Middletown transcript., 1906-04-14
WASHNGTONLETTER

| m is remarkable what number of ex-
! celIent arguments can be advanced in
favor of airnost any form Of rate bill and
how BY The same process Of reasoning
| each bill presented can in turn be show n
1 to be 81 family az to he scarcely worth a
second thought Another thing equally
remarkable il, that everyone in the House
and almost everyone in the Senate admits
the necessity for rate regulation. None
dare deny it. Yet the stOutest opponents
| Of legislation can all of them produce
bills that logically are all right while all
other bills are logically all wrong. Now
Senator Filkins has always been classed,
rightly or wrongly. as a champion of the
railroads and one of the strong, "opposi-
ton senator's" Yet In his speech on the
rate bill this week, he declared he was
one Of the warmest' supporters nf the
Presidents plea for square deal. He
presented bill that as he explained it,
seemed to have number Of advantages
over any thing else produced, always ex-
cepiing Senator Npwland'S hiIl, Which
goes to the foot oi the matter at once hit
is too ra.iical far Congress to think VI
passing for few wears YET. Sei utor
Elkins in couiI OUT for bill nf lis own
said that Mhiie he Was ella sed as rail-
road man, he had ten times the Interest
in shipping that he had in carry ing. Of
course anyone can accept Senainl E'kin's
statements at their face vahne or net Just
az they please. Yet What ht said was
that he wa< "pp'sed tn tie Hepburn Lill
berauSe il dad hot 20 far tLoneh. lie
said there WIRE Wrntg-, abuses and dis
ordinations by the raj roads and he
wanted to see them stopped. But he
said the Hepburn Lil wonld not stop
them. lie said that he wanted bill
that embodied a court review with the
right OF the court to suspend any rate
fixed by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission but compelling the railroads to
deposit the amount of money in dispute
with the court pending the decision on
the order. But what he said MAS par
ticnlarly anxious about Was distinct
prohibition against the railroads pruduc-
ing or dealing in the commodities they
carried. This he admitted was prohibited
by the decision of the Supreme Court in
the Chesapeake and Ohio case, but he
wanted it specifically stated in the act.
He was also in favor of compelling the
railroads to put in switches and make
connections with lateral lines on a rea.
sonable basis. Also he wanted the bill
to compel the carriers to make fair dis
tribution of cars and to provide for
prompt connections and a prorating
agreement with connecting line. All
this coming from one who is cIassed as |
railroad senator, sounds very fair. 1t
was more liberal proposition than had |
been expected from him. Now the ques-
ton remains, was Mr.. EIkins talking in |
good faith and was he as much in har-
mony with the Presidents ideas as he
professed to be. If he was not, where |
was the Joker" in any of his proposed
I
~
What purports to be the true story of
Ambassador Bellamy Storer's recall from
Vienna is going the rounds in diplomatic
circles aud If it is the true explanation,
merely shows that he was not the first
nan in public life to have his ambitions
wrecked by desire on the part of his
wife to play at pnIitics. 1t seems that
white the Storers weIe AUTOMATICALLY
accredited they spent good deal of
ime in Rome and while there Mrs.
'torer conceived the idea of having Arch
3ishop Ireland created a cardinal, thus
making two cardinals in America. There
vas another party of Americans of whom
Ir. Philbin of New York was one, who
wanted second cardinal over here but
rho were backing Archbishop Farelly of
1ew York. The matter WAS brought 10 :
he attention OF the President and he
aid that while lie was warm admirer s
# both prelates and while lie would be 8
lad to see any of his friends in tile
'atholic, Methodist or Episcopal Church,
nd, he had friends in all. get a promo I
ion, he could not as the President takes
NY part in suggesting action to Rome.
his was very natural and proper posi-
ion for the President to take. But the
Iatter Was discussed by the high officials =
4 Vatican circles and they decided that q
he President did not seem to he paiti-
nlarly interested in either appuintre.
o the matter was dropped The result !
as been that second American cardinal J
as not yet been appointed This made B
lrs. Storer very indignant and she lost y y
o opportunity to make trouble for the G
administration. There was the rasr. Of f
onsni Hurt who was dropped from the q q
'rvice. Both Ambassador Storpr and his a
ife wrote some very acid letters on the n
Inject criticising the Administration. \
or this the Ambassador WAS sharply e
Illed down. The breach widened and :
le Storers left their post in Vienna and |
ent to Egypt The Ambassador sulked G
nd for about three months failed to ans
er the letters of the President of the
.cretary OF State. Matters finally o.
ached stage where the President vas n
reed to write his Ambassador that he y
'uld either 60 back to Vienna, answer q
Ie letters that were addressed him or oI
sign. Mr.. Storer chose the latter alter m
ltive and the post has been filled by a
ew appointee. But it all shows how A
woman playing with politics can make :
mess Of it just like man. y
NOTICE TO TAXPAYERS
OF A
r. ST