New-York tribune., 1906-03-17
MAY AGREE ON RATES.
AIN OF REPUBLICANS.
Belief That Majority Senators Can
Get Together.
From The Tribune Bureau ]

Washington March 16.-Indicatons point to
the possibility of an agreement among the Re-
puoIcans of the Senate the railroad rate bill
which will make that measure exclusively Re-
publican legislation. This is the end to which
Republicans have been working ever since the
bill was reported from the Committee on Inter
state Commerce. When that committee ordered
the Hepburn bill reported to the Senate and
placed it in charge Of Senator TilIman Demo-
erat the most pronounced opponent of Presi-
Gent Roosevelt in the body, Republicans were
dismayed for awhile, and the Democrats were
correspondingIy jubiant
For a brief period the Democrats deluded
themselves with the hope that they might ap-
propriate this great measure of the administra-
uon and enact it into law with Democratic
label attached. Recent expressions of Demo-
Gratis however have shown that the Democratic
party in the Senate is hopelessIy divided on rate
legislation. At the same time the Republicans
began to find that there was not such wide
divergence Of opinion among themselves and
that a little yielding here and there might bring
them together.
interchange of opinion among the Republicans
in the last two weeks has shown that there is
Pracucal unanimlty on one point, namely, that
III the adoption of court review amendment it
VIII not be practicable to prohibit the court. in
us ulscreuon, from suspending the rate pending
litigation. On the other hand a number of the
most prominent Democrats in the Senate are in
sistent that the rate must not be suspended and
they assert in most positive terms that if the
right OF suspension is granted they will oppose
the bill.
Ihe main difference of opinion among the Re-
puohcans relates to the scope of review by the
court. Those Republicans who are inclined to
accept the Hepburn bill as it came from the
House insist that the scope of review shall be
limited to exclude adjudication, de novo. Of the
rate fixed by the commission. They are fearful
lest the court review provision may be so broad
as to entail litigation which will discourage the
shippers from appealing to the commission
against an alleged unreasonable rate.
1t can readily be seen that the two factions Of
the Republicans are not far apart Experience
Of the elder statesmen in Congress is that Re
publicans are anenabIe TO compromise, and that
when they are confronted on the one hand by
differences of opinion in their own ranks against
a divided and scattering opposition on the other
hand, whose differences are usually irreconcili-
able, the Republicans can get together
1t is confidently predicted that such will be
the outcome in this case. 1t is the earnest desire
Of both factions of Republicans that this legis-
lation shall be accomplished in a way which will
not afford the Democrats ground for declaring
that they contributed TO it in essential degree
There is no question that the Democrats are
far apart Many of the best lawyers among
them agree to the proposition that it will not
be competent TO prohibit the court from grant
ing an interlocutory decree in event of one party
to the controversy holding that it will be hurt
by continuance of the rate pending final adjudi-
cation. This class of Democrats WILL the
final passage of the bill, vote with the Repub-
liCans who hold to that opinion. But if a sufff-
cient number Of Republicans vote for the amend
ment and to make a majority for the passage
of the bill the Democratic assistance thus
dered cannot be claimed vital to the passage
of the bill.
I'VE will pass bill which will be satisfactory
TO the President, and we will pass it by Repub
Hcan votes, regardless of the Democrats" said
a leading Republican Senator to-day.