The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-12

| line the bill says the order of the
Commission shall be operative thirty
days after notice to the party aftecteo
by such order. but in the very next
lire it gives to any person alfected oy
such order siAty days to appeal 10 me
| court invested with the power to undo
| 4 that tine Commission does. Aye,
more than this, Mr.. Chairman. 80
Jealous is the majority of this COM
mittee, lest even temporary injustice
be done to these great corporations,
that a separate section gives to the
court erected under this bill the power
to restrain the Commission from en-
| forcing its orders for even a single
day. and this in the face of the rec
concentration Of the President that
| the revised rate go at once into effect
, and stay in effect, unless and until the
| court OF review revcrSeS It.
Mr.. Chairman this is not the first
: time we have seen a play to the gal
, leres enacted in this chamber. re-
member we'll the fate of a certain
antitrust bill prepared by distin-
guished gentleman from the state OF
Maine. still q member of the House.
We were told in the public prints that
the President, during the summer
months had ordered the preparation of
that measure We were told that he
conferred upon the gentleman from
Maine (thc father of the measured
The great compliment of its prepare
ton. We had the usual debate. We
had the usual rule protecting US
against ourselves in respect to the OF
feriug of amendments. Some gentle
men actually secured as much as six
minutes to discuss the provisions OF
that important measure. In some
quarters the bill was actually regarded
seriously. For one | was not so inn
pressed. We were toll that the Dill
was 4 compromise measure that 1t
was the child OF much labor, Of more
thought, and Of still more research. 1t
had caused many a heart ache, and
friends Of life time had been torn
asunder in the strenuous effort 10
seem to do something and yet do moth
ing. Now | give the gentleman from
Maine credit for perfect sincerity OF
motive and purpose Il? the pr"para-
ton of that measure. but when 1t came
from the committee he hardly knew
his own offspring. Then. Mr.. Chair
man. we went through the form Of
passing the bill. and then, oh, then.
what became of 1t? The country was
. waiting hopeful and expectant. The
President stood ready to sign with
the ink Quivering on his pen. But
Mr.. Chairman, what became Of that
bill? 1t WAS a Republican measure,
ana We were tOiU lIidL lIIetl was the
party which did things. You have not
fC rgotten the fate of that bill. Mr..
Chairman, nor has the country. 1t wac
sent to a Republican Senate, which
merely smiled. put the bill in q COM
mittec ~igeon hole. and there it sleeps
till this day.
So It will be with every bill which
strikes at the interest of corporate
wealth. or seeks To give to all men
equal opportunities in the fierce strug-
gle for existence. Imperfect as 1t is,
the measure under consideration ought
to pass. It has been correctly stated
by our leader on this side that we OF
the minority stand ready to help you
enact into law any measure which
brings any degree of relief to those
who have been wronged. If we can
not get what we want. we will sup
port anything you offer which con-
tains any measure CT relief. 1t mat
tiers little whether we support your
measure or not. Its fate is decreed.
Your party cannot serve effectively
two masters. 1t has already served
the trusts so long that they have got
ten possession Of It body and soul.
Sincere honest as gentlemen on This
floor may be, brilliant and brave as
YOUR President is neither you nor he
can force the passage Of the bill which
combined wealth DEGREES never shall
haap,nn