Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-21
gETT1ye READY FoR ACTION.

President Roosevelt Is expected TO re
turn to Washington at the end Of this
month and reports from the national cap
ital say that he will then resume the
campaign for railway rate regulation.
II Is stated that already the president
has invited to a conference at the White
House members of congress who are
known to favor his policy in regard to
rate regulation, and It IA asserted that
Mr.. Roosevelt will serve notice upon
the railroads and their adherents In both
houses that he has not changed his at
titude in the slightest degree since the
senate prevented consideration Of the
railroad question in the last congress.
According to the Washington corre-
spondents, Il is now understood that the
railroad question will form the principal
feature Of the presidents message and
that be will leave the railroad senators
no room for doubling what is his policy.
After that It will be a question for sena-
tors to determine whether they will
stand with the president or oppose him.
One report says that the president does
not intend that the country shall be
tricked by senate manipulation Of legis-
lation, but is prepared for an open fight
in support of the public's interests. 1t
is suggested that the railroads and their
friends in congress will attempt to d.
vert attention from the rate question to
the tariff, but that while the tariff will
undoubtedly become matter of serious
consideration when congress meets, 1t is
not to be allowed to overshadow the
question of proper rate regulation and
II is expected that the president will ask
that no tariff legislation be attempted
until the rate bill has been disposed of.
This confirms the opinion we have
heretofore expressed, that President
Roosevelt will be found firmly adhering
to the position he announced in his last
annual message in regard to the regula-
tlon Of railway rates. He then declared
that "the government must in increasing
degree supervise and regulate the work.
ings Of the railways engaged in inter
state commerce, and such increased
supervision is the only alternative to
an increase Of the present evils on the
one hand or a still more radical policy
on the other" He declared that the most
| important legislation needed as regards
the regulation Of corporations is to con-
fer on the Interstate Commerce COM
mission the power to revise rates and
regulations. 1.-THE revised rate to at once
go into effect and to stay in effect un-
less and until the court of review re-
verses it." This position of Mr.. Roose-
welt there is every reason to believe he
still maintains and will again urge upon
congress Unquestionably 1t has the sup
port of very large majority of the peo-
pie and the knowledge of this fact can
not fail to have a great influence upon
congress, particularly the popular
branch, which it can be confidently pre-.
dicted will be found in almost unani-
nous accord with the president. AS to
the senate, 1t is to be expected that the
friends OF the railroads in that body
will oppose the presidents position YET
there is said to be a probability that
some OF the senators who antagonized
the proposed legislation m the last con
gress will be found to have changed
their attitude. At all events there ap
pears to be every assurance that upon
this very important question Mr.. Roose
velt stands firmly upon the position he
announced in his last annual message
and in this there is promise Of ultimate
victory for the people.