The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-10
House Gives it an Over
wheIming Majority.
LIES AND ISLANDERS
Here's One of Those ScribbIers Who
Begs to Thank You, Mr.. Hepburn.
for a Hot Headline You
Were Bent on Not Civ
ing Him.
tRy the Associated Press


Washington. ID. c.. Feb. y.-Aftei
House today by a vote of 326 TO IL,
passed the Townsend Bill pro-
viding for the regulation of freight
rates. The negative vote was made
up of eleven Republicans and six DEM
ocrats.
The closing hours of the debate We're
occupied by Messrs. Williams, of Mis-
sissippi the minority leader, and Hep
burn, of Iowa, chairman OF the COM
mittee. which reported the bill. Mr.
Williams. while supporting the minor
ity measure, even though he said ne
knew it could not pass complmented
the Republicans for bringing in DILL
which WAS much better than he ex-
pected would come from them.
The speech OF Mr.. Hepburn was
rather in defense of himself He said
that his deeds and acts were a Sufii-
cient answer to the Lies and SANDERS
which had beer heaped upon him. The
bill known as the Hepburn Bill he
said. had been prepared by the At
torney General and he only yielded to
his colleagues OF the committee on
the Townsend Bill because he
did not want the committee to be the
target for scribblers who wanted SEM
sational hea dimes.
Less than twenty-five members were
in their seats when the debate was
opened by Mr.. Pierce (Tenn.), who af-
ter announcing that the President on
the subject of rate legislation, was the
greatest leader that has lived III the
Republican ranks since the Civil War,
said he would support the Esch-Town-
send Bill. He however, based his
support upon the fact that William
j.. Bryan and the Democratic party
had declared for just such leSisia-
ton.
Williams Praises Roosevelt.
Mr.. Williams (Miss.). AT the outset
congratulated the House upon the fact
that not only in the matter Of rate
President Roosevelt nominated by the
Republican party and elected by the
people" was beginning to assume dis
tinctly democratic attitude. He said
he had begun to hope that the Presi-
dent would recommend revision of
he tariff and that the President would
see that II was altogether absurd to
keep 10000 more soldiers than were
needed
addressing himself to the Repub!i-
cans. Mr. Williams said they needed
nothing more than {. marking out of
the pathway TO follow the President,
not because he is President, or a Re-
the proper policy for the American
people. 'Oh. he said amid Demo-
cratic laughter. Il know how non-par-
tisan you are" "A Republican Dam
iel is calling you" he exclaimed, "and
he is at the other end of the avenue;
and he is calling you 10 do identically
the same thing that you refused TO
do because it came out Of Il Demo-
cratic Nazareth.
MIR. Williams said the country had
waited and waited for the railroads
themselves to do Justice Ee agreed
in part with Mr.. Mccall, Mass.) who
mad said the right TO fix rates was q
dangerous power TO confer on seven
men. but he argued it was a choice be-
tween evils. as only about seven great
railroad magnatcs acting in conjunc-
ton with one another were directing
the stream of American comerce in
the channels they wished and dscrim-
mating wherever they saw fit.
Declaring hiatt he spoke as a con.
servative. as he was not a radical Mr..
Williams said the time might come
when all the country except the South,
would be advocating government owns
ership of the railroads. The South
would never support that proposition
because they had the old fashioned
idea that the government should not
become too strongly centralized. They
were further opposed to government
ownership because they knew the gov~
ernment would not operate separate
coachs for the whites and blacks.
Obey. Says Hepburn.
Mr.. Hepburn said it had been the
Democratic boast that they held to the
principal of exact justice to all the
people, but he continued. Mr.. Will
liams hearing a lciamo-, trying to
ride wave that he thought led to
popular promotion. WAS willing t. deny
equality to the men that invests his
property in some other way than that
that meets the preference of the gem
tleman from Mississippi.
After commencing the court of
TRANSPORTATION feature of the bill, Mr..
Hepburn in concluding, urged the
railroads to a strict obedience of the
law. They must learn, he said, that
there was a power greater than they:
that the interests of the multitude
were greater than any interests that
could be subserved by money and
wrong and disobedience. They must
learn, too. that the people are alert
now lest the menace of the concentra-
ton of immense wealth does not be-
come terror in the future If not re-
strained He was loudly applauded as
he took his seat.
The Vote Taken.
In accordance with the special rule
the vote was then taken on the sub
stitute bill of the minority, the ayes