Evening journal., 1905-10-13
ROOSEVELT AND
RAILROAD RATES
Presidents Return to Wash
iAgton Revives Interest
in the Question
SUBJECT OF MUCH IMPORTANCE
10y William Wolff Smith,

Washington. y. c.. oct. ia tre-
mendous revival OF interest I'm the
railroad rate problem has followed the
return Of President Roosevelt to Wash
'ngton and his conferences with Sena-
tors end Representatives on the sub
jecI. Through the summer. skinful Of
forts were assiduously made 20 create
the impression that Roosevelt had
changed his views and realizing the
which his renewed campion-
ship Of rate regulation would arouse
ir Congress. would refrain from pur-
suing his efforts TO secure government
regulation Of rates and utilize his en-
ergy IN other directions. Warnings
that 10 press The matter meant party
discord fraught with the possibility Of
loss Of personal prestige by defeat a.
the hands Of Congress, and that tho
strife might be the undoing OF his par
ty. We're conveyed 10 the President
during the summer. delicately I'M cases
Of personal contact and bluntly
through the medium of the press
Railroad presidents. corporation attor-
neys and others have flooded the coun-
try with predictions of dire happenings
10 the people, the country and the Re
we're "let alone" and BATTERED thsm-
selves the President had been inhu-
|enced thereby
II is consequently with much cha
grin they note their wasted efforts.
land awakening To the fact that Mr..
Roosevelt has not changed his mind
but on the contrary is more strongly
convinced than ever Of the necessity Of
L.
fixing Of railroad rates at the earliest
possible moment. they have turned
attention to the hopeless task Of To-
menting a spirit of rebellion on the
part of Congress. The railroads are.
however, confronted by this unpleasant
feature. that il is almost impossible
for them 10 Wean single supporter
from the Presidents policy while many
.of their friends are weakening. That
they will be able TO deay action is
probable. and that they may make such
q show of force as to compel "a COM
promise is possible but some action by
Congress in the direction so urgently
desired by three-fourths of the people
seems at this time inevitable.
To Representative Townsend, Of Mi
chigan. Representative Prince Of H.
'linois and others who have recently
called on him, President Roosevelt has
reiterated his views ON the regulation
Of railroad rates. but has discreetly
lrefrained from making a public state
ment Of them Nor is it likely he will
do so as he has taken the ground that
when Congress convenes he viii say
what he has TO say i'm terms which
cannot be misunderstood. using the
annual message as a vehicle TO express
his thoughts. A characteristic Roose-
lveltian expression Of opinion. bold,
frank and fearless, on the rate ques-
ltion is therefore anticipated. Mean
while the fallacious theory industri-
ously promulgated by the railroad lit
lerary bureaus that commercial org---.i-
lzations have been converted wholesale
land will hereafter oppose instead Of
support the Presidents policy, has re-
lceived a tremendous setback by the
action OF such bodies as the National
Wholesale Druggists Association, the
National Carriage Builders Associa-
tion and similar organizations who
have recently vigorously demanded
rate legislation.
Senator Cullom. Of Illinois. the sage
chairman Of the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations. is serenely conf
dent of reelection. Il feel that the
people Of Illinois are with me. and
am confident that / shall be returned" z"
said he. Il said four years ago that
liz the people of the state were with
me the Legislature would re-elect me.
Ii think that the sentiment in my fa-
vor is even stronger this time. AT the
beginning Of the campaign I announced
that there would be no scrambling for
the place, that I should conduct my
campaign on a higher plane. 1 str
adhere to that intention. and came
here to Washington TO 60 to work. I
shall remain until next June. with one
interruption; l shall attend the install
llation of President James at the Uni-
lversity Of Illinois during this month.
AS for Governor Deneen's position i'm
this campaign. he will keep his hands
off He has said that he will remain
on neutral ground and not throw his
lentire strength TO any one
Nevertheless Mr.. Cullom will keep
lin close touch with the Illinois situa-
ltion and is. expected to deal with it in
1.-The somewhat unusual though not in
frequent method of eliminating compe-
ltition by means of official recognition.
lFor instance. as Ex-Governor Fifer. Of
Illinois, will resign from the Interstate