Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-22
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Another Conference on Rate
Legislation.
TRYING TO GET TOGETHER
Difference of Opinion Among Party
Leaders on Rebate.
THE PRESIDENTS POSITION
Not Opposed to Amendment to Hep
burn Bill, but Will Veto Any Meas
ure Considered Ineffective.
TRYING TO GET TOGETHER
THE PRESIDENTS POSITION

There was a continuation at the White
House this morning of the important con-
ferences that have been held there in the
last week or so o. the railroad rate BILL
The President spent nearly two hours In
his office and then went to his house, from
which later in the afternoon, he took
long horseback ride with cabinet officials.
The executive offices were supposed to be
closed to callers, but a number or sena-
tors and representatives strolled in Most
of them did not attempt to talk with the
President after they understood that he
was not attending to business. The VS.
,tors who did see the President were At
toruey General Moody, Senator Crane OF
massachusetts, and Senator Dolliver Of
Iowa BY many the visit of Senators Crane
and Deliver was considered significant as
indicating a tendency to get together on
rate legislation.
Senator Do;Iiver has been standing all
along for reporting the Hepburn bin just
as 1t came from the House, without amend
Inent OF any sort, while Senator Crane is
understood to have insisted on an amend
m6nt that would permit ample judicial re-
view of fixed rate by the courts or the
United States.
The Most Important Conference.
The most important White House con-
ference yet held was yesterday afternoon
when those present were Attorney Gen
eral Moody, Senators Dolliver and Clapp,
Speaker Cannon and Representative Hep
burn. The conferees had under considera-
ton an amendment said to have been draft
&c by Senator Knox and revised by At
tCrney General Moody, with the object
IN view Of reaching a satisfactory compro-
mise. But even the amendment did not
seem to be satisfactory all around. The
amendment provided that any complainant
against an order OF the interstate commerce
commission shall have authority to file
petition in the district in which the carrier
has its principal office, setting forth that
the rate complained OF was. In fact, Illegal,
or that the rate fixed in the order Of the
commission Is, In reality, unlawful" ana
the court is authorized TO hear the SUIT
70 decide first, whether the commission
acted within Its authority. and. second,
whether the constitutional rights of the
plaintiff were violated.
Those taking part in the conference took
n firm stand for the Hepburn bill and
serted that it did not need Improvement.
They declared that if the bill undertook TO
specify the conditions under which COM
plants could be taken into court the court
might refuse TO take cOgnizance of matters
not specified in the bill. They said they
preferred to leave open every feature on
which an aggrteved person might desire
TO go into court Attorney General Moody
COntended. IL is said. that the Hepburn
bill as IL stands, is constitutional and
that there Is no danger tnat II VIII ne over
turned by the supreme court. He would not
bin.
After Senators Deliver and Clapp left
the White House they told colleagues in
the Senate that they proposed to take a
firm stand for the bin without amendment.
ON the other hand the conservative mem
bcrs Of the committee claim that they have
votes enough to amend the bill II they are
not put in the position OF opposing the
Presidents policy and are allowed to vote
as they viii
The Presidents Position.
The President himself has frankly an
nouuced to a number of people that he is
hands of in the little conflict going on
among the republicans about amendment
10 the bill. 1t Is even stated that the Presi-
dent has given Senator Crane authority TO
say that he will not oppose amendment to
the BILL but he will avail himself OF his
privilege OF vetoing any measure that he
considers to lie ineffective and unconsttu-
tioual. While the President Is not opposed
10 amending the Hepburn bill and will not
undertake to prevent that, he Is strongly
of the belief that the Hepburn bill Is all
right it stands
The conference with Senators Crane and
Deliver, representing opposite views, this
morning is believed to have been held for
the specific purpose of making his position
clear That position briefly is In favor OF
the Hepburn bill II stands, but there will
be no objection to amendments that may
not be harmful TO the purport of the meas
ure The President has not taken any en-
phatiC position either way as to the amend
mont and his opinion as to the Hepburn
bill is subject to change with any new
light that may be turned upon the whole
affair.
Attorney General Moody. leaving the
White House this morning, said he pro-
posed to take a long horseback ride in Rock
Creek Park during the day. He seldom
had opportunity to enjoy a holiday, but he
expected to make the best of the pretty day
that commentaries Washington's birth.
Pittsburg's Revolution.
'Pittsburg is just now stirred to its
foundations over the great election last
Tuesday. when the reform movement swept
q democrat into strongly entrenched re-
publican Office" said II. K. Porter former
representative from Pittsburg. who was at
the White House today.
''The election OF George ". Guthrie
lifelong democrat Of the highest charac-
ter. over Alexander NJ. Jeukiuson, the
millionaire cigar manufacturer,
triumph. pure and simple, OF reform over
bossism and party machine. Men OF every
party, without respect 70 party affiliations
Joined in the crusade against dirty poll
tics and the result was that Mr. Guthrie
was elected by uon-psirtisan majority Of
2.T,N"
Mr. Porter said that It was hard to tell
YET just how many OF the other municipal
offices had been captured by the reform
party. and could not say whether the new
y elected mayor would be able 10 institute
sweeping reforms or not.
One Of the features of Mr.. POrtcrs COM
rnerts on the election was the work OF
the Civic Voters League.
The Civic Voters League Is an abso-
lutciy noupartis1n organization" said Mr.
Porter It's work consists OF getting In
formation concerning every candidate for
office. When a man announces himself as
desiring any particular office the league
requests him to file references and any
information about himself that he may see
ut When all the facts are before the
league they pass their opinion upon the
candidates fitness for the Office which he
seeks.
There Is no doubt OF the absolute nom
partisan opinion of this body for they have
made few mistakes
When the city campaign opened some
weeks ago there were 100 candidates for
municipal offices in Pittsburg and Alle-
gheny. Out OF this number the league
declared ITO unfit for the honors they
sought. They recommended forty of the
candidates as worthy OF the confidence of
the people.
II have not yet investigated the figures
as % how many of these forty We're elected
to office. but We certainly won In the big
light Of electing the mayor.
Mr.. Guthrie will be the first mayor OF