Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-18
IT IS NOT EXPECTED THAT THE
PRESIDENT WILL ISSUE
+. CALL.
/ HAS MORE CONFIDENCE
The Earnest Work by the senate's
Committee on Interstate Commerce
Has Convinced the President That
Congress viii, When Regularly Con.
vened, Act Wisely.

Washington, May 17.-President
Roosevelt's decision to make south
ern trip in October i believed to set
tie permanently the Question Of an ex-
ira session of congress. Before the
President left Washington for the
southwest his mind was made up, ap-
parently frrevocably, to assemble the
ffty-ninth congress in extraordinary
-s5iont not later than October 1, for
the purpose of enacting railroad rate
legislation along lines tnat would in
sure permanent reform for many Of
the evils Of railway management. He
was only dissuaded from calling an ex-
ira session Immediately following the
adjournment Of the f1fty.eighth con-
gress in March by promises Of leading
republican senators and representa-
tiyes to support his legislative program
80 far as it applied to railroad rates II
the call was delayed until October.
Now the President appears to have
voluntarily changed his program and
instead of calling congress here in Oc-
tober he will make a prolonged tour
Of the southern states which will keep
him on the road at least three weeks.
He may decide to issue the call for
November /, but this is purely con-
jectural.
Has Confidence In Congress.
Senators and representatives who
keep in touch with his purposes are in
clined to believe that there will be no
extra session; that the President is
satisfied that the fifty-ninth con-
gTess will heed the demand OF the
people for satisfactory railroad legis-
iation and that q bill can be passed as
speedily at the regular session as 1t
could at special session.
''The. truth is,n said an influential
republican senator last night, "the
President has radically modified his
view of the purposes of the senate
committee on interstate commerce.
Inquiry has shown him that the mem.
bers of that committee are very much
in earnest in their effort to reach a
conclusion that will not only. be salts.
factory to him, but to the people.
"He has found that the committee
true to its promise, has been holding
daily sessions Of five hours each since
the middle Of April; that it has re
ceived great deaf of valuable infor
nation from sources admittedly vel
informed, and that there is no dispo
sition on the part of it's members tc
shirk the duty that has been imposed
upon them.
No Outside Influence.
1.-THE President is now in possession
of all of the testimony taken before
the committee. He has read much ol
1t and doubtless will read it ALL If he
does he cannot help being impressed
with the committees obvious sincerity
am in position to say that no pres
sure has been brought to bear upor
the Preident to persuade him to aban
don mis- idea of calling an extra session
Of congress; therefore, If he ha:
reached a decision to omit the call he
did SO exclusively upon his own elec
ton"
This view Of the Presidents proposa
Is receiving a great deal of attention
When he decided to call an extra ses
sion of the fifty-ninth congress h,
doubtless felt that such move wa
justified by reason of the seeming hos
tility of the senate to railroad rate lee
islation, which was negatively eS
pressed by it's failure to extend evel
pro forma consideration to the Esch
Townsend bill
Senators Work Hard on Inquiry.
The President is satisfied now tha
no measure even approximating tn
terms contained in the Esch-Townsen
bill can become law. Moreover
after reading much Of the testimon
elected by the senate committee dul
ing the last five weeks he is not a
together satisfied that it ought to be
come a law He has received positiv
assurances from Senators, Elkins, Gu
lon, Dolliver, Clapp, Kean, and othe
influential members of the committe
on interstate commerce, that bi
will be reported to the senate at tn
beginning of the next congress an
that it will embody many needed r,
forms in keeping with the President
suggestions.
All this is very gratifying to M
Roosevelt. 1t seems to assure th
passage of satisfactory bill ne,
winter and the President does not fe,
that he ought to ask for more tha
4. that.
The senate committee will conclud