Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-15
TILLMAN AND THE
 RATE BILL TO-DAY
OCCUPIED THE ATTENTION OF
 THE BUSY SENATORS.
Long Delayed and Much Discussed Report Was Read in the United
 States Senate This After

Report Was Read in the United
 States Senate This After
 { noon.
 Washington, March 15.-Then
 Townsend resolution cOnferring ad-
 ditional power on the interstate
 commerce commission, to make a
 special investigation, authorized by
 the Tillman-GilIespie resolution, re-
 garding the relations between cer-
 tain railroads and the coal and oil
 interests, was passed by the house
 to-day.
 Senator Tillman then set the
 house at attention by presenting his report on the now famous rate bill.
 Senator Tillman to-day presented to the senate his report from the committee on interstate commerce on the house railroad rate bill which expressed his views, but did not pre- tend to speak for any other member of the committee.
 It embodied the first clear and concise statement of the differences concerning court review features and other proposed amendments that had made a unanimous report from the committee impossible.
 Without hesitancy the senator de- clared it to be his belief that the bill should be amended. but that amend ments should not be of a character to impair or prevent the accomplish ment of the objects of the legisla- tion, which are set forth best, he says, in the presidents message to congress. He emphasized the need of regarding the measure as non- partisan, but predicted that the is- sue created will be paramount in the next presidential election. AS to the effect he said:
 Those who are responsible for de- lay or inadequate legislation will find that when at last the flood gates of popular wrath and indignation are hoisted there will have been some fine grinding done."
 Mir Tillman prefaced his report by speaking of the peculiar circum- stances ruling the committees ac- tions on public bills, which made it an embarrassing task to submit views that would be concurred in by the committee as whole. Comment ing upon the absence of harmony in the committees deliberations, the report says:
 Instead of being amended in com mittee, as is usual, so as to command as whole the indorsement and sup port of majority of its members, the bill was brought into the senate in form not entirely satisfactory to more than two members. Party lines in the committee were broken down and the bill is in the senate by req son of the union of five members of the minority party and three mem berb of the majority party in con- gress who concurred in reporting it favorably; and while these eight senators are agreed as to the general ptrpose and scope of the bill, there arS radical differences among them be Incorporated in it to make 1t fully adequate to meet the demands of the business interests of the country at this time.
 This lack of harmony among the supporters of the bill-it would be speaking with more accuracy to say the supporters of the policy involved in the bill--brings about the anom- alous situation in which a member of the minority party in congress is put in charge in the senate of pro posed legislation which is generally regarded throughout the country as the cherished scheme of the presi- dent, with whose general policy and principles that member is not in ac- cord. At the same time the bill is designed to carry into effect his own long cherished convictions and the demands of the party to which he belongs"
 Emphasizing the claim that this is without precedent in legislative history, Mir Tillman says it brings into prominence the fact that the proposed legislation is non- partisan and is so recognized as result of the unanimous support giv- enitby the minority fin the house and the few opposing votes-only seven lin that entire body. Tt therefore follows" says Mir Tillman, If events rudi BiVft tuaN tlic ultdsuTt 0dS broken down party lines in both branches of congress. that the con will be almost inevitable that 1t will be framed so as to accomplish the results intended or claimed to be intended by both parties, and tn this end democrats and republicans alike should bend all their energies and lend all that is best in them to perfecting and passing so important , piece of legislation"
 There would follow "a cyclone of | passionate resentment" said Mir Till | man. fin predicting what would be 1 the result of failure on the part of | congress to meet the widespread de- 1 mand for railroad rate legislation. l He declared that woe will be the l harvest of any member of the ser- ste or house whose work in formu- Iating a bill to regulate railroads | lacks earnestness or honesty of pur- pose and who shall seek to belittle i the question or kill the bill by sub Ierfuge and deception. The eonsti- | fution gives to congress the power to | the railroads, he contended. md there are many wrong to right
 The bill as it came from the house |fr Tfllman characterized as loosely | worded and capable of different In Discussing the al- ezet inadequacy of the measure he Izfx fl fs the dufv of the s1uefe to