The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-07
OPENS RATE CAMPAIGN
PRESIDENT prsCUssrs TRAINING or
 NEW RAILWAY MEASURE.
Te urwe Refern sn ssuth--Psrt Author ef Former nm Sayu the Second
 One W11l De Mere DPnntfe.

" sh0G 1SG1UE2 D0 0OY1n~.fuft Aes
 ef Former nm sayu the Second
 Ore Wlll De Mere
 Drastic. Walter wellman's washington Special
 to The Record-Hcrald.
 President Roosevelt today took the hrst step in the stfenuous campaign coming winter for railway rate legisia- tion. He conferred. with Representa- tive Townsend of Mi.higan. part author of the Townsen Esch bill. which pass cd the House of Representatives last winter and which was held up m tne Senate. Mir. Townsend was inVitca hither by the President and VIII can discuss with MT Roosevelt the detaus of new bill to be introduced as soon | as Congress reassembles. It Is unnec- essary to repeat that President Roose- welt intends making railway rate reg islation the most prominent featuIe oi his national policy during the winter Not only will he treat of the sun,ec' but he intends to discuss 1t puohciy during his forthcoming tour Of the South.
 A member of the Cabinet Is responsi- ble for the statement that It IS the Presidents purpose to urge railway reg islation upon Congress in his annual message. and then, if within reason abIe time that body does not respond. Ia send in i special message even stronger than the first. Again waiting with all proper patience TOT resuIts. and not securing them. the Presioens will second time send in a specia! message, putting 1t up to" the national legislators.
 Ordinarily a member of the Cabinet
 is supposed to know what he is talking
 about, but I am informed on even pet.
 ter authority than that of a Caplnet
 Minister, that at present the Presloent
 has no such intention. To deliperateIy
 formulate such policy would savoF
 too much of an effort to dictate to Con
 sress. to force its hand willy-nilly. It
 may indeed happen that the President
 does seni in a special message. ana
 posstbly a second one. That will DC oe'
 termined by circumstances. The Pres-
 ident Is in earnest, very much Tn earn
 est, but he does not like to De put m
 the attitude of seeming to hold
 threat over the members of the Senate.
 Those gentlemen have their rights ana
 their prerogatives. and 1t Is not part
 of the Presidents plan to interfere
 herewith. True, he will discharse his
 duty as he sees it, and If he thinks the
 legislators need a further reminder or
 suggestion from him, he VIII not nes.
 ttate to give it to them. The contest
 between the railways of the United
 states and the President. who repre-
 sents public opinion, Is likely to be
 very interesting one during the next six months.
 "In the few minutes that I was with the President today" said Representa- tive Townsend, 'I learned that ne was as strong as ever for rate regulation. He told me that he was in no way re- sponsible for the reports that his atti- tude was different from what 1t was last year. On the contrary. he said, ev. erybody would know on December just what he thought He added that he did not see how 1t was necessary for him to declare himself any further. "The President was very busy and asked me to call at 2:30 o'clock tomor- row, when he would have time to go over the whole subject with me. He did not Ro into details in regard to his ideas, so cannot speak for him at this time.
 For my part, however" continued Mir. Townsend, T am of the opinion that the bill of last year will be chang ed only as to terminology. 1t will be broadened, and not narrowed. There has been some doubt as to Its clearness 1 in regard to refrigerator cars. private cars and terminal charges. MT. Esch and I thought we had covered these points, but we will see to 1t that there Is no doubt next time.
 "The crux of the whole situation lies in the granting to the interstate com merce commission, or some other com mission, the power to change rates. That is to say, when 1t finds. on fair investigation and full hearing. that a rate Is bad. 1t should have the power | to cancel that rate and substitute fair one If 1t were given power merely to recommend such a substitution It's rec concentrations would never be followed. The only real fault that can be found with the Esch-Townsend bill is that 1t Is too conservative. It con- serves the interests of the railroads at every point. We want bill that will not interfere with the honest business of the railroads, but we want one that will prevent their overstepping the bounds" One of the first things likely to break loose after the reassembling of the campaign contributions made by the New York life insurance com panies. The Democrats are determin
 ed to make all the political capital they can out of those revelations. There is no doubt public opinion has been much stirred up by the disclosures that the policyhoiders' money was used to elect Mckinley and Roosevelt. The dele gates have a good text, and they are going to preach some pretty lively ser mons on 1t.
 The Republicans are well aware that they are on the defensive. but Chair man Cortelyou and the other members | of the national Republican Committee say they are not nervous. They are prepared to meet all attacks. and to answer all criticisms They expect | to be arraigned in both House and Sem ate. but say they have a story to tell. and will tell it when the proper time comes Their defense. it Is under stood, consists of two parts:
 First-They received contributions | from the insurance companies as from other corporations and individuals, l without the slightest phase of bargain | ing or pledges-in other words, with clean hands. Second-The Democratic National Committee did or tried to do. the same thinE-that is. get money from the in surance companies and any and every one else that would cough up."
 i Some pretty lively debates on this subject are in store for the country An effort may be made to revive Bourke | Cockran's bill aimed at campaign con | tributions. with both Democrats and Republicans in competition as to which shall seem most virtuous in demand