Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-02-16
Washington Notes.


Democrats.
Probably more significant, however,
than the tremendous margin with which
President Roosevelt carried his policy
through the House was warning given
by Representative Hepburn to the
makers of the giant combinations of
wealth. He hoped they would be wise
and obey this and other laws If they
did not. he said, Socialism would be-
come a term of terror, not for the
future, but for the present.
When they get any other idea than
that the interests of the masses are of
greater importance than their own,
when they think theirs is the greatest
power in the land, then there will be
revolution.
The utterance of that terrorizing word
produced a deathlike stiffness in the
chamber. Hepburn was in earnest in
his warning to rich men. The House
caught the spirit that was moving the
Iowa veteran to his utterance, and the
silence was the result, evidently, of a
realization that what he was saying is
true
Colonel Hepburn's speech alone would
have made the close of the debate re-
markable in the history of House legis-
lation.
WHAT THE BILL PROVIDES
The Townsend -Escb bill to regulate
railroad rates enlarges the Interstate
Commerce Commission from five to sew
en- members and empowers it to declare
any existing passenger or freight rate
unreasonable or unjustly discriminat-
ory and to fix. just and reasonable
rate, which becomes operative 30 days
after notice has been given, but at any
time within go days the carrier may ap-
peal to ''court of transportation Great
ed by the bill.
When the rate substituted by the
commission is joint rate and the car
riers fail to agree on the apportionment
the commission may declare it as part
of the original order, subject to like re-
view.
A penalty of fine of $1,000 a day is
imposed for each day parties violate
the rulings of the commission.
The court of transportation is tc be
composed of five United States Circuit
Judges designated by the President.
and the additional commissioners are
to be designated in like manner, but not
more than four commissioners are to be
from the same political party.
In every suit brought in the court
Of transportation to enforce orders
the findings of fact reported by the
commission shall be received as prima-
facie evidence Both the court of trans
portation and the commission are en-
powered to compel attendance of wit
nesses.
Appeals may be taken to the Supreme
Court within 80 days from the date of
entry of the decree OF the court of trans
portation.
The bill is to take effect April 1906
The Swayne trial is on in the Senate
and witnesses are being heard every
day. One of the women from Florida.
subpoened as witness was over-awed
by the Senate, and became too nervous
to testify. This is the first time a wo-
man has appeared on the floor of the
Senate Chamber, during a formal
session, since the trial of President
Johnston.
' Un Saturday rnv senate showed its
antagonisim to the President by defeat
ing some agreements he and Sec'y Hay
had made with other Nations to SUBJ
init disputes to the Hague Tribunal.
1T has been evident for some time
that the Senate was preparing for a
breach with the President to test where
the real power lies. The preliminary
talk from the Senate has dwelt on as
sorted transgressions Of constitutional
lines. But this is not the real cause;
since former cases in which the hasty
disregard of constitutional formaiities
was more evident than in the recent
cases were swallowed by the Senate
with avidity. The Senatorial disposition
to open war has dated from the discov-
cry that President Roosevelt was in
earnest for the curbing of trusts and
corporate abuses. But that was peril
ous question on which to join issue with
a popular President, SD the Senate wait
ed for some matter on which it could
draw deadlock without 80 much
hazard. and has pitched on this one of
the arbitration treaties"
The President says he will withdraw
all the arbitration treaties, on account
of the Senate's amendments.
On Monday, in the House, Reps. Sui
livan, of Massachusetts,, and William
r. Hearst, of New York, both DEM
ocrats. INDUCED in personalities of the
gravest character, and 80 stirred the
House as to arouse among certain mem
bers feeling of the greatest indigna-
tion. Mr.. Sullivan heaped upon Mr.
Hearst a TRADE of denunciation. while
the latter, by implication. charged Mr..
Sullivan with completely in a murder.
A Democratic Member of Congress
from Missouri propounded this comm,
drum the other day, What is the diff
ference between Judge Parker. the
recent Democratic candidate for Presi-
dent, and Moses, the Hebrew lawgiver?"
The answer is God hid Moses where the
people couldn't find him and the people
hid Parker where God could't find him. ;"
The Hon. Robert Baker, OF New
York. is radical of the radicals. There
is nothing extreme enough or revolu-
tionary enough for him. He is an ultra
all the time. While Mr.. Baker is never
taken seriously, and does not appear to
have any particular object in life except
to make all other extremists look like
conservatives in comparison, he is
very ready taIker, sometimes almost
brilliant. While he puts much in the
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