Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-02-03
DoINGs IN CONGRESS.

Congressman Boutell, Republican,
OF Illinois, ina ringing speech before
the New York Republican Club,
asked for square deal for the South
and hands off on the negro question.
de said intelligent sympathy from
the North was necessary and that
Federal aid should be extended the
South.
The Democrats will support Presi.
dent Roosevelt in his war OH rail-
road tariffs and the pernicious rebate
system. The majority of the Presi-
dents party in congress are against
him and "stand-in" with the rail
roads, but with Democratic help for
this Democratic measure be is ex-
pected to win.
In defense Of proposition to ma
terially increase the salaries of Wash
iugton school teachers Champ Clark,
of Missouri, made a characteristic
speech, in the course of which he
charged that more money was being
paid Washington policemen to crack
the skulls of the people than wac
paid to school teachers to improve
what was in the skulls.
The House Committee on Rivers
and Harbors Thursday agreed on
bill providing for river and harbor
work. The bill carries an aggregate
appropriation of $4,000, S75, and
authorized expenditures for continu-
ing contracts aggregating $16,734,-
657. Only few new projects are
provided for. Among the appro-
priations recommended are the fol-
lowing: York river, Occoquan and
Carriers Greek, Mattsponi aud Pa
munkey rivers, $4,000; Rsppahan-
mock river, $4,000.
Senator Martin is represented as
being heartily in favor of law to
prevent rebates, following out the
suggestion of the President. 1t was
Thought by some of Senator Martins
opposers TO get him in an embarrassing
position by reason of the fact that
he was once railroad attorney, but
Senator Martin has spoiled their AMI
munition by showing that he knows
what is best for his constituents in
this particular and that he is with
them in thought and purpose. What
ever man may think of the merits
of the candidate for the senate, he
must feel gratified to know Senator
Martins sound position on the ques-
ton of proper supervision of railroad
rates.-Staunton Dispatch.
The President and his Congress
are on the verge of rupture. Con-
gress is determined not TO do what
Mr.. Roosevelt wants-so far as he
demands three new battleships, a
revision of the tariff and q restriction
in railroad tariffs-and the President
seems equally determined to have
these measures even if he has to call
the new Congress into extra session.
If the rupture comes 1t will be MEM
orable in our history. The Demo
Gratis are with the President on two
of the three points. They will not,
however, support the request for
three new ships.
The railway presidents have grayi-
tated to Washington and have talked
out in meeting with more frankness
than at any previous time; and this
is to be commended. Very few of
them have heretofore really accepted
the doctrine that the great highways
of traffic in this country are public
rather than private institutions, to
be managed chiefly for the public
benefit. They are now making q
great many admissions of a signifi-
cant sort that the public will not fail
to treasure mp. They are willing to
let it be known, for example, that
the practice of rebating was mon
strous evil; only, they assure us, they
have at last, and very recently, sc
perfectly succeeded by their owl
efforts in Kidding themselves of these
pernicious habits that they feel quite
sure they can stay reformed without
any further attention from the Gov
eminent or the public. Some Of
them, however, do not feel quite 81
sure, and admit that they are afraic
that they may be led again int
temptation and fall from grac,
through the cajolings of the trusts
and powerful shipping corporations
The simple fact is that American
railroading has long been full of tn,
practice of favoritism and discrimina
ton against the ordinary shipper
What with rebates, paid in all kind
of hidden and roundabout ways {,
, favored concerns in which railroa.
men have themselves too frequently
been side-partners, and what Will
: the exactions of private-car lines an,
forty kinds of subsidiary corpora
tons for private benefit and agains
} public interest, American railroa,
administration has been permeate,
) with rottenness and corruption. ]
is encouraging that the railwa
magnates should 60 to Washingto
and confess that they have been grea
sinners in the past. But it is scarcel
r becoming that they should offer quit
so active hand as they have bee
extending for the shaping of the leg
islation so urgently needed to protec
the public against their confesse
shortcomings-From 1The Progress
of the World" in the America
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