The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-08
AMENDMENTS ALL BEATEN.
Close of the Long Debate Found the
Bill Intact.

Close of the Long Debate Found the
Bill Intact.
Washington, Feb. There was no
delay from preliminary business in the
house today, the railroad rate bill being
taken up at II O'Clock and the last day
of general debate was begun. The pro-
gramme included speeches by Bourke
! Cochran of New York, Mann OF Illinois,
Williams Of Mississippi and Hepburn Of
Iowa.
NJ. Cochran announced his position
in favor of the bill. While he did not
consider it a panacea for all evils, IL
was most wholesome manifestation of
a unanimous public determination to
deal with the rate evils. 1t was the
only means by which public ownership
could be stopped, and checked the most
plausible argument of the socialist.
The history of rai1road manage
ment in this country he said, is the
history Of favOritism, OF corruption and
of fraud"
Railroad Influence.
In spite of this he would not say the
railroad had not rendered enormous
service, but they had not been as eff
cient as they should be. His next as
sertiOn was that railway influences pre-
dominated both political parties.
Illustrating this. he showed how the
representatives of wealth ignored the
courts and dominated state administra-
tons. The very court which had
dropped the proceedings against II. H.
Rogers had the next day issued a most
vigorous injunction against striking
printers. In this connection he reviewed
the Northern Securities decision, which
he said declared criminals and con-
spirators the representatives of that
~
he said, quarrelled over the control of
several railways in the northwest which
threatened to interfere with their plum
der. The president directed an action
against them. The court declared
conspiracy.
Conspiracy Perfected.
What was the result?' he asked. ct
was to reduce the control of these prop
critics from two to one. When they
came to distribute the stocks Hartman
had been elimif ated; Morgan was SUI
preme. A more perfect conspiracy was
perfected through the decision of the
court itself And the stock, which was
selling at 800 to $102 when the decision
was pending, sold for $3.50 after it was
announced, thus making the con-
spirators, who walked out of court Just
S240, 900 900 richer for having been con-
victed"
The fact that no criminal proceedings
had been begun was dWelt on at some
length, and the jail sentence of Debs
and the conviction of two railroads for
mere indiscretions" contrasted. Com
pliments were paid to Rockefeller, "at
once the richest and most despised Of
our whole population"
The most effective feature OF the BILL
he maintained, was the popular dispo-
sition back Of it, the next was it's pub
licity feature. Universal applause
greeted Mr.. COCkran's conclusion. and
after the informal congratulatory re-
ception to him had concluded, Mr..
Mann Of Illinois took the floor.
Mr.. Mann's Speech.
Tersely stating the need of the ship
per for railroads, the need of the rail-
of their coming to an equitable under
standing. Mr.. Mann pointed out the ne
cessity for an intervening agency.
That is the proposition in the pend
ing measure" said Mr.. Mann. 1T is
supposed to give to the interstate COM
merce commission, to q limited degree, |
prevent the carrier in the face of com
petition from lowering its rates in order
to save it's share of the business. The |
Doiliver bill now pending be-
old Nelson-COrliss bill. the Cooper
Quarles bill or the Esch-T Townsend bill
Of the last session. Those bills pro-
posed to give TO the commission the
general power to fix absolute railroad
rates, which could not be changed ex-
cept upon filing new petition and hav-
ing a new hearing before the commits
sion. The bill permits the commission,
ct any time. OF its own motion. to
change its order; it permiN a rehearing
of the case at any time; 1t provides that
the rate fixed by the commission shall
not be an absolute rate, but only the
maximum rate, and it provides that this
rate shall be compulsory only for the
term Of three years; This. VIII. give the
Of but viii not give the
power to confiscate the property invest
ed in railroads. or TO. paralyze the bust
ness interests OF the country, or prevent
the location and establishment of new
Industries along the lines OF the rail-
roads.
Bill Invites Competition.
1.-THE former bills were intended to
DESTROY railroad competition; the pend |
ing bill invites competition. and it pre- I!