Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-02-09

Especial Washington letter.
]" HE house at this writing is de-
batting the bill 10 regulate rail-
road freight rates. The eX-
hilarating spectacle is present
ed of unanimous report from the
great committee on interstate and for
eign commercial thing the like Of
which has rarely happened in congress,
but, as matter of fact, while Presi-
dent Roosevelt advocates such legisla-
ton it is well not to forget that that IL
lustrious Democrat of Texas, Judge
John III. Reagan, is really the father of
it. Things move so fast in our day
that people are likely to forget. By
some sort of legerdemain Senator Shell
by M. Cullom managed to fasten his
name to the bill and has been strutting
around in his borrowed plumage ever
since. Nevertheless the fact remains
that Judge Reagan set the ball in mo-
tion That the house will pass the bill
by practically unanimous vote is al
most certain. What the senate will do
in the premises is another story-per-
haps most important one. The truth
is that by the time this letter is in
print the senate will have before it
four propositions pregnant with re-
suits: a. The Santo Domingo treaty;
~ the Philippine tartT LII; 81 the
statehood bill; ~ IL railroad regula-
ton bill There Is much of political
possibility in those four measures.
That their determination will make
and break many political fortunes
there can be little doubt Several
presidential possibilities will be pos
sibilities no more when these measures
are settled. Others not now considered
in the running will be forging to the
front and paving up the ground.
Should all four of those bills be de-
feated by any confederation of events
it will be body blow to the admins.
tration, for they are essentially adj
ministration measures; at least they
have been urged by the president The
Santo Domingo treaty is particularly
his handiwork-go up in what seems
to be in the very teeth of senatorial
and public opinion. Even certain sen
ators who will vote for its ratification
deem it dangerous performance and
heartily wish that it may be defeated.
A Democratic Victory.
The Republicans have majority of
112 in the house of representatives
consequently it is almost impossible for
the Democrats to score victory over
them i'll voting. Nevertheless we accom-
plished that difficult feat ON Monday,
Jan. 30, and, as our victories in voting
are likely to be few and far between
during this congress, this one is well
worth describing in full, especially as
it was on an important point. The Re-
publicans have poured many verbal
broadsides into the trusts, but there
has always been distrust in the public
mind touching their sincerity in that
regard. What follows throws much
light on that point.
Monday, Jan. 30, Mr.. Gillespie of
Texas, Democrat, called up the fol-
lowing resolution, which, he claimed,
was privileged
Resolved. That the president of the
United States be, and he is hereby, re-
quested to report to the house of repre-
sentatives for its information all the facts
within the knowledge of the interstate
commerce commission which show or
tend to show that there exists at this
time or heretofore within the last twelve
months has existed combination or ar
rangement between the Pennsylvania
Railroad company, the Pennsylvania COM
pany, the Norfolk and Western Railway
company, the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road company, the Philadelphia, Balti-
more and Washington Railroad company,
the Northern Central Railway company
and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
company, or any two or more of said
railroad companies, in violation of the
act passed July 2, 1890, and entitled IAN
act to protect trade and commerce against
unlawful restraints and monopolies," or
acts amendatory thereof.
Before the Republicans seemed to
comprehend the import of the resolu-
ton the speaker declared that it had
passed. Thereupon Mr.. Dalzell of
Pennsylvania and other Republicans
got busy very suddenly. After some
discussion as to the legislative status
of the resolution Mr. Dalzell moved to
reconsider the vote by which it had
been passed. Mr.. Gillespie moved to
lay on the table Mr.. Dalzelps motion
to reconsider and demanded the yeas
and nays, which were ordered. BY
that time there was great confusion on
the Republican side and much rushing
about to find out what the resolution
meant and also to find out whether to
vote yea or nay, with congressional
election only nine months in the dis
lance. Several of them took to the
brush, while some two dozen or more
voted with the Democrats, thereby en-
abling us to table the Dalzell motion
by a vote Of 100 to SO. So Gillespie
won out.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Combine.
oShSu Till W give ue LIS reasons
in full for offering the resolution, and
here they are. He said:
My reasons for introducing house reso-
luton No. 157, which passed the house Of
representatives today, are as follows: The
supreme court in the Northern Securities
case stated one of the propositions Of
law as follows: That every combination
or conspiracy which would extinguish
competition between otherwise competing
railroads engaged in interstate trade or
commerce and which would in that way
restrain such trade or commerce is made