The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-27
HOUSE TALKS OF RATES
DEBATE TURNS ON THE PRESI- DENTS RECOMMENDATION. Mir. Williams Says the Democrats VIII TOe-mark MT. ROOseVeIt'A
 Footsteps in Effort for
 Relief.

Washington aJn. 2e.--The agricul- tural appropriation bill. was consider ed in the House today but the debate turned principally on the topic of re- stricting railroads in the matter of freight rates. the Hepburn bill form ing the basis of the discussion. MT. Williams. of Mississippi, said that the Democratic party was committed to views such as were expressed by the President in his message to congress.
 Immediately after converting. the House adopted joint resolution ap- proIEiating ${0,000 to defray the eX- penscs of the Senate In conducting the trial of Judge Charles Swayne, after which the agricultural bill was taken up in committee of the whole. MT. Currier, of New Hampshire, in the chair.
 Mr. Littleneld (Maine) put an in- quiry to MT. Wadsworth (N Y) in charge of the bill regarding the pol icy to be pursued in connection with appropriations. He specifically asked if the appropriations were to be con tinued at their existing size and thereby involve the necessity of in creasing taxation in order to get more revenue, or If appropriations were to be cut down and thus avoid the neces- sity for increasing taxation"
 Democratic applause was accorded MT. Wadsworth when he replied that he was in favor of cutting down ap- propriations for the army aNd navy.
 Does the gentleman think 1t wise, prudent, safe or proper" asked Mir. Littlefield, for us to make Gppropria- tions which we know are in excess of the revenues We are going to re- ceive?"
 That" said MT. Wadsworth, lis a question I don't care to answer"
 Under latitude of debate, MT. Scott (Kan) discussed the question of dis eliminating rates by railroads and said that there had been a general de- mand from the agriculture section of Kansas for relief.
 He called attention to the Hepburn bill regulating rates charged by rail- roads which, with the exception of n few details, he said, fully met the de- mand for remedial Legislation.
 Mir Williams (MississippD inquired if the present interstate commerce commission had done anything which justified their being legislated out of office.
 MT Scott replied that he was rely = ing on tine good sense and discretion of the President in the matter whose hands should be united in order that he might have absolute freedom to sc- cure men whom he thought best suited to the work
 A general debate followed on tho railroad rate question.
 As spokesman of his party on the floor. Mir. Williams said that the Dem ocratic party was committed without addition or subtraction to the recon mendations of President Roosevelt in his recent message. The Democrats he said. were glad to have the Presi- dents views, because it was Demo- cratic doctrine and ought to be Ameri- can doctrine"
 we will toe-mark the Presidents tracks on this subject" declared MT Williams amid general applause And" he added, facing the Repubii- can side. i've call on you as Ameri- can citizens to help us to toe mark them"
 The appropriation for the free dis tribution of seeds bY the agricultural department furnished the text for hu-