The Washington times., 1906-02-13
Senator Lodges Speech.


ator Lodge intended to accomplish
by his speech of yesterday on the
Presidents policy of railway rate
revision. They may well wonder.
For, though the argument led to en-
announcement that the Senator
thought the proposed legislation so
essential" that he was not willing
to oppose 1T" even If he did mot feel
satisfied as TO some of its features, IS
the effect of II was undoubtedly to
give more ammunition and en-
couragement 10 the enemies OF the
measure than aid to its friends.
A great many constructions have
already been given the speech.
The New York Sun-not widely
suspected OF any too great a desire
to see this legislation made law
says. for example, For fairness.
philosophic tone and patriotic in
sight, his remarks deserve a con-
spicuous place In the abundant liter
ature of railway rate regulation. T"
Senator Foraker. for another ex-
ample, observed in a passage with
Senator Tillman that eff I had been
satisfied with that bill (the Hepburn
and Administration bilD after I
heard the speech OF the Senator
from Massachusetts this morning I
certainly would not be satisfied with
It any longer"
1t is difficult, on reading the speech
thoughtfully. TO come to any conelu-
sion save that Mr.. Lodge meant
honestly 10 strengthen the cause of
railway rate revision in the Senate.
To that end, he undertook, appar-
antly, to shear away all the non-es-
sentials and discriminate between
reasonable rate control and the pun
ishment of the offense of giving re-
bates, on the one hand. and radical
rate making by the Federal Govern
ment on the other hand. And in his
effort to impress upon the Senate
the danger of going too far he made
out surprisingly good case against
starting at all.
Is it any wonder that such we'll
known opponents of railway rate re-
vision by the National Government
as Senators Aldrich and Foraker
smiled broadly while the Presidents
closest friend in the Senate" said
such things as this:
The experience of other nations shows
that government rate making has not
stopped determinations in the slightest
degree. II has substituted discrimina-
UOnS made by the Government for the
Determinations which are brought about
by economic forces. the competition of
markets, and the action of business in
terests. II hardly. | think. needs argu-
ment 10 show that determinations forced
In this way through political action
would be peculiarly unfortunate in the
United states. and that the combinations
OF pohtlcal interests would make dis
examinations. which would be in the long
run more oppressive than those which
come INTO existence by the natural com
petition of business interests and the
working Of economic forces.
School boys customarily make the
mistake Of overproving their conten-
tons in debating societies. The
practice is not infrequent In court.
But 1t has been rare in the Senate
of the United States. Which makes
1t all the more unfortunate and
costly that in matter of so much
Importance to the whole countrv-
Senator Lodge judges it one of the
most important questions in all orr
history-the recognized mouthpiece
of the Administration should have
lost himself so far in a phase of his
argument that thoughtful men who
heard him, men predisposed to think
rate revision an urgent need. shou,d
have left the galleries in great doubt
as TO the need for it in any degree
Mr.. Lodge, we repeat, may be as
sumed to have meant only to strin
the Administration project of its un-
warranted extensions at the hands
of the radicals. But unless all pres
ent indications fall he has stripped
nouuA