The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-03-01
A SENATORIAL BOOMERANG.

tory OF the senate was brought about
last Friday by the action Of "The Big
Five"-Senators Elkins Foraker, Aid
rich, Kean and Crane. As is we'll
known, these gentlemen have been
steadfastly and warmly opposed to the
burn Railroad Bill through the Senate
precisely as 1t came from the House.
without amendment or alteration of
any kind. Reasons as plentiful as
blackberries in June have been freely
given for their fervent opposition. Here
are a few Of those alleged. from which
the reader may select what fits with
his knowledge of the Senator's and his
opinions as to the motives which con-
troll them:
1. Pride Of authorship i'm bills and
amendments Of their own, which they
wanted legislatively recognized;
2. Intimate connections with great
railroad interests opposed to any re-
strictive legislation;
3. Dissatisfaction with the Presidents
dictatoriaI attitude toward Congress
and especially the Senate;
4. Jealousy of Senator Dolliver. whom
the President had made his represen-
tatfve I'm the matter. to the exclusion of
some who thought that they should be:
5. Jealousy Of the House taking the
lead in this important matter, and rele-
eating the Senate's part to mere regis
tration of It's will.
The list could be extended Indefinite
~, but these will suffice The affair
opened in the Senate Committee on In
ter-State Commerce, of which Senator
EIkins. of West Virginia, is Chairman.
and which has been bordering over q
bill by the Chairman since some weeks
before the opening Of the session. Be-
sides Mr.. Elkins's own bill. nearly
every Senator has had a bill Of his own,
and those who hadn't bills had amend
ments in plenty for everybody else's
bills. The Democratic members Of the
committee, having no ghost of a show
for any bills Of their own, had cunning
ly decided that their best play was to
claim that the Hepburn Bill was stolen
Democratic thunder, and that the Pres
ident had come over to ground they had
marked out and occupied long ago.
Senator Dolliver, holding in his hand
telegraphic proxy from Senator Gull
lom, in Florida, moved that the Com
mittee Immediately and favorably re-
port the Hepburn Bill to the Senate
without amendment. The votes of
cullom. Dolliver and Clapp (Republi-
cans) and Of Tillman, McLaurin. Car
mack, Foster and Newlands Demo
crats) were recorded in favor of this
proposition, and the eight votes pre-
vailed over the five adverse votes of
Elkins, Aldrich, Foraker, Kean and
Crane, all Republicans.
Then Senator Aldrich hurled a re-
taliatory hand-grenade at Senator
Dolliver and the President, by moving
that the Hon. Benjamin Riley Tillman,
of South Carolina, be selected to make
the report. Senator Elkins nominated
showed AIdrich. Foraker. Kean, Crane
and McLaurin voting for TilIman, and
Elkins, Clapp, and Newlands for DOL
liver. Dolliver and Tillman did not
vote.
The announcement set Washington in
a hubbub. Tillman has been the bitter
enemy of the President ever since four
years ago. when the President recalled
his invitation to great function, and
has never missed an opportunity to
pour out the Walls Of his wrath on the
Chief Magistrates head, His recent
very vicious speech on the Mrs. Morris
affair is fresh in the memory of all.
to introduce and manage the leading
measure of the Administration was, to
say the least, startling. That it should
be Tillman-well, words fail.
The Republican Senators who did this
may feel satisfied, but we can assure
them that their constituents will not.
They will probably have to take up
much time in the future in making ex-
plantations.
AS for Senator Tillman and the Dem
ocrats, they are naturally making the
most of 1t, as they have the right to do.
They have already assumed quite high
ground. To their original claim that
the bill was Democratic proposition,
they now add that it is in their hands,
and it's success will be to their credit.
Senator Tillman says that he has no
need to have any consultation with the
President about it. The President
views are we'll known. They have been
frequently expressed at great length,
and If he has anything more to say, he
has every facility Of communicating
with Congress.
While the President is incensed at the
action Of the Senator's. he puts the best
face he can on the matter, and SAYS
that Tillman is strong, bold fighter,
who comes out in the open, and his
management Of the bill Will be all that
can be expected from any one.
The complaint against women and
preachers is that they have no discrim-
nation as to adjectives and hurl their
strongest at anything that may excite
a passing condemnation. This is illus
trated by the Rev. Sidney Strong. Of