The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-07-05
AN EPOCH MAKING SESSION
How the Fifty-nintIi Congress Has Met the New Is
/ sues Initiated by President Roosevelt, With
Extension of Federal Powers as
the Dominant Note.
BY EDWIN S. POTTER

5S titF .l....TI cue. IS nave been
q (lir-.- rs1a..-e..;. Il By the con
I.>.., 3D. II 'e 3D.. ;t3 legislative
life Pee. = .;si ;lla r any previous
session 90. 5ur uat.alal lawmaking
body. Not counting the many acts IA
vorably -: asted 10 o. ed by either
branch aad LETT in Il s.232 o. suspended
animation their fate II 5e determined
By thc neat session, the amount and
charactc" cf new laws enacted make
the Fitty-r.uJh congress the milestone
of now c4l in the history of Ameri-
can institutions.
The day of the nation has come;
state and local powers are on the wane
or in smln favor. Commercial and IN
dustrial concentration having brought
about new opportunities for abuse of
privilege, and the muck rakers having
walked up the public mind to the vari-
GUS existing evils, President Roosevelt
found in this congress workable soil
for the growth Of federal powers in
dealing with those evils. The impress
of the presidents mind was given to
all the more important remedies adopt
ed. Neither friend nor foe in the polit
zeal arena will question the statement
that the work of the session bears the
-,oo,o' e,,'''i' ''''iiip' "i'lous inc lem
U.s. az ,''o,'7 nave poIn,eu ou' 'lat
the president WAS merely camping
along the trail bla2ed by their party
platforms. Nevertheless the presidents
P"' - 'Si.'7 III 'ic n'''J"l,' "' poth
lH ~
eii''' " Tic C"iI'o'' mas e''nef TAKEN
'i1e e''i' % "'','' .oIoe" " assume IT,
SI0'i'''i-''y i0I ''''' was "oHe even
"He1 "'ue" ~ i'e'-''t'"tlc 'o'eS'
Railroad Rate Regulation.
The Ea6yn..a ,--s4 sfr,1,,; ronis+oko-
bIy !, the r,n,.i-n which CONGRESS- ra-
ceiyeJ at tha o,n3ip, nf fine session
namely. the iDsiste3ce on federal fix
ing OF interstate railroad rates as we'll
as the prevention of rebates or any
kind of special favors. Rate bills Of
various kinds and descriptions were
promptly Introduced in both senate
and house: bat. tie house majority be-
inc under better di..iDIiup. the bill
was more proautly formulated there
which Wa .,sr2yal at the White
House. 1t was fltharnl by Rpore.ent-
alive Hnpburn Of Iowa as chairman of
the committee on interstate commerce.
1t vas SO modified in the committee as
to come before The house without Dem
Ocratic ODDy..tjon. and after n few
DAYS of rerfuuctoly discussion it was
passed on Feb. s by the almost unani-
nous vote Of 298 to I. the seven oppo-
nents all being RpDublicans. As passed
it gave the interstate commerce com
mission full power to regulate inter
state freight tariffs without express
recognition of the rights of appeal in
the court. This, however, was only the
foundation Of the law that was to 60
to the statute book.
In the senate tbe Henburn bill WAS
destined to rim the pantlet of fierce
ounosition from conservative faction
of the Rpnublicans led nv Aldrich and
Foraker and become the football of
personal and party chickering's over q
period of three months. The main point
IF the dispute was the question Of a
broad or narrow court review pro
vision. and at one time. after the presi-
dents political and personal enemy,
Tilh4an, had been placed in charge of
the measure there was a tacit coalition
between the president ANA the minority.
I-aIeF' however 'Ar ,''''!deh' accepted
O'','' 1i.',''l "''.l I'lii'iItit,
up,'' nv, ms l'',' y :''' '''tI' lt'l'
e7',-'7 J,'' ..'-'', '-o'i u, 'i'o VI
- ~ N-'4''- SO. ',H'"'' ann VI
y! Gus !'e''Y' '','' o,''Si VI '''' 0oi'I1ii'1
9.Ol4 VI "i!,p''' VI '''G ' C''io'i li'a'
''7 - t', ''-,lS 'li'' ,'' i,''-1, ,'t'I
.l''' l'' '''I ~ e'l'lol'' ".li o'''i
Co.. o'i ''o ., V'''i VI 'ioi1'
3''i'' ~ nc ~ ~ '''' maj 'H'ouSl ca
. ..t'''o! 'i'''i'''0'' i1'''i9 ''ie olii,
IN 9.-l'S 9e' e., "iiioii'''l' 'ii',. p"sSe,'
e.io ''7li'' u nay 10 o3 " '''e "l u o.
'''iin l"i ''i',. c"'.iSeS we're Hl''ue III
I'M '''oo 'n1I '''i'c'' 'Ie SENATE coii-
iei1'S ii1'u o"' "7"iiiSI 'Nc muse pro
po9"' " "iop 'ie CN'uHe pl"tIHS pipe
liILeS ulIIer I1'''rid control AS lulS
was HAIiIy agreed 10 ~ senate ana
house the pipe INES are TO De regard
eu as common carriers Dut are not
ProAIplted from carrying lher own
~ ~ n