The Washington times., 1906-02-15
Important Scenes in
Struggle Are Yet to
Be Enacted.
CONFEREES ARE PUZZLED
May Yet Remain for Roose-
velt to Leap Into the
Breach.

Important scenes in the struggle over
railroad legislation remain yet 10 %
enacted.
Senator Knox. vino is not a member OF
the Interstate Commerce Committee, re-
marked thu other day that 1t made little
difference what this Senate committed
did, since the bin itself would be made
[ in the open Senate
| This is likely 10 be true so far as tbs
Senate goes. but this is not the final
stage Of legisia ton What becomes of
! the House with its nearly unanimous
vote for different sort of d measure? /
( Ordinarily. in such a situation. thsE
conference committee would make thsl
I bill The six men who serve in thai
capacity ca this railroad measure will
have an Interesting task before them =
there viii De three parties IL interest,"
( the Senate. the House ard the Presi-l
I dent. Il viii be their business 10 per- /
I feet IN final details q measure that viii
receive the approval OF Alr Roosevelt, |
/ Houses possessed OF overwhelming Rel
/ publican majoriti=s cannot afford 10 in-i
Flte a veto frcm a Republican Presi-
dent; the Republican party never does
things thai way Thus, although he mas
officially no relation 20 the conference. f
ne viii prove large tacto- in its work
( Hard to Draw Party Lines. {
} IN legislation Of a partisan Character. t
/ the struggling in behalf of the Two
/ houses is done by the tvo conferees
/ from each body wno represent the ma
tority party. If A tariff bin we're in con-
ference between the tvso houses today.
the Democrats would De called in only
as formallty at the last u,oment It
would be understood that the roar Rel
pubHcaus, two from each house. must
| settle whatever points were IN dispute
/ In this railroad battle it is hard 10 see
/ how party lines can De effectively drawn
/ in conference. The three House mem
bers viii be supposed to stand for The
House idea. embodied ia the Hepburn
/ bill; the three Senate members. stand
/ for the Senate idea embodied in the
provisions TOR court review and such
other means as the Senate may take ia
render the measure inonensive TO rail-
road operators and freed from al
/ danger TO railroad investors
/ If this were ordinary legislation there
+ would be at The conference stage The
! material for a very pretty fight Ths
House does not need to back down.
! even If its conferees should. The House
may reject any agreement which its
managers might make IN conference.
! Such tentative agreement goes into
/ the House in the form OF a recommenda-
ton.
HepbuTn's Embarrassment.
! Colonel Hepburn, heading the House
conferees, win find himself in an en-
barrassing position. Railroad repre-
sentatives in this city discuss him as
the type OF the railroad apostate-of
the man who, in a tight place. sur
( renders to the cIamor OF his district.
turning his back upon the Affiliations
I of a lifetime.
! Hepburn represents one OF the strong
est granger districts in the United
! States He had d hard 6Eht on bis
/ hands two years ago, in which the
issue was the degree of his sincerity
| in railroad legislation, ana he had to
( carry out there testimonial from the
! President to save himself. He viii
have the same fight on his hands this
+ time The prospect that he might %
/ made a member of the new Interstate
{ Commerce Comm Ssion. in case he lost
I his district, does not console him he
/ must save his district to be eligible
to Presidential appointment in that ca
/ paclty.
Work of Conferees Hidden.
So much insincerity mas Character
! lied this whole railroad controversy
/ that it is hard 10 know what the con-
! ferees will do. Their work is always
4 hidden from public view Constituents
/ in granger districts VIII know how
their member voted ION the Hepburn
| bill" and what he said in a formal
| speech. but they Will be less Informed
as to the significance of his really
/ critical votes in accepting recommends-
/ tons of the managers on the part OF
/ the House on the disagTeetng vote or
the two houses, 10 use the fOTmaiity
/ in which messages appertaining 10 the
conference are usually couched-
It was noticeable when Littlencld
/ made his famous attack on the Hepburn
bill with what unmixed delight a score
] of Western Representative. who did
not dare to vote that way, listened ap-
provingly 10 what he had 10 say Ihey
can vote more nearly as they smile
when the conference stage is reached.
If the House members really meant
/ business on the Hepburn bill, WHICH
short work of any conservative plan
/ that the Senate might develop. They
/ do not have 10 agree TO anything un-
: less they want to do so What would
] be the penalty of refusing 10 agree?
! The wheels of the Government do not
! stop. If there be no railroad legisla-
/ ton This is not an item IA general
| appropriation bill upon which an
1 agreement must be reached"
If the House positively refused TO
accept any Senate plan. and the senate
was equally stubborn. how would tlle
deadlock he broken2 The House could
refuse to adjourn until there was Iegis-
| lation The President could announcs
his purpose TO call Congress in extra
session Immediately after adjournment,
In case this was done.
First Class Quarrel.
The material for f1rst-class quarrel
would be on hand, and one. IL may bs
asserted. in which it would not be the
Presidents house that vas on fire. Hs
does not want another term. Ons-third