Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-07-12
Rate BILL IS
PRESIDENTS
Its Passage Made Pos.
sibIe by Work of
Roosevelt

Special Correspondence.
Washington. July S.-The work Of
the first session Of the 69th congress
Is now matter Of history. Since the
fourth day of December Of last year
both houses Of congress have been
wrestling with the most intricate sub
jects that have received the attention
Of the people Of the United States for
many years. During the consideration
Of these important questions many
new leaders have appeared on the
scene and taken the places Of those
who have been compelled to take a
back seat on account Of age or fail
ure to measure up to the high mark
which the gravity OF the subjects
made necessary. The work Of this
session of congress has not been
child's play in any particular. and the
men who have taken the prominent
part in the great work have with very
few exceptions been comparatively
young men.
ant measure passed by this congress
is the rate bill. The prosperity OF
every citizen of the whole country is
either directly or indirectly effected by
its provisions, and while In many par
ticulars 1t is not a perfect piece OF leg
islation. it is a great Improvement
over the Elkins law which 1t is sup
posed to remedy. The credit for this
important piece of legislation Is due
/ primarily to the efforts Of President
Roosevelt. and while 1t may be known
either as the Tillman bill, the Hep
burn Dolliver bill or the Bailey Till
man Deliver Hepburn bill. 1t is In
reality nothing in the world but the
Roosevelt bill. Roosevelt is respon-
sible for the rate bill and no one else
Is. Without his powerful aid and in
fiuence. the original opponents OF rate
regulation. Hale, Aldrich. Elkins. For
aker and few other in the senate
and house. the friends Of rate regula-
ton, who are legion, would have been
unable to secure the consideration and
final passage Of the bill
While. however. the original impe-
tus was furnished by the president
to the senate as a body belongs ths
y credit for perfecting and making ap'
plicable to our peculiar commercial
situation the provisions of this bill
which, as has been said. 40 vitality
effects the welfare Of all the people
The work Of the senate on this bill
extending over period of three
| ho ~ OF
alton and discussion. was OF very
high order, and has done much. or. Al
least. should do much to convince the
people that the senate IL yet the real
great. conservative and wise body thai
II has always been. and that while
there may be some in the senate who
are not worthy. they constitute the
exception and not the rule. The de.
bates on the rate bill were engaged In
by nearly every senator The really
great speeches however, were delivered
by Spooner. Knox. Hepburn. Fulton
Dolliver. Lafollette. Bailey. and For
aker The work done by these mer
was OF a high character. In addition
to their being great lawyers, they arr
all speakers of recognized ability
Theirs were great legal arguments
and may be favorably compared will
anything in legal history
No one OF course. knows how tn
rate bill Is going to work In practice
Time alone will tell that. No grea
question since that OF slavery an
civil war has probably received NOR
attention from the people and con
gress than this. II Is also the frs
in which men from every section q
the country have taken promnen
mart