The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-23
.SPOONER AND LODGE SPEAK ON TIE BILL TiIIman and Spooner Have
 Clash as Usual LODGE CRITICIZES PROUTY  Morgan Wants Special Committee of Seven Senators to Visit the
 Isle of Pines and h.
 vestigate.
LODGE CRITIClzES PROUTY

time of the Senate today There were two
 speeches-one by Mr. Lodge and the other
 by MT. Spooner. Mr Lodge spoke in ad- vocacy of his amendment looking sto the
 enlargement of the interstate commerce
 commission and in doing so replied sharp ly to some recent utterances by Commits
 sloner Prouty. Referring to an interview blythe commissioner Mir. Lodge spoke first
 of an utteranee by Eugene Debs and then said that 1t was not capable of do-
 ing so much harm as Mr. Prouty's state
 ment
 MT. Spooner devoted his attention to
 the constitutional powers of the inferior
 courts eontendng that these courts could
 not be destroyed nor their jurisdiction
 taken from them. The discussion closed
 with the usual exchange of eourtesles
 between Mi. spooner and A1r. Tillman. Beveridee Wanted conferees.
 During the day Mr Beveridge as chair
 man of the committee on territories asked for the appointment of conferees to meet
 the conferees appointed by the House on
 the statehood bill. MT. Foraker prompt ly objected to the selection of the Sen
 
 of the chairman of the committee, say ing that that gentleman did not repre-
 sent the sentiment of the Senate. The disposition of the subject was postponed until tomorrow.
 When the Senate met today the reso- lution authorizing a survey of the Ohio
 river at Cincinnati, with the view of
 establishing an ice harbor was passed.
 Mr Culberson presented and asked for
 the immediate consideration of resolu-
 tion directing the secretary of war to
 send to the Senate full copies of any
 communications that may have passed
 between officials in the United States in this country and in the Philippines with
 reference to the Mount Dajo battle, but
 MT. Lodge objected and the resolution,
 went over until tomorrow.
 In presenting the resolution Mr. Cur
 person said he had noticed that latterly General Wood had been reported in the
 public press as having said that no wom- en or children were killed in the Mount Dajo crater This information he con- sdered important as he did also that the President had sent other communications to the Philippines on this subject than those sent to the Senate
 MT. Morgan presented a resolution pro-
 viding for the appointment of a special committee of seven senators to vist the
 Isle of Pines and make a thorough in- ] qury as to conditions there and gave mo- l tice that he would call 1t up tomorrow.
 Railroad Bill Taken Up.
 1 The railroad rate bill was then taken | up and MT. Lodge addressed the Senate | in support of his amendment providing | for the displacement of the present in- terstate commerce commission by one of | large number of commissioners and | with longer ter moi office and better | pay He said that the object of the pro- | vision was to strengthen the commission so as to insure for it the support and respect of the public. There seems" he I said, ito be a tacit understanding that | if the rate question is referred to the l interstate commerce commission all will | be well. We go on the theory that the | King can do no wrong
 It was his purpose, he said to show that such was not necessarily the ease. He | then outlined the vast interests that would | pc entrusted IO llle tOIIllnlSSlOH anu ftdi | a carefully prepared statement relative to rates us indicative of the vast magnitude | of the entire subject
 MT. Lodge referred disapprovingly to | the decision of the present commission to enter on a campaign together with com mercal bodies to secure the amendment of the existing laws.
 MT. Lodge then entered on plea in support of the various provisions. of his amendment, first taking up the distlibu- l tion of the commissioners throughout the | country on the basis of judicial circuits Mr. Tllman objected to this method of selection because of the importance of | the commission, and MT. Foraker agreed with him, saying that location should not be considered in filling the commission | If he said, we are going to have a rate-making commission, 1 shall insist on | the confning of the number to three and | all three be residents of Washington and | free from perjudice" As going to show | how location might influence action by ] commissioners, he cited q case in which Mi. Clements. a member of the commis- l sion, had written an opinion favorable | to Rome Ga. his own city, compared l with Atlanta In the maximum rate.
 Defend MT. Clements.
 l The reference to MT. Clements brought MT. Bacon and Mir Tlllman to the defense 1 of MT. Clements, both whom contended | that he was above favoritism of the kin6 indicated. MT. Bacon declared his con. viction that when the facts were ascer. l tained they would entirely relieve MT | Clements from the assaults upon him, anc | added that 'the idea that he could be q party to d deliberate discrimination be. | tween Rome and Atlanta is not justified l either in fact or in reason"
 | MT. Foraker disavowed any intention tc personally reflect upon Mir. Clements. l MT. Lodge made reply to a speech re. | gently made in Boston by Commissions I Prouty, in which the latter had expressed | the opinion that the New England sena. tors were pursuing mistaken course ir | the question of rate legislation, contend | ing that the eastern states would be bet l ter off without railroad regulations like | those of Iowa. He then proceeded te l show the dissimilarity between the condi l tjons in the two localities and contendet | that 1t would be utterly impracticable tc apply the same conditions in railroad | management.
 | MT. Lodge referred to current criticism, | of the Senate and said that body woulf | continue to perform its duties regardles. l of them. The Senate and the executiv. | could take care of their own fortunes but the courts could not reply. He there I fore pleaded for fair treat iment of them | saying that greater harm could be don, | than 10 breed dstrust of the courts. II, l quoted an interview with Eugene " Deb 1 concerning the arrest of officers of in. | Western Federation of Miners in connec | tion with the recent murder of Goverho l Steunenberg of Idaho. Debs' remedy