The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-12-08
POLICY OF THE MINORITY
THE DEMOCRATS FAVOR RADICAL
RAILROAD RATE LEGISLATION.
POSITION OF SENATOR ELklNs
Believes Present Law Needs Amend
ment-What He Says About Being
Head Devil"-PresIdent Roosevelt
and Political Machines.

"Head Devil"-Prcsident Roosevelt
and Political Machines.
Washington. Dec. t. Especial. -
What shall we do7 That Is question
that Is ngitntlng many leaders In con
grcss nt the present time To get down
TO nctual fucts, there is n serious prob
lem confronting the Republican major
ity in both houses of congress Per
hnps the majority would prefer to
avoid the question OF rate regulation
at this session, but the attitude OF the
president has made that impossible. a
railroad bill must be passed. IL must
either he bill in actual accordance
with the recommendation of the prcsi
dent or near enough to meet his Gp
provnl. The attitude of n majority of
the Democrats IL already clear. Lcgls
latlon OF Il radical chnractcr-thnt IL.
comforting rate making power on the
Interstate commerce commissioners the
policy of the minority. lf this attitude
should split the majority, the Demo
Gratis would be pleased. II Is tho In.
tenton of the Republicans to pass
party rate measure II possible. at
may not he easy" remarked n shrewd
observer, but 1t Is cinch that the
Republicans viii find some way to
unite n Majority OF their party and pass
party bill. They are not going to al
low minority of their party and the
Democrats to frame a measure OF this
kind. 1t would be party defeat"
Looks That Way.
70 the casual observer II begins to
look that way. Fighting the president
does not seem very nlluring. 81 re-
member" said Senator Elklns. chair.
man of the senate committee on inter
state commerce, who Is looked upon
as the head and front OF the opposition
to the presidents plan. that there was
lot of talk about opposing tho prcsi-
dents plan for reciprocity with Cuba.
! had no interest In 1t save to stand
by the tarilI. but | got into that fight,
and ! found the fellows sliding out
from under. leaving me as the head
devil. For years they have been say.
ing that | am opposing the president,
and that Is what they are saying now"
This remark was occasioned by an in
timatlon that Elklns had Surrendered"
to the president. "Tbey have always
insisted that am railroad man. and
they seem surprised because do not
come out and declare that | am for
whatever the railroads want. The fact
is, have never made any declaration
on the subject further than that the
present law needed amendment"
A Splendid Machine.
Every person OF common sense Is
aware that the Republicans have
splendid organization. once heard
man remark to Secretary Root that
the Republican organization was the
best constructed political machine he
had ever known, but Theodore Roose-
welt Is not n machine" man. He would
smash that or anything else that
smaCks of machine methods If the ma
chine stood in the way OF what he
thought was right. If the machine aid
ed him, he would use It. II fighting the
machine meant party split he would
fight It. If he could use the Democrat
ic party and wing of the Republicans
to accomplish results. he would use
them. Theodore Roosevelt Is a man
who does not consider party advantage
when he thinks the interests OF the
whole country are at stake. That Is
where he stands on the rate question,
and | expect TO see the Republican
party. with its machinery that has been
30 highly praised, swing into line be
hind him. 1t Is generalship to know
when you are beaten and make seem
ing victory out of'what appears to be
defeat at the beginning OF the contest.
His "Proudest" Moment.
Senator Tillman and Senator Dolllver
enjoy each other but there are many
passages between them at times. After
| a general discussion OF several pending
important questions, Dolliver remarked !:
II saw you during the proudest mo-
ment OF your life, Senator Tlllman."
when was thatT" asked the South
Carolina senator.
ut was when you were mounted on
a coal black steed." replied Dolliver.
"and pranced down the avenue as n
part Of the splendid cortege which es-
corted Cleveland to the White House
when he was last lnaugurated."
This caused a great laugh at the ex-
pense of Tillman. He was governor of
South Carolina at the time referred to
by DollIver, but In after years he be,
came the most pronounced antl-Cleve.
land man I'm the country. He made the
most bitter speech ever heard in the
senate against Cleveland.
A Curious Trio.
That recalls a remarkable circun-
stance. There were at that time three
men in the senate all calling themselves
Democrats and all opposed to Cleve-
land. They were German Of Maryland
Hill Of New York and Tillman of South
Carolina. These three were opposed to