Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-05-08
TIE AMENDED RTE RlLL.

President Roosevelt's characters
ticly frank telegram to the legislative
committee OF the Pennsylvania Grange
declaring his positive opinion that the
Dolliver-Hepburn bill. with the ALI
son amendment, contains practically
what | have both originally and since
asked for. and If enacted into law it
will represent the longest step ever
taken yet in the direction Of solving
the railway rate question" will be
universally accepted as truly describ-
ing the practical effect Of the measure
and certainly as stating his profound
conviction regarding It.
This explicit public announcement
by the president, in exact harmony
with his prompt, authoritative state
ment when agreement among the SEN
ators was first effected on the basis
OF the Allison amendment, certifies
his satisfaction with the legislative
result and piles higher the proof, II
any further proof were needed, of his
anxiety that that result should be as
perfect as possible. For he emph lsizes
the point that the Allison amend
ment is only declaratory of what the
bill must mean, supposing it to be con-
stitutional," and indicates two other
points, though not vital ones, in which
he would be glad to see the measure
further improved by the adoption Of
the Long and Overman amendments.
Every true friend of rate and corpora
ton control earnestly shares the pres
ident's desire that pending legislation
for that purpose be brought to the ut
most perfection and enforcibility. This
is a practical matter involving wise
adjustment to legal and constitutional
conditions, and in his attitude toward
the Allison and other amendments the
president is looking to actual results
of relief from the transportation
abuses against which the great ma
tional reform movement so notably in
spired and directed by him is aimed.
1t is, therefore, not singular that
instant and violent cutlery impugning
the presidents good faith should be
| set up by reckless partisan newspaper
phase of the reform movement is on
! the point of being brought to success
| full close. 1t is all that is left to de-
signing partisanship which from the
h., a., Cot -
troll under Roosevelt republican aus
| pieces. though public interest thereby
would suffer disaster. in order that
democratic Office getting interests
might be promoted.
1t was certain that no sooner would
| the enactment of this great measure
! of public policy in perfected form be
assured than both the legislation and
President Roosevelt himself would be
assailed with virulence, misrepresenta
ton and malign imputation of motive
as has always been the tactics OF
democratic organs when republican
leadership has gone forward in emer.
gency and verify done the thing the
people demanded. But the mass o.
the people, without regard to party
lines, have confidence in Theodor,
Roosevelt. They know that it hal
required both high courage and 10y
atty in him. that only the Leadership
of such a man, backed by popular sym
pathy and support, could have brough
public control reform so far through
successful, and that with the enact
ment of such legislation the same lead
ership and support will be impera
lively necessary in order to it's en-
forcement to the full measure of eff
fciency.