Middletown transcript., 1906-03-24
WASHNGTONLETTER

- think that the address Of Senator
Tillman OH the rate bill III the Senate tliis
week was characterstically fierce and
somewhat overdrawm. But it has set
great many astute politicians thinking and
talking and is likely to do much for the
cause Of effective legislation. Itcertainly
ranged the Senator on the side Of the
! President and shows what he himself
claims, that the rate bill is not and can
not be made a party measure, that it IL
vital piece of legislation and that il this
congress does not enact wise and conser
vative legislation the voters will see to it
that another set of men are put in who
will perhaps be less wise and certainly far
more radical in the measure, they will
take to control the ruads.
~
Senator Tillman spoke of his utterancps
as his own personal views. But it may
be said, that they are the views OF a great
many OF both parties at the Capitol, some
of them men who would do anything in
their power to thwart rate legislation, but
i who when it comes to the pinch may feel
that it is wise to agree that rate control is
no party measure and that the time has
come when the conrtnnn people of the
country are demanding minimum nf
their rights and it may be well TO grant
| them, lest those same common people
take measures to secure maximum 81
their rights by sending another set ul
men to Congress to legisate for them.
~
The announcement that Judge Taft has
| for the present at least declined the pref
fered place for him OH the Supreme Bench
is not altogether a surprise. The Secie-
tary of War knows that not only is there
| doing both in Panama and the Philip
pines, but that he has been subjected to
much harsh, aud he considers unjust crit
icism for the way he has handled things
in those two corners OF the world. There
fore while seat on the Supreme Bench
is a thing few men would lightly decline,
he has decided to stay at the head of the
War Department for some months at any
rate. There is really no serious need for
him to make decision before next Octo-
ber when the Supreme Court reconvenes |
after the summer recess. Meantime the |
mere fact that he has not definitely de- |
clined the place will be enough to save
the President great deal OF embarras-
ment from place seeking politicians scores
OF whom have candidates in reserve for
the vacant indge-ship should there seem
to be the least chance Of their landing it.
~
There is war and the rumors of war in
the statehood situation. A conference of
the House which might as well have been
a caucus, has been called, and by large
vote it was decided to stand pat on the re-
fusal to concur in anything the Senate had
done to the House Statehood Bill. The
Speaker led the fight. But for him, it is
said that many of his followers would
have been willing to agree to the Senate
proposals and to have admitted Oklahoma
and Indian Territory as one state and
either have left Arizona and New Mexico
out OF the question or have submitted the
question in those territories to referen-
dun vote. But the Speaker said, for
publication at any rate, that he would
rather have the Senate kill the Statehood
Bill altogether than tn rprrle from the
position the House had taken. How long
this valorous opposition will be main
tanned is question. The Speaker knows |.
how to fight. And he knows also how to
yield when it is obvious that resistance is
no longer virtue. So it is whispered that
when it comes to show down, the House
will be willing to send the statehood bill
to confere nee knowing in its heart that it
will have to agree to admitting Oklahoma
and New Mexico and nothing else. There
is considerable opposition in Oklahoma to
being tied mp with Indian Territory but
nothing like the opposition that exists in
One of the special commissioners sent
by the Department of Commerce and
Labor to investigate trade condition
abroad has returned to Washington after
several months Of absence He is RAYMOND |
F Crist 10 whom was assigned the investi- q
CATION OF Japan and North China. 1t can I
not be said that any Of the views Mr.. Crist z
has expressed since his return have been q
startling lynew They are in many rpspe Is q