The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-02-10


to II. passed the Esch- Townsend
Dill providing for regulation OF
weight rates The legislative vote
was made up of eleven republicans
and six democrats The closing hours
OF the debate were occupied by Mr.
Williams. of Mississippi. the minori.
~ leader. and Mr.. Hepburn. OF Iowa,
chairman OF the committee which re.
ported the bill.
Mr.. Williams complimented the re.
publicans for bringing in a bill which
was SO much better than he expected
During his address Mr.. williams
said the republicans needed moth.
Ing more than marking out of
the pathway 20 follow the president.
not because he is president or repub-
lican, but because he was outlining
the proper policy for American PEG.
Pile
He said II might be true in some
things, as Mr.. Grosvenor stated yes
terday. that the democrats "camped
tonight where he camped last night, !"
but he loudly proclaimed. facing the
republican side. that on this question
''it is you who are camping this
year where democrats eamped last
year"
"A republican Daniel is calling
you" he exclaimed, land he is at the
other end of the avenue: and he IL
calling you to do identically the same
thing you refused TO do because Il
came out of a democratic Nazareth. q"
Discussing the merits OF the blu Mr..
Williams said the country had wait
ed and waited for the railroads them.
selves to do II justice. He agreed in
part with Mr.. Mccall of Massachus-
etts. who said the right to fix rates
was a dangerous power to confer on
seven men. but he argued It was a
choice between evils, as only about
seven great railroad magnates, act.
ing In conjunction with one another,
were directing the stream of Ameri-
can commerce in the channels they
wished and discriminating wherever
they saw At II fixing of rates was to
be lodged in some hands Mr.. VIII
liams said he preferred It to be a
government tribunal. weak and in
effective as such tribunals are"
Mr.. Hepburn OF Iowa. chairman OF
the committee on interstate com
merce, closed for the republicans.
lie explained the diihoalties of pre-
pairing such a measure as the bill re-
ported, saying no two men entertain
ed the same opinion either as to what
was In the bill or what ought to be in
IT, Mr.. Hepburn digressed for a mo-
ment and received sympathetic ap-
plause from both democrats and re.
publicans when he asked to be ex.
cused for intruding a matter of per
sonal interest into the proceedings.
which was the first time he had done
so in IS years Of service.
III have been criticized" he said
with emotion, II have borne Il. II |
have been slandered and lied about.
| have submitted TO it--content that
my deeds. my acts, might be placed
I'm opposition to and In answer to the
libels of those who traduced me-"
The bill he drew, sara Mr.. Hep
burn, he regarded but rough draft,
after conference with the president
and members of his cabinet. lie de
MED that the EschTownsend bill was
an administration measure nor, he
said. was any bill that he knew of AN
administration bill, AS finally offer
cd he said that what was known az
the Hepburn bill was, with one ex'
oeption, of but two words, the pro-
duct of the brain of the attorney
general.
After commencing the court of
transportation features of the bill
Mr., Hepburn in concluding urged the
railroads TO strict obedience to the
law. They must learn, he said, that
there was a power greater than they,
that the interests OF the multitude
were greater than any interests that
could be subseryed by money and
wrong and disobedience, "They must
learn, too, that the people are alert
now, lest the menaoed concentration
of immense wealth be the cause of
terror In the future, II not restrict
ed lie was loudly applauded as he
took his seat,
The substitute bill Of the minority
then Was defeated l5l to ls6
Messrs. Gains. Of Tennessee, Rider
aud Scudder Of New York. aud Liver