The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1906-03-16

tam railroads and the coal and oil
INDUSTRY. was passed by the house
Today. The resolution was amended
ny striking out the $4,000 appropria-
uon on the statement of Tawney
mat the commission was to submit
an estimate which would probably
aggregate $3.50, 600 The resolution
meets the presidents suggestion in
MS special message on the subject.
Washington, March 17.-Senator Till
man today presented to the senate his
report from the committee on interstate
commerce on the house railroad rate
OIL, which expressed his views. but
did not pretend to speak for any other
member of the committee.
without hesitancy the senator de-
ciared 1t to be his belief that the bill
amendments should not be of a charac-
Ter to impair or prevent the accom-
pltshment of the object of the legisla-
lion, Which are set forth best, he saws,
IN the presidents message to congress,
ne emphasized the need of regarding
Inc measure as non-partisan, but pre-
dicted that the issue created will be
paramount in the next presidential
election. AS to the effect he said:
People Are Aroused.
Those who are responsible for DELAY
or Inadequate legislation will find that
when at last the fioodgates of popular
wrath and indignation are hoisted there
will have been some fine grinding
done.''
Mr.. Tillman prefaced his report by
speaking Of the peculiar circumstances
ruling the committees action on the
house bill, which made it an embar-
RAISING task to submit views that
would be concurred In by the commit
tee as whole. Commenting upon the
absence Of harmony IN the committees
deliberations, the report says:
Party lines In the committee were
broken down and the bill is in the SEN
ate by reason Of the union of five men,
bers of the minority party and three
members of the majority party in con-
gress who concurred in reporting it
favorably.
This lack of harmony among the
supporters Of the bill-it would be
the supporters of the policy involved
I'm the bill-brings about the anomalous
situation in which Il member of the
minority party in congress is put in
charge in the senate of proposed legis-
lation which is generally regarded
throughout the country as the cher
ished scheme of the president, with
whose general policy and principles
that member is not in accord. At the
same time the bill is designed to carry
into effect his two long cherished con-
Victions and the thrice-reiterated de-
mands of the party to which he be-
longs"
Urges All to Support It.
Emphasizing the claim that this con-
dition is without precedent in legisla-
tive history, Mr.. Tillman says it brings
into prominence the fact that the pro-
posed legislation is non-partisan, and
for this reason he urged that demo-
crats and republicans alike should bend
iall their energies and lend all that is
best in them to perfectirg and passing
$50 important piece of legislation.
He declared that woe would be the
harvest" Of any member. of the senate
or house whose work in formulating u
Sblll to regulate railroads lacks earnest
ness or honesty Of purpose. and who
shall seek to belittle the question or
kill the bill by subterfuge and decep-
ZION.
His View of Circuit Courts.
Friends Of the railroads contend,
urged Mr.. Tillman, that congress cam
not limit the jurisdiction of the circuit
courts, while on the other hand, he
added, "it is asserted with equal EN-
prasi that the power to create all
rests alone in congress and that such
courts being statutory are necessarily
limited in their scope and power by the
authority which creates them"
He continued: II myself incline most
confidently to this view and have not the
slightest doubt that it is possible to pro-
Derly amend this bill so as to prohibit the
circuit courts from interfering with the
orders of the Interstate Commerce COM
mission by any introductory order This
question must also be determined by the
supreme court should the proposed law be
enacted"
Railroads Handle Every Dollar.
Commenting on the gross earning and
the net earnings Of railroad properties Mr..
,rillman said that once year every dollar
in the United States passes through the
hands of the railroads and every three
years becomes part of their net earnings
He asked If 1t is any wonder that the rail-
roads have the most brilliant legal minds
nj their command to conduct legislation
and asserted the struggle Is between man
and money; citizenship and capital. He
discussed at length the building of great
fortunes and the n1anipulations of great
properties. Summing up the situation he
said: 'It is impossible to deny that this
great accumulation Of wealth in the hands
of the few is such a menace to liberty that
the honest patriot stands appalled, by the
outlook
The Real Big Question.
After commenting at length upon what
he declared to be the existing system OF
Juggling with railroad properties ''for the
robbery of the Masses Mr.. Tillmar
stated that this phase OF the subject
brings into great prominence and import
ance "the relation to congress of the in
crease in capitalization whether 1t is the
purpose of congress to compel the business
industries to pay dividends not upon the
real value of these properties but on the
f1ctitious value which has been sought tc
be placed upon them by the increased
capitalization"
Concerning the application of the bill to
this subject he said: There is a danger
Gus provision in this bill which in my
judgment ought to be stricken out and
that is in section 49, where the Interstate
Commerce commission is told to deter
mine and prescribe what will. in its judg-
ment be the Just and reasonable and fairly
remunerative rate etc. The last words
are too elastic and ambiguous and can be
construed to mean too much that it would