and radical tendency of t
democratic party in the United States
He supported the Townsend bill |
cause it was more in harmony wi
the radical tendency of the democra
party and opposed the Davey bill |
cause it did not provide for a spec
: court.
Senator Cullom, formerly chairman
the senate committee on interstate co
merce, favors the Esch-Townsend /
and says that as time does not rems
for satisfactory amendment in t
senate at the present session, it is b
ter to take the judgment of the no,
than to call an extra session.