Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-02-09
PLAN NOW is TO DELAY ACTION
ON BILL UNTIL NEXT
AUTUMN.
VOTE is COUNTED TODAY

Iowa Members Of Congress and
Senate Uphold Hepburn - Okla
homa and New Mexico States.
[BY HAROLDsJ. MAHIN.l
Washington Bureau Of the Courier.
Washington, D. c., Feb. 8.
Tomorrow the house will vote % on
and pass the Esch-T Townsend bill put,
ting the railroads of the country more
completely under government supervi-
sion. Probably about the same time
this bill is being passed in the house
there will be introduced in the senate
a resolution by Senator Kean, of New
Jersey, providing for an all summer
session of the senate interstate COM
fnerce committee to take testimony on
this bill and report to the next con-
gress.
II Senator Kean does not introduce
that resolution tomorrow he will do
80 in few days and the Courier cor
respondent has the best authority for
saying that it has been agreed among
the senate leaders that the resolution
shall pass the senate Consequently
railroad rate legislation will be put
off till fall at least unless the Presi-
dent calls an extra session for the
spring.
Senator Allison himself, though
originally in favor of quick action, is
now convinced that the kean resolu-
ton is the proper thing to get ade-
quate action. The senate is not as a
.11 Sa1,
Townsend bill and wants more time to
consider the matter. If this is done
IT will stop most of; the rate discus
sion for the present.
Has Caused Excitement.
This rate measure has aroused more
excitement in Washington this winter
than has been known to cause for
some time. There has. been greater
pressure for it from the White House
and greater pressure against it from
the railroads than has been known of
any issue for years.
OF course there has been much bit
terness of feeling aroused. An example
of this was a dispatch printed in the
Washington Post the other Cay to the
effect that after a mass meeting de-
nouncing Colonel Hepburn that fam
Gus Iowa statesman had been hung in
effgy. The members of the Iowa dele
CATION to a man were indignant over
this news and several of them refused
to believe it.
Bureau Of Misnformation.
1t is fact that dispatches printed
in Washington under a Des Moines
date line have of late come to be
taken with grain of salt since great
many of them have been found to be
highly colored. Major Lacey once
called the Des Moines correspondent
the Bureau of Misinformation" and
the name has stuck. In regard to this
particular story Senator Dolliver said:
Iowans Uphold Hepburn.
"If ouch thing ever occurred in
Iowa it is outrage and disgrace to
the state. l am 10th to believe that
it took place or if it did that any
responsible citizen had anything to dc
with it. know that Colonel Hep
burns course in this rate matter has
been straightforward and in line with
the desires of the President and it is
too bad that he should be so misre
presented Other members of the
delegation were just as strong in their
denunciation.
Hepburn Holds Pennsylvania.
1t is now onpenly stated that
when the Pennsylvania delegation
threatened to bolt from the republican
caucus at which it was decided to pass
the Townsend-Esch measure it was
Colonel Hepburn who held them ir
line Colonel Hepburn threatened dire
things to the Pennsylvanians in the
way of legislation affecting their state
all of which they knew he could bring
to pass and they came back into line
It is also now openly said that the
Hepburn bill was written in the
Office of the attorney general of the
United States and had the full sane
tion of the President On the day
that the Hepburn bill was introduced
the attorney general said to promi
nent Washington newspaper mar
You watch that Hepburn bill it is
the one likely to be reported anC
passed" OF course when the Presi
dent found that in the interest O
harmony it would be necessary te
cater to Townsend and Esch he
authorized Colonel Hepburn to obtair
certain amendments to their bills ant
have them reported. In fact Colone
Hepburn's friends without any refiec
ton on the President whatever, are
rather of the opinion that the Iowa
statesman sacrificed himself somewhat
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