The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-04-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.

That the President has not weakened
in his desire to have railroad rate legisla-
ton enacted at this session of Congress is
apparent from the energy he is displaying
aud the means he is taking to accomplish
that end, Last Saturday be held con.
ference with several Republican Senators
and he declared himself to be satisfied
with the Court review amendment and
inquired anxiously as to the number of
votes of the Republicans that could be
polled if the bill should he brought to a
vote soon. Since then he has apparently
burned his bridges behind him in the
railroad fight and is now formally confer
endeavor TO enlist their active aid in
pushing through the bill and amendments
agreed to in his conference with the Re.
publicans All the vexation he had felt
| in the matter of his Santo DOMINICAN
treaty with certain of the Democratic
Senators he has apparently put aside and
one after another has been summoned to
| he White House to talk over the situa
| ton He has intimated in various places
| that he would be glad to talk with Sen
ators Tillman and Bailey on the subject
and ii is not unlikely that he may send
tor either or both of these men Mr.
rillman. it will be remembered has not
visited the White House since the Pres
dent withdrew an invitation that had
been extended to him on the occasion OF
Prince Henry's visit here four years ago
| This was al time when Mr.. Tillman's
name bad been temporarily stricken from
the roll of the Senate pending an inves.
tigation of the fracas and fist fight he had
had with his colleague, Senator McLau
rim of South Carolina. Since then Mr.
rillman has INDUCED in many TRADES in
the Senate and elsewhere against the
President and the anxiety of the Presi
dent to have rate legislation may be
guaged by the fact that he is willing to
make the first advances toward a recon-
Citation if by so doing he can gain more
votes for the bill. Mr.. Tillman and Mr.
Bailey both declare they will not go to
the White House but there are generally
ways of overcoming this sort of resolu
ton and such conference will in all
probability take place soon. Republicans
and Democrats alike are disposed to crit.
tcise the action of the President in trying
10 influence the votes on the dill but crit
rcism has never been known to deter the
President when he had an object in view
and on no subject of legislation has he
ever displayed keener interest than in
his one Of the regulation Of rates. A dis
cnssion led by Senator Bailey as to the
propriety of conferences between Execu
tive and Legislators on the subject of leg.
islation brought out an interesting iln.
promptu debate in the Senate in. which
senators Dolliver AID Aldrich defended
the President from the criticism of Mr..
Bailey.
49,
Mayor E. F Dunno of Chicago, whose
| battle for public ownership of the traction
lines in Chicago was only partially sue
| cessiul at Tuesdays election attended
: meeting in Washington last week and
spoke to large audience on the Railroad
ate bill This prominent champion OF
municipal ownership declared himself il,
entire accord with Senator Newlands o.
IN vada on the railroad bill and said:
The real solution of the railroad rate
discrimination problem does not lie in
Il context of any rate bill that Congres,
'av pass but in Governmental control of
u traffic lines The avowed Object
i Mayor Durne's visit to Washington
was for the purpose Of asking the Presi.
l-.nt TO attend the tenth annual conven.
ton of the League of American Munic
yslules which takes place in Chi
ago IN Septe mber The President
has not yet decided whether or not be
will he able to accept The invitation.
~
Senator Elkins. who is the representa-.
tive of great railroad interests in the
country spoke in the Senate last week in
opposition to the pending railroad rate
oil. Mr. Elkins declared that his in
terests as a shipper are ten times as great
as they are as railroad man and that he
spoke against the bill as shipper rather
than as railroader. He declared that
the pending bill is of doubtful coustitu-
tionality and that it does not go far
enough. He proposed bill of his own
making which he declared embodies the
wishes of the people which he desires
substituted for the Hepburn bill
~
Secretary of State Root has decided o
visit Chile and Perm on his trip to South
America this summer aud be will return