The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-14
BREAK WITH SENATE
TAFTS WARNING TO ELKINs COM- MITuTEE TO DRAFT RATE LAW.
Hint of Rebuke to MOrtOn-Dcbate at Railway Congress Dinner Stirs Interest in Coming
 Legislation.
Washington Special to New York
 Times

Washington Special to New York Times
 The foreshadowing of a conlict be- tween President Roosevelt and the Senate at the proposed extra session over rate legislation was the one topic in official circles today, and put more than usual interest for the closed sea son into political gossip at the capital.
 Furthermore. indications of divided opinion in the cabinet are found ln the discordant views expressed by Secre- tary Paul Morton last Thursday, and
 Secretary Taft last. evening, before the same hearers, the delegates to the International Railway Congress.
 The Presidents Denver speech, which was reported in the newspapers here yesterday. and Secretary Tafts address last evening sounded the same key note.
 No one supposes that the coincidence of the speeches was prearrangad' but no less significance is attached. MT. Taft was invited to the dinner in his capacity as head of the government in MT. RooseVelt's absence. He told the assembled railway men of this country, in the presence of their for | eign guests. that they must accept rate regulation or find cause to regret it. | By his drawing an answer from StuY- | vesant Fish on behalf of the railroads and then replying to MT. Fish, the eff | feet was to turn the banquet into a | joint debate on the subject of de- clared policy of the administration. Secretary Morton, another member of | the administration, in welcoming the delegates to the Congress here last l Thursday. had given a view s3 Oppo- site as to be in line with the utterances of Mir. fCsh last night. He had argued that if discrimination were done away | with, rates would take care of them selves. MT. Fish apparently used MT. 1 Morton's words as the foundation of | his argument in his two speeches an swerlng MT. Taft.
 If the Presidents and MT. Taft | speeches had been intended as rehuke | to MT. Morton, devised to clear he ad- ministratlon of any suspicion that it | agreed with him. a more complete method could not have been found, is the opinion expressed here today.
 The views of Mir. Fish, the railroad | men generally, and of Secretary Nor ton are those of the Senators an MT. Elkins's committee which has on for some time conducting an investigation | into the rate-making question. The 1 Committee, it is understood, is utterly | hostile to any such Legislation as the Esch Townsend bill. It is credited with killing that bill in the las Con i gress. The result of it's investigation.
  much interest has been taken n it.
 The Committee will frame q bill, but the expectation is that it will n no re- l spect resemble what the President wants. The Committee expects 0 ad- | journ on May 20. The speeches 1f the | President and MT Taft are taken here | as a direct warning to the Committee | Some of Mir. Tafts significant sen | tences follow:
 What the railway men of this coun- | try ought to do is to assist in the pas sage of a law that will accomplish the result. It is not an easy law to draw | but if they will stand up and assist
 they will take away from the extreme
 feeling which exists against the rall-
 roads
 T am the last one to argue .n favor
 of government ownership. l think
 nothing could come to this country
 that would be so unfortunate n It's
 effect as the government ownership or
 steam railroads. And we are ror Go-
 ing to come to 1t, but we may nave a
 campaign on this subject whieh Will | do no good to the railroads.
 Tt is true that the railroads nave ! Teen guilty of some abuses ana l say
 this because i have run railroads Tor
 ten years in courts as a judge through
 receivers. And it was mighty hard
 sometimes tc get receivers who would not cut rures. Il had to stand them up