The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-03-06
Defends THE RATE BILL
Senator DoIIiver Predicts a Public
Ownership Movement.
cROWDEDSENATE HEARS SPEECH

Iowa senator Declares That the People
Are Asking why Some Men Make
Hundreds Of HTiniona, Even over
shadowiug the Governnent--Up holds
President Roosevslt's Policy.
Washington, D. Ex-senator Dolliyer,
of Iowa, the chief champion Of the
Hepburn Rate bill, spoke in defense
and explanation of that measure for
two hours and ten minutes. 1t had
been announced that he would reply
to Senator Foraker, who opposed Gov
eminent rate making in any form, but
he did not go far in that direction.
Mr. Dolliver avoided court opinions
and legal points He spoke entirely
from memory and did not employ tech
nical phrases He talked as a repre-
sentative of the people, not as a con-
stitutlonal lawyer, holding that it
would be wise to pass the Hepburn
bill SO that the courts may pass on the
validity Of the principle involved
decision either way as to the powers
Of Congress to delegate rate-making
authority would be valuable to the
people he said
Mr.. Dolliver was greeted by even a
greater audience than that which hon
ored Senator Foraker, A large dele
cation of Representatives from the
House side listened to the speech.
Senator Foraker was not present. SEN
ator Lodge was also absent He is Ill.
Mr.. Dolliver referred to the fact that
hr oh Will 10, Ion
toward socialism, only to contradict
it, saying that he did not desire to
have the Government take charge Of
the business interests of the country.
Yet, he asserted that there is a storm
brewing, and that the time is approach.
ing when the citizens of the United
States are going to make an inquiry
into the right by which some men in
a few years make hundreds of millions
of dollars, rendering them capable OF
even overshadowing the National Gov
ernment' and he predicted that if Con-
gress did not agree upon a bill for the
regulation of the railroads the country
would be called upon to face the prob
lem of Government ownership
/. The Senator referred to the fact that
Messrs. Foraker and Elkins had for
merly introduced bills giving to the In
terstate Commerce Commission the
same powers conferred in the pending
bill.
Instead of undermining the law the
bill fOrtifies it," he said, and he de-
clared that IL the present law had been
treated with the reverence and sanctity
it deserved the American people would
have approached it in a different frame
of mind than that which prevails. He
recognized the fact that it had become
fashionable to speak slightingly of the
Interstate Commerce Commission, and
he defended that body against such at
lacks He expressed the opinion that
if the lawyers had dealt as fairly with
the commission as with the courts the
result would have been better.
Mr.. Dolliver declared that he did not
expect a protracted vendetta between
the railroads and Sthe business COM
munity, believing that when the law
was enacted it would be observed by
carrier and shipper alike He predicted
that within five years there would be
boards of arbitration in every traffic
centre of the country, so that appeals
to the commission would be the rule
rather than the exception.
Taking up the rebate question, MI
Dolliver said that he did not agree with
either Mr.. Foraker or Mr.. Bacon that
the secret practices have been aban-
doned He did not believe the Elkins
bill adequate for protection against
these practices.
The difficulty about rebates is not in
Furnishing violations OF the law" he
said, but in discovering them, and we
have undertaken TO amend the law so
as to cover that defect.
Whether anyone believes anything
say here ? said Mr.. Dolliver, II would
like my friends to acquit me of that
most gIievous offense of exploiting my
prejudices, or those Of anyone else.
against the great property interests of
the country Not line in this bill has
been drawn in hostility to the Amer
lean railway system. but it is the
furtherance of better understanding
between the American people and that
great system
There never was until yesterday,
when Mr.. Foraker spoke, shadow
upon our right to regulate interstate
commerce. he went on. He spoke III
praise of the President, ''the most SUI
perb moral leader of the generation"
AS for himself he was prepared for
sneers, but he said, Il stand in po-
sition | did not seek, but, consulting
my conscience as citizen and my
honor as Senator, l can take no
other"
Commenting upon Mr. Foraker's crit
icism that the Hepburn bill is uncon-
stitutional, Mr.. DoIliver entered upon
line of argument to show that Mr..
Foraker was mistaken, and that Con-
gress has the power to regulate rates.
Mr.. Dolliver replied to the criticism
that he was manifesting a disposition
toward democracy by denying it, and
closed with another tribute to President
Roosevelt, expressing the conviction
that ''the people would ever treasure
in grateful hearts his blnnt plafform