Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-14
TARIFF REVISION DEAD,
PRESIDENT DROPS IDEA

sentiment of the New York Central,
the Erie. the Chicago, Milwaukee & st.
Paul, the Northern Pacific, the Illinois
Central. the Lackawanna and other
railway companies spoke vigorously to-
day before the house committee on
interstate commerce against the
Cooper-Q uarles bill or any proposition
to authorize the interstate commerce
commission to fix railway rates.
Pioneer Of Opposition.
Spencer is the first direct and Off
cial representative of the railways to
be heard by the committee and his
testimony is regarded as the keynote
of the opposition to rate fixing by the
government.
The Presidents Plan.
President Roosevelt has made his
position absolutely clear on the rail-
road rate question. With frankness
so characteristic of the man, he told
a half dozen visitors yesterday that he
had decided to call an extra session Of
congress, unless there should be some
satisfactory legislation on the railroad
question at the present session. Such
Legislation is next door to impossible
now. owing to the adverse influences
at work and the lack of time, so it may
be taken for granted that there will
be an extra session of congress prob
ably next fall, without taking into con-
sideration the tariff question at ALL
In talking with his official callers the
President did not hesitate to draw a
sharp distinction between the tariff
and the railroad issues. He said he
recognized fully the fact, first, that
there was no overwhelming popular
demand for an immediate revision Of
the tariff; second, that it was largely
a question of expediency as to whether
it should be done now or later on; and
third, it was a matter about which
there could be an honest difference of
opinion, which could be settled of
course. only by the congressional lead
ers themselves.
The Tariff Question.
The President did not hesitate to dis
claim any idea of crowding congress
into a corner on the tariff issue. In
fact, he said he did not propose to call
an extra session on this act, unless it
should appear that the majority, or at
least fair percentage of the republi-
| SoAA A11SiIpSAo WSlC III lcINCl I'll IL. III
recognized, he said, that there was no
matter of principle involved in the wis
dom or unwisdom of revising the tariff
at the present time, it being dependent
largely upon business conditions, which
could best be determined by those men
in congress who had had long expert
ence and who could fairly claim to be
experts on the tariff.
Principle In Railroad Question.
With regard to the railroads the
| President was frank enough to say that
there was question of principle in
volved, and that principle seemed to
be so important to the interests of the
people at large that he felt justified
in insisting upon congress openly as
suming the responsibility. 1t was for
this reason, he said. he had deter
mined to bring matters to focus. If
congress fails to do anything between
now and March 4 the President will
call an extra session at time which
seems best to him, after consultation
with the republican leaders who favor
remedial legislation. He will not at
tempt to dictate to congress how it
I shall deal with the question, nor what
kind of legislation it shall enact. He
proposes, however, to fix the RESPONSE
bility either for failure or success upon
the legislative branch of the govern
4 ment.
YeomaEs Is Renominated.
/ Washington, Jan. 12-The President
4 today sent to the senate the nomina
tion of James D. Yeomans, Of Iowa, tc
be interstate commerce commissioner
1t had been understood that ex-Sena
tor Cockrell had been chosen to sue
coed Mr.. Yeomans and had accepted
Just what significance the latest devel
opment in the affair can have is mo-
known.
S M (
1 O'MALLEY'S vi