Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-08
Regulation Of Freight Rates
Discussed in the House.
MR.. THAYER IRONICAL
CONGRATULATES THE REPUBLI-
CAN LEADERS.
Mr.. Shober Criticises Democrats for Not
Selling the Opportunity to
Lead in the Matter.

The House of Representatives today again
met an hour earlier than usual, the subject
of the regulation of freight rates still being
under consideration. to the exclusion of all
other business. The galleries were crowd
ed, in anticipation of the interesting cere-
mony of counting the electoral vote, which
was set for later in the day
Today's discussion was opened by Mr..
Thayer (Mass). who congratulated the
President, the republican party and the
majority of the committee on interstate
and foreign commerce for adopting what
he declared to be q purely democratic
measure After characterizng the Hep
turn bill as being also a democratic meas
ure. he charged that it had been pulled
down at the instance of the President as
not meeting with his appreciation. The
Hepburn bill. he said, no more resembed
the Townsend bill. which represented the
position of the administration than "A jacil
RABBIT does race horse.
MI. Shober Arraigns Democrats.
Charging that opportunity had been
lost TO the democracy by Offering an IN
adequate substitute to the Townsend bill.
Mr.. Shober On. y said a similar mistake
had been made at the st. Louis convea-
ton, when. in spite of the desire of the
rank and file of the democracy and the
cry from Industrial centers, the party had
been lured by the false hopes and prom
ises held out by the Belmonts, the Ryars
ana the Cord Meyers into disregardng
the wishes of the people and thereby ac-
complishing disaster for the party
Continuing his criticism of. the action of
some of his party leaders, Mr.. Shober de-
clared that. notwithstanding the malicious
ana false stories circulated, and the meth
DDS that were questionable in taking from
No
Indiana. VIM. Randolph Hearst had poled
200 votes in that convention
declaring his intention of standing unrc-
servedly by President Roosevelt on the
subject of regulating freight rates Mr.. Van
Duzer (NeyD said there had been no more
courageous action than that Of the Presi-
Gent since the days of Andrew Jackson
because the Presiden. had taken the lead
far in advance of his party.
Attitude of the South.
Mr.. Bartlett (Ga.), supporting the minor
ity bill, explained the attitude of the south
as not being radical. 1t was he insisted.
conservative and he said that when the
time came to preserve the country from
radicalism, socialism or anarchy the
south would rally to its support and save
it from destruction.
1nsncerity was ascribed to the repubi-
cans by Mr.. Cochran (Mo.) in the matter
of rate legislation, who said that it was
not intended to pass the proposed legisla-
ton, but simply to do something to pacify
public sentiment.
Mr.. Esch CWis.), who assisted in franz
ing the Townsend bill summed up the ar
guments for and against that bill up to
the present time. Some, he said, had
garded it as the most important leSislat on
since the rebellion. while others had con-
tended it amounted to nothing. Such ex-
treme views he held to be indicative of the
fact that the bill what it claimed to
be-a compromise He then entered into
a long discussion justifying the action Of
the majority of the committee in proNid-
ing the special court of transportation
feature upon which he said opposition
seemed to be centered.
Democratic Claims Ridiculed.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Ohio) ridiculed- the dem
ocrats for their claim to credit for rate
legislation. If, he said the bill should
become law and it could be proved to the
satisfaction of the American people that
a single valuable and essential idea OF the
bill emanated from the democratic party,
if would be at once an astoniShment to the
n,blic and a great credit to that organiza-
ton.
He provoked laughter when he declared
that Ifollowing our footsteps, toe-marking
our tracks camping tonight where We
camped last night and begging to be taken
on board is not new policy or prlnciple
of the democratic party" The Davey bill,
he characterized as the dead and stranged
effort of the minority.
Mr. Grosvenor was discussing the relative
merits of the several bills, when he was
Interrupted by MIR. Shackleford tMoD with
a statement that the Hearst bill had been
denied an opportunity to be considered
"Ohr' replied Mr.. Grosvenof, amid laugh
ter and republican applause. your party
denied it before we did The Hearst bill,
he declared was dead as Julius Caesar.
having been slaughtered by democratic
caucus He called the Townsend bill the
no t1. saY-fi-
ian shin of the democratic minority tomor-
row because of its just and adequate pro-
visions
After the electoral vote for President and
Vice President had been announced the
House resumed discussion of the railroad
rate bill.