Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1905-11-24

Didohd SCdlu IeSdluiLS CLe ldllIOdu
rate policy of President Roosevelt?
Upon the answer to this question
probably depends whether the report
of the senate committee on interstate
commerce, to be made to congress in
December, will show a majority for
or against the presidents plan. Mil
lard is a capitalist in sympathy with
railroad interests, and himself promi-
nently identified with railroad owner
ship. 1t has been assumed all along
that he would stand with the Sena-
tor Elkins, chairman Of the commit
tee, in opposing the president, and
in fact, he is understood to have said
as much several months ago. More
recently, however, he has been hear
ing from Nebraska rural districts and
it has been made to appear to him
that those districts expect him to
support the president. AS a result,
it is understood that he is 10Y in a
sad condition of wobble, wherefore
Senator Elkins is greatly worried,
and wants to know if any other men,
bers of the committee upon whom he
has been depending are going to
threaten to desert him. There is a
parliamentary advantage attaching
to a majority report on any measure,
pending before congress, and natural
ly Mr.. Elkins wants that advantage
for his opposition bill. 1t really
however, makes little difference
which side gets a majority, as the
proposition will be fought out on the
floor of the senate without reference
to how the committee stands. Mr..
Elkins' chief interest in this Willard
case grows out of the fear that if an
old veteran like Willard is threaten
ing to weaken, other senators may do
the same thing and thus show that
the senate is unable to stand up
against the wave Of reform which is
now sweeping over the country.
The senate committee on inter-
state commerce is made up Of thir-
teen members, five Of whom are dem
ocrats. Seven are a majority. Ac-
cordins &c the !ates. pei! that has
been made, the committee is lined
up about as follows on the railroad
qtestions:
For the President-Cuiioln, Doll
yer and Clapp, republicans, and Til
man Carmack and Rounds, demo-
Gratis; total 6.
Against the President-Elkins, AL
Kean and Foraker, republicans,
and Foster and McLaurin, democrats;
total 6.
Observation-Disclosures.
Senator Cullom was supposedly
with Elkins people until a few weeks
ago, when he announced that he had
seen a great light. and must hence
forth stand with the president. Sem
ator Cuiiom is a candidate for re-
election, and his fate will be de-
termined by the legislature Illinois
will elect hext Fall. His campaign
for reelection has been under way
for several months.
Similarity, Senator Willard has a
coming on next year for re-
to the senate. He did not see
the great light quite as soon as Sen
ator Cullom saw it, but it is in fear
of Elkins that he has finally seen it,
even if late, and so he may be lost
to the railroad side of the senate
argument.
The committee will meet in Wash
ington Nov. p, to hear a new addi-
tional testimony and prepare its re-
port. The friends Of the presidents
policy on the committee will report
substantially in favor of his plan. The
Elkins crowd will report in favor Of
some measure which they will call a
compromise, and which will probably
to begin with, concede everything
the president asks, excepting that
the interstate commerce commission
shall have power to name a new rate
and put it Immediately into effect.
AS to this particular feature, which
is the cruz of the entire controversy
the Elkins people are expected to
recommend some plan providing for
passing the matter up to the courts,
in accordance with the position out
lined by Senator Foraker in an adj
dress made by him in Ohio during
the late campaign.
Senator Gamble of South Dakota
had a long conference with President
Roosevelt today. At its close he de-
clined to discuss what had been talk
ed about, but from other sources it is
learned that much of the time was
spent in a careful review of the rail-
road rate question as it will present
itself in congress this winter. Sena-
tor Gamble gave the president to
understand that he was with him to
the limit, and that the people of
South Dakota were with him, also.
Asked tonight regarding the sena-
toriai struggle now under way In
South Dakota, Mr.. Gamble declined
to be interviewed, but his friends in