Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-31
MANY Chances ProbabIe.


On the other hand, should the house
rush its bill through, which is entirely
probable and pass it on to the senate,
the senate committee, while giving re-
spectful attention to the house bill,
would undoubtedly go ahead and frame
bill according to its own IDEAS Even
would probably be nothing left of the
bill after the enacting clause.
A pretty fair line may be drawn upon
the probable position of northen sena-
tors on the rate question, but not SO
much Is known as to the position of
the southern senator's and the senators
from the south are all occupying seats
on the democratic side of the chamber.
AS rule the southern senators have
been strangely silent on the subject,
although there has been one clarion
note from the southland, from Ala
bama, and it came from that old war
rior, John T. Morgan. The President
and everybody else knows where Sen
ator Morgan stands. He is against in
creasing the powers of the Interstate
comerce commission and his grounds
rest upon the foundation of the consti-
tuition. He has declared his intention
of fighting the proposition with all his
power.
A Long Fight Ahead.
Observers Of legislation during the
past ten years know what this means.
1t means that there is long campaign
ahead on the railroad question, with
6nal determination deferred Senator
Morgan's abilities in the line of OBJ
struction are pretty we'll known. Single
handed, almost, he was able to hold up
the Panama canal matter, at its va
rious stages, against a very large ma
jority, both republicans and democrats,
in the senate What he will be able
to accomplish, reinforced by strong
men on the republican side and an I'M
known number on his own side of the
cham Der, may be inferred.
How Aout the South?
1t is said that one of the motives &C
tuating the President in making his
trip through the south at this time was
to win over or drive over southern SEN
ators. OF course 1t remains to be seen
whether, in case he has had this
thought in mind, any tangible results
follow the trip. A number of southern
senators, whose names might be men
toned, have been opposed to giving
the interstate commerce commission
enlarged powers and strong opposition
to a bill along these lines is expected
in the senate from this quarter. The
President appears to have made a
very favorable impression upon the
people of the south. Whether he has
so impressed them that his recomm en-
dations on the railroad rate question
will move the southern people to de-
mand favorable action from their sena-
tors is a question that cannot be an
swered at this time. 1t has been intim-
ated that Senator Morgan will have the
support of Senator Bailey of Texas,
Foster Of Louisiana, a member of the
senate committee on interstate COM
merce, Newlands of the same com nit.
tee, Bacon of Georgia. Simmons of
North Carolina. and others.
There are other senators, such as
Carmack and German, who will no
Of course the house committee might
doubt be governed to large extent by
conditions that arise of political ma
ture. They will be much interested in
the political possibilities wrapped up in
the proposition and will plan their cam
paign with view Of making political
capital and embarrassing the republican
party now and in the future. Their
plan of campaign has not been outlined
but it certainly will be worth watching.
The c,,r eapondents ouandslry.
The present dearth of interesting
events in government circles is largely
attributable to the absence of Presi-
dent Roosevelt When he is here the
pot is always boiling and there is
something doing all the time, but
when Robins not there" the world is
truly dull. Especially in this case
since the President sealed the lips of
his cabinet officers, who are now per-
mitted to discuss their policies or his
only in stilted and formal phrases, Of
which typewriter copies are handed