East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-03-16
REVIEW OF RAILROAD RATE
LEGISLATION.

The following excellent review of
the railroad rate legislation, which is
now in progress in congress, is from
Golfers Weekly and gives an Impair
tial review of the situation;
The railroad rate question, SUBJ
ject some what arid In itself. gains in
terest from the spectacular shifts in
its position. 1t is something like a
game of Rugby football, in which the
bali changes hands every minute, and
before you really know where 1t is
you see it at the other end of the field.
The rate regulation plan started as
democratic policy. 1t was then
boldly kidnapped by the president.
who made a determined effort to
convert it into a republican policy.
Embodied in the Townsend bill
of last year, II passed the house as a
non-partisan measure under republi-
can auspices. Transformed this year
into the Hepburn bill. it passed the
house again as bipartisan. demo-
cratic-republican measure under the
joint patronage of both party organi-
cations.
1t went to the senate, and there by
a trick of its republican opponents it
was unexpectedly thrown back into
the arms of the democrats. But
President Roosevelt refused to let go,
and the buffeted changeling is now
the Hepburn-Tillman- Roosevelt Ad-
on-democratic bill.
1t was the general understanding
that the Hepburn bill would be ma
terlally amended by the senate COM
mittee on interstate commerce. The
point about which activity bubble d
was the question of review by the
courts of rates fixed by the interstate
commerce commission. The house
bill spoke incidentally of possible in
terference by "a court of competent
jurisdiction but the senatorial con-
servatives wanted definite program
of judicial action. For a time daily
pourparlers were in progress between
the White House and the senate.
The president was thought to be
reasonable-it was said that he would
accept almost anything that would
give him the prestige of getting a law
of some sort on the statute books. 1t
was announced on February 81 that
he had decided to leave all the respon-
sibility for the work of perfecting the
bill upon the senate, reserving his own
action until it came before him for his
signature.
Encouraged by this forbearance.
the leaders of the upper house applied
themselves diligently to the labor Of
creation. The hum of wheels rotat-
ing with accelerated velocity was
heard from senatorial crania The
next day this scene of happy industry
was rudely disturbed by the declara-
tion that the president wanted the un-
amended Hepburn bill.
Senators were hurt and indignant.
Mr.. Knox, who had been tinkering the
bill in the belief that he was the ad-
ministrations trusted source of wis
dom. submitted long amendment
providing for suspension of the in
terstate commerce commissions rate
orders pending appeal to court upon
the deposit by the common carrier of
the excess charge, or of a bond to
| make. good in case the commission's
rate should be sustained. 1t was be-
lieved for day that this would fur
| nish the basis for a union of the con-
servative forces.
Suddenly the situation changed
| again. on February 23 the commit
tee on interstate commerce decided
that the Hepburn bill should be re-
| ported without change, and that the
question of amending it should be
fought out on the floor of the senate
This decision was reached by the
solid vote of the five democrats or
the committee, Tillman. McLaurin
Carmack. Foster and Newlands, anc
three republicans, Dolliver. Clapp anC
Cullom. against firve republicans, Ell
kins, Aldrich, Kean. Foraker anC
Crane. Thus the bill became a dem
ocratic measure, favored by all tn
democrats and opposed by the ma
jority of the republicans. including
the chairman of the committee. Ell
kins.
Then Senator Aldrich satirlcall
proposed to make the situation cleare
by putting the bill in charge of Sen
ator Tillman. the presidents persona
enemy. With democratic help tn
joke was carried through, and the
the railroad senators waited to see tn
president squirm. To their disma
he expressed his delight, declare
, Tillman "an honest man and a gam
fighter" and cheerfully prepared t
take his bill from democratic hand!
since he could not get it from his ow
party.