Arizona republican., 1906-05-19
PHOENIX. ARIZONA, MAY 19, 1906.
THE RATE BILL.

The rate bill lacks only the concur renee of the house in the senate amendments, and the presidents sig nature, neither of which will likely be withheld. What the effect of this leg islation will be. remains to be seen. It has been discussed in all the phases which have been adopted, as well as in many which were not, and wise journalistic lawyers have explained to the world precisely what it all means Their interpretations of it have varied according to their attitudes toward the administration.
 Senators many of whom are also lawyers, and more or less familiar with the constitution, are themselves not agreed as to the character of the bill and as to it's efficiency for curing the evils complained of. That will after all. have to be ascertained by ac- tual test
 However clear journalistic lawyers may be regarding it, when MT. Hep burn, the reputed author of the meas ure last saw it, he was very much in nubibus. He said after the bill had passed the house that it contained twenty-seven printed pages the mean ing of which nobody knew.
 There Is a popular impression that 1t was not greatly clarified as to it's general purposes in its passage through the senate.
 There were in the beginning many shades of opinions as to the kind of legislation required. The, main purpose of course, was to strengthen the hands of the interstate commerce commits sion. The more radical believed that the commission should be delegated the full power of congress in the hand ling of the railroads. They favored the total elimination of the courts on the ground of the possible corruption of those tribunals.
 There was, however, no serious thought of depriving the supreme court of the United States of its inherent right of review, but there the presi- dent. minority of the senate republi- cans and a considerable number of democratic senators declared that the interference of the courts should end.
 Among the compromises which have been effected is one providing for re- view by the circuit courts and regulat- ing the status of cases pending appeal
 The power of the commission has been extended in various directions, over special cars, pipe lines. terminal facilities, etc. There had been no se- rious objection to such an extension, the fight centering about the court re- view feature.
 The penalty clause of the law of 1887 has been restored. There was no opposition to that. In fact. before the bill was brought into the senate Mir. Foraker who contended that the pro posed intricate legislation was unnec- essary to cure the ills complained of to prevent discriminatory acts by rail- roads, proposed the introduction of a bill imposing much more severe penal ties for the granting or accepting of rebates, and for all other acts of dis criminatlon.
 Whatever the serious differences of opinion among the senators regarding the measure, they were removed by the so-called Allison amendments. to which no objection was offered save by a small group of democratic sena- tors. The republican senators who have been vilifed and charged with being under railroad influence, readily consented to the amendments and the rest was plain sailing.
 Senator Foraker. of them, alone voted against the bill. declaring by his vote his continued belief in the super fluity of the legislation. The two dem- ocratic senators who opposed the bill as passed. or at least. Senator Morgan. had continued objections based on constitutional grounds, to certain fea- lures. Those objections had not been met by the compromise amendments.