Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-11-17
BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.

BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
minor scenes and Incidents sketched
| on the spot.
A fruitful subject for discussion and
| speculation among Washington CORE
spondents Is the lineup Of the forces for
the approaching hattie in congress for
and against railroad rate regulation. What
will the outcome be7 is a question that
! affords boundless possibilities for the
grouping OF strategetical movements and
Incidents regarded as forerunners OF the
struggle. A cautious and observant CORE
spondent OF the Boston Transcript throws
some light on the situation as II appears
at the present time. Since election
says the correspondent, "the railroad con-
| troversy has assumed such lines that
compromise. rather than an open break
between the president and the senate,
| seems the natural outcome. The senate
cannot AFFORD to break with the president
II will have to take the best concessions
II can get from him. but It will apparently
feel obliged to pass q railroad bill II
would be highly perilous to go into the
congressional elections next autumn upon
the record OF having thwarted the pTesI-
dents plan. 1t appears from such speeches
|
to one great railroad system IL close, that
a considerable group OF railroads are pro-
pairing to adjust themselves to reasonable
compromise legislation, and make the best
OF it, IL indeed they do not help TO prepare
It.
THE group OF railroad 'stand-patters,'
like James j. Hill and Samuel Spencer and
Lucius futile. will put up a more de-
| termined fight, but how far they can get
the senate to so with them is an open
| question. The real railroad fight this win
ter will not appear in the speeches deliv-
| cred on tho floor. Those will be for de-
| clametory purposes Nor are polls, show
ing how the different senator's stand, Of
much value. Aside from New England.
and perhaps New York and New Jersey,
and Mr.. Foraker in Ohio. practically all
the senator's will find It necessary TO seem
TO be against the corporations
| IF they differ with the president they
cannot say so openly and squarely, but
| must discover indirect and reconcile OBJ
! tections to his plan. Outwardly they
must join in the praise Of his statesman
| ship; but in the deliberations OF the sub
committee, and when ill., conferees are
at work, they may more nearly voice their
real opinion, or give heed to any obligation
that they may feel to railroad interests,
which are very powerful In a large num-
! Der OF states. The stockholders are, or
Will be, aroused by pamphlets. and It
seems probable that the railroad employees,
who form an immense army. will be made
| to see that their interest lies in having
their employers left with the present free
hand In rate making. A significant con-
Terence OF railroad labor men was held
here this week. The favored shippers, II
there be such, and the localities which bene-
Mt from existing determinations will I'm
doubtedly ally themselves In opposition to
the presidents plan. There will be. be-
sides, the opposition Of those who dread
too much government: who fear the hand
OF politics in the Industries who think Il
better to leave private enterprise alone to
work out its own problems
When the question is raised as to how
any senator will vote or what. his influence
will be In the secret recesses where ,egIs-
lation Is made. several considerations al
ways present themselves. What do the
people OF his state think OF Roosevelt? n
II Is one OF those communities where en-
thusiasm for the president is at a high
water mark It will be difficult for the
senator to allow himself to be rated as
against the president, Morgan and Pettus,
In Alabama, can afford to be, because they
have been fighting him for years and they
hold their own democratic state firmly
But with senators like those from the
Dakotas and Wyoming and Minnesota, It
would be an unpopular senatorial assign
ment to take the open against Mr. Roose-
welt.
1T is thus apparent that the railroad rate
regulation campaign starts i'm with many
) elements of strength on the presidents
, side At least the senators who reflect the
] wishes Of James J. Hill, for example, must
r greatly prefer to do so by getting the best
{ possible compromise rather than by throw
4 ing their party IN the senate into blunt
Y and open antagonism with the president
Q It is safe to predict that IL the coming ses-
e sion should adjourn. after the senate had
e broken with the president as squarely as
= that body under democratic control did
= with President Cleveland on the tariff
i question the republicans would suffer In
the congressional campaign next year. A
: democratic house would almost certainly
% result. The only safety for the republicans
d comes in holding together. president and
e senate, and they know It, and this increases
= the prospects OF compromise"
r The dismissal OF several clerks employed
! I
/, at usurious rates of interest to their fell
J. low clerks. or being the intermediary or
II go-between OF outside loan sharks. is the
II FIRST step in breaking up a pernicious prac-
d tice that has been in vogue from time al
= most immemortal There are in this city
e today men who have accumulated fortunes
II by loaning money TO government clerks at
a rates OF from to 10 per cent a month, and
n there are clerks drawing government sal
aries who have loaned and are still loan
y ing money TO their fellow clerks at the
~ same usurious rates. The modus operandi
" is as follows: These outside loan assocla-
a tons have their agents in each department.
a These agents are familiar with each clerk
II know his habits his associates. know that
he is honest and one who keeps his word
= The clerk desires. we will say. a loan OF
$50. He finds out the agent IN the ONCE
- where he is employed. He goes to see him
q explains his necessity is given blank note
!. to hll out for FIVE months. another blank
- to fll out in which he obligates himself e
= pay $40 monthly for FIVE months. He mus
. have two indorsers on his note who ar,
required to give their position in the ser
|