The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-07

associations. elicited much comment in political circles here today.
 The serious aspect of the conspiracy against Mir. Morton appears to lie in the fact that certain powerful men connected with the railway world are trying to make life uncomfortable for him. presumably because he dared tc propose rational scheme of compro- mise between the shippers and the railroads in the matter of government regulation of rates. Nevertheless 1t Is blow over. As long as President roosevelt treats 1t with silent or laughing contempt Mir. Morton and his friends have no cause for worry.
 Meanwhile 1t has become apparent that all Is not harmony between Pres- ident Roosevelt and Secretary Morton on the method of securing railway re- forms. The President has permitted 1t to become known that he favors stick ing by the proposal which he made ip ms message. That Is, he wants a new grant of power to the Interstate Com merce Commission, and does not think 1t advisable to have the effort compli- cated with a scheme of compromise in- voiving the 1egalization ot pooling. The President is not against pooling and Is inclined to think In time that 1t may be necessary step. But he Is unwilling to advocate it. He wants the two propositions kept apart, each to stand or fall on Its merits. If Con- gress gives the Interstate Commerce Commission the power asked for and afterwards concludes to legalize pool ing, very good. But one step at a time is fast enough. in the Presidents opinion.
 Mir. Morton, on the other hand, be- lieves the proposed grant of power to the Commission cannot be secured without at the same time giving the railroads some compensation, such as a legalization of pooling. To this ex- tent there is a, divergence of opinion between the President and the Secre- tary. They aim at coming out sub stantially at the same place, but do not quite agree as to the road to be travelled It is almost needless to say that their personal relations continue most cordial.
 The railroad men now In Washing ton are quite confident no legislation is to be had this winter on the subject MT. Blythe of the Burlington, Mir. Hughitt of the Northwestern. Mir. Kellogg of the St. Paul and others have been here, and they have seen @ large number of public men. None of them announces his opposition to rate legislation--they arc too adroit for that--but they offer suggestions or ob- jections which in the end tend to com plicate the situation.
 Meanwhile half the lawyers in Con- gross are studying the rate problem and many. of them are preparing bills. MT. Newlands offered an elaborate scheme today. Others are :, almost ready for introduction. With Presi dent Roosevelt pulling one way, with out the clearest idea in the world as to the details of his plan, with Secre- tary Morton advocating a compromise and lacking the Presidents open sup port. with the railroad managers throwing cold water in skilIful doses where 1t will do the most good, and with all the lawyer-cooks taking g. hand, each with his little plan, 1t looks very much as If the broth would be completely spoiled so far as this ses- sion of Congress is concerned. It is too big and complicated a question to be thrashed out in such short order.