Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-02-27
NOW FOR THE SENATE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PASSES Freight RATES BILL.
The ESCh-TOwnSend Bill Goes
Through the House With But
Slight Opposition. Now Goes to
the Senate, Where 1t will Likely
be Rejected.

The house Of representatives on Feb. 9
passed the Esch.Townsend bill, p,ovid.
ing for the regulation OF freight rates.
The vote stood 1926 to II. Eleven repub.
licans and six democrats voted against
the bill.
The vote was first taken on the minor.
ity substitute, known as the Davey bill.
The su bstitute was defeated by vote of
Isl to 1856. The roll was then called on
the Esch-Townsend bill, and it was
adopted.
In the debate, Mr.. Pierce of Tennessee
referred to Mr.. Roosevelt as the greatest
leader that has lived in the republican
ranks since the civil war. He said he
would support the Esch-Townsend bill
however upon the fact that w. J. Bryan
and the democratic party had declared
for such just legislation.
Mr.. DeArmond of Missouri said that
the Esch Townsend bill was inadequate.
singularly lacking in its compliance with
the recommendations of the president.
He criticised the measure because it did
not reach private car lines and he did
not take it for granted that the courts
would be eager in the effort to find in it
something on private car lines which its
authors themselves could not find.
Mr.. Williams of Mississippi closed the
debate for the minority. He said that
President Roosevelt was beginning to
assume "a distinctly democratic atti.
tude" and declared that he had hegun to
hope that the president would yet re-.
commend tariff revision and decrease
in the standing army.
Referring to Mr.. Grosevenor's state
ment that "the democrats camped now
where the republicans camped last
night" Mr.. Williams, addressing the
republican side, said: 1T is you who
are camping this year where the demo.
Gratis camred last year."
Mr.. Hepburn Of Iowa closed for the
majority and took occasion to say that
he railroad rate bill which he had intro.
duced and which was so severely criti.
cised was. with the exception Of two
words, the product of tue brain Of Mr..
Roosevelt's attorney general.
The Esch. h.Townsend bill will 60 to the
senate and Washington dispatches say
that an effort will be made to provide for
an investigation by senate committee,
said ommittes to sit after the adjourn.
ment of the present session and inquire
as to the desirability of legislation ON the
subject treated by the house measure.
The adoption of a resolution OF inquiry
would. of course, prevent the passage Of
the bill through the senate at this ses-
sion. 1t has all along heen claimed that
Mr.. Roosevelt's railroad policy would
meet with strong opposition in the sen.
ate and the proposition for a committee
OF investigation is evidently an ingenious
method OF making that opposition effec.
tive. 1t is not at all likely that the, sen.
ate, as now constituted, will pass q bill
which will require justice for the people
at the hands of the great corporations.
1t is to be hoped, however, that no
democratic senator will be found giving
any encouragement to the efforts at de.
lay. Democratic senators owe it to their
party and to the people to exer. their
efforts in behalf of the measure that has
passed the house.