Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-02-13
Only Seventeen Members Of the House
Oppose Esch- ToWnsend Measure
Eleven Republicans and Six Democrats
Vote Against Federal Supervision
Hepburn Defends Himself Against Attacks
Of Press--WiIams Sarcastic

Washington, Feb. 10.-After nearly
four days of discussion the house yes
terday by a vote of 1876 to IL passed
the Esch-T Townsend bill providing for
the regulation of freight rates. The
negative vote was made up of IL re-
publicans and six democrats. The
speech of Mr.. Hepburn was rather
defense of himself. He said that his
deeds and acts were a sufficient an
swer to the ''lies and SANDERS which
had been heaped upon him.
Hepburn Closes Debate.
fThe debate closed by Mr.. Williams
of Mississippi for the democrats ana
by Mr.. Hepburn of Iowa for the re-
publicans. During his address Mr..
Williams said the republicans needed
nothing more than a marking out OF
the pathway to follow the president,
not because he is the president or re-
publican, but because he was outlining
the proper policy for the American
people.
Mr.. Williams said it might be true in
some things, as Mr.. GrOsvenor stated
Wednesday, that the democrats,
"camped tonight where he camped last
night" but he loudly proclaimed, fac
ing the republican side, that on this
question, cit is you who are camping
this year where the democracy camp
ed last year." If, he said, the mcJor-
ity in the house did not follow the
presidents resolutions, it proved ne
cessity for an automatic coupler be-
tween the white house and the house
of representatives. "a republican
Daniel is calling you" he exclaimed,
"and he is on the other end OF the
avenue, and he is calling you to do
identically the same thing you refused
to do because it came out of a demo
cratic Nazareth
In discussing the merits OF the bill,
Mr.. Williams said the country had
waited and waited for the railroads
themselves to do justice. He agreed
in part with Mr. Mccall of Massachu-
sets, who had said the right to fix
rates was dangerous power to con-
fer on seven men, but he argued Il
was a choice between evils, as only
about seven great railroad magnates,
acting in conjunction with one another,
were directing the stream of Amer
lean commerce in the channels they
wished and discriminating wherever
they saw fit. If the fixing of rates
was to be lodged in the same hands
Mr. Williams said he preferred it 20
be a government tribunal, weak and
ineffective as such tribunals are"
The Townsend bill, he said, in con,
clusion, was much better bill than
he ever thought would come from the
republican side of the chamber.
Emotion of Hepburn.
Mr.. Hepburn of Iowa, chairman of
the committee Gu interstate com
merce. closed for the republicans. He
explained the difficulties Of preparing
such a measure as the bill reported,
saying that no two men entertained
the same opinion either as to what
was III INC OlIl VI WuldI OuSuC " OC III
it. He discussed for a moment and
received sympathetic applause from
both the democratic and republican
side when he asked to be excused
for intrUding a matter OF personal in
terest into the proceedings which was
the first time he had done so in IS
years of service.
'Tf l have been criticized" he said
with emotion, II have borne it.
have been slandered and lied about.
have submitted to it, content that