Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-05
Who WINS? THE QUERY
Discussing Proposed Amend
ment to the Rate Bill.
VIEWS OF THE PRESIDENT
Explanation Made to the Newspaper
Correspondents.
THE CLAIMS OF CONSERVATIVES
Contend That Concession Gives Them
ALI That They Have Been
Battling For.
THE CLAIMS OF CONSERVATIVES

well, who wins?" This is the question
being asked by the two sides to the rail-
road rate controversy, the conservatives
and radicals, with respect to the agreement
upon the judicial review amendment to
the bill. The conservatives say they have
no fault to find with the amendment. With
one another they exchange congratulations
and knowing smiles and declare they have
been successful beyond their fondest hopes
in getting the broadest kind of a broad rate
review.
Evidently the President expected, after
he lent his sanction to the amendment
that the conservatives would claim a VIC
tory. so he took steps to beat them to 1t.
He summoned thirty-six newspaper CORE
spondents, representative OF some of the
leading papers of the country. to the White
House yesterday afternoon and talked to
them for more than an hour. He went on
to say that he did not think the Hepburn
bill needed amendment. anyhow. but he
was willing to make sure and put In the
explicit review provision.
He had preferred the narrow form of re-
view, proposed in the Long amendment, de-
cided upon at g. White House conference
some weeks ago, but some other advocates
of the legislation did not. Anyhow, opinion
was so evenly balanced on the question
of the Long amendment that 1t was hardly
worth making q contest for, and If year
necessity for amendment 1t could be made
Finally, ''the President assured his hear
ers that he and every advocate of the pend
ing measure would be satisfied perfectly
with the Hepburn bill with the amendment
proposed by Senator Allison"
Claim of the Conservatives.
That declaration Is what the conserva-
tives wanted. With the President on rec
ord, hard and fast, IN favor Of the so
called Allison amendment the conservatives
can now go to the Dolliver, Clapp, Long.
LaFollette group of republicans and whip
them into line for the amendment or put
them in the attitude of insurgents. The
result viii be the solid republican strength
In favor Of the amendment
The amendment as agreed upon provides
as follows:
THE venue of suits brought in any of the
circuit courts of the United States against
the interstate commerce commission to en-
join. set aside. annul or suspend any order
or requirement of the commission shall be
in the district where the carrier against
whom such order requirement may have
been made. has It's principal operating Of
fee. and jurisdiction to hear and determine
such suits is hereby vested In such courts -
The conservatives contend THAI the con-
ferring Of Jurisdiction upon the courts to
suspend, annul en1oin or set aside an or
der of the commission and the further
grant of Jurisdiction to hear and deter
mine" the suits leaves the courts vested
with all their judicial power, and that is
all that the conservatives have been bat
ting for. That contention has marked the
speeches of Senator Knox and Senator
Spooner throughout the debate.
Radicals Left High and Dry.
The men who have been insisting that the
courts should be deprived of the right to
issue injunctions against the orders of the
commission are left high and dry by this
amendment. 1t is claimed that the amend
ment gives the broadest possible latitude In
that direction. In fact. 1t is alleged that
the courts will have leeway to construe the
legal as well as constitutional phases Of the
suits as they choose.
The democrats are out in the cold Fea-
lures that Senator Pfllman and his radical
colleagues have steadily contended against
are in the amendment and Senator Tillman
from next Monday on. II he remains in con-
troll of the bill on the floor of the Senate,
will be in the attitude of espousing a form
of legislation that he has inveighed against.
1t would not surprise some of his col
leagues II the South Carolinian should
.jump the job and denounce the child that
Senator Aldrich laid at his door. It viii be