The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-16

NNNAS i" >oLStSSSs li, sId q
Stupessdoafs Tazce-Mk. Lodge Fa-
sOrs Governmental Regulation of
Action-Reference to the Compare
son Of Roosevelt and Andrew jack
son.
Washington, February 1.-THE Sen
ate today adopted a joint resolution
reported by Nj. Tillman from the Sen
ate committee on Interstate commerce.
which directs the interstate commerce
commission to investigate the charge
of discrimination and combination in
restraint of trade made against the
railroads. The adoption of the resolu-
ton was preceded by a speech by Mr..
Tillman, in which he practically
charged that the administration was
not proceeding in good faith 20 secure
railroad Legislation. because he was
not satisfied with the Presidents ad-
ViseTs. Among these he mentioned
Secretary Root and Senator Knox, the
former of whom ne said was an ad-
wiser OF the "magnates responsible for
the devilment" and the latter Of whom
a been for years attorney for the
Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Lodge also spoke at length on
the railroad question. He delivered a
carefully prepared speech, in which he
TOOK a position for governmental reg
ulatiOn of rates. but advised the ut
most caution against too radical &C
ton. He expressed the opinion thai
the giving of rebates was practically
the only evil existing in connection
with the railroad systems of the cOun-
try.
Mr.. Tillman giving the reasons for
the inquiry proposed in his resolution.
said that he is convinced that evils
exist in connection with the railroad
system OF the country. He said p 2t he
had 20 desire to do injustice to rail-
roads, and he believed they should
have a fair return on the money in
vested. I'VE find, however, a system
of combination instead of the old sys-
tenn of competition, resulting in trusts
which are grinding the people to
death" He believed there should be
a remedy, but added that the present
proceeding In Congress is a stupen-
dOus farce. Every paper you read"
he said, brings assurance that the
President has won his fight and yet
when you examine further you fino
that the Presidents two principal ad-
visers are Elihu Root, who has been
the closest adviser of the railway mag
mates of New York, who are at the
-004 80 on +h1 lnri1ron.| n-I NJ
Knox, the junior Senator from Penn
sylvania, who has been for | don't
know how many years in the employ
of the Pennsylvania railroad and its
closest friend ard counsellor.
When you look further, you find the
Pennsylvania railroad at the head of
the list Of the Oppressors Of the peo-
pie" Hence he cOntended that the
people were being ~''bamboozled' by
the talk of protecting the masses
against the classes. He confessed that
with such cooks he was inclined to
sniff at The dish mat is set before us
There was, he declared, much evidence
that those charged with the execution
of the laws were not sincere because
he said they had long been aware Of
the evasion of these laws.
Mr.. Knox was not in the Senate
chamber when reference was made to
him, but he caIle in before the South
Carolina Senator had proceeded far.
He Immediately interrupted Mr.. Till
man to say do him that he had been
entirely mistaken in saying he hal
been attorney for the Pennsylvania
railroad. Il never sustained that rela-
tionship either permanently OIL tempo
rarily, diectly or indirectly, al anv
time during my career" he said. He
added that he would not consider such
connection at all improper.
Mr.. Tillman expressed satisfaction
over the denial, saying to Mr.. Knox
that he would respect him more for
the balance of his life.
Continuing the South Carolina Sena-
tor said that the three principal lines
of road south of the Potomac were in
a merger which was controlled by the
Pennsylvania and the New York Cen
trail.
He then spoke Of the conditions in
West Virginia, and said that Rotwith-
standing Governor Dawson's predeces-
aor had called attention to the VIOLA
zion of the law in that state, the attor-
ney general had done nothing about it.
The people were, however, becoming
aroused.
'Even the poor, besotted Pennsylva-
MIA and the Reading, had shown signs
of life by adopting a resolution as to
the control of the coal output by the
railroads as if everybody did not know
that the anthracite output is and has
been for years controlled both as to
quantity and price" He declared the
Pennsylvania road to be "the head
devil in the whole policy of monopo-
~" and referring to the Baltimore