The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-03-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.


months decided Friday by vote of
six to five to report the bill to the Senate
without amendment. They attach rec.
ommendatiou that the bill be acted upon
favorably by the Senate but leave to the
Senators the right to individually support
any amendment to the bill that they may
see fit. This practically throws the en-
tire subject of rate legislation into the
Senate. 1t takes from the report of the
Committee that force which would have
characterized it had the Senators of the
Committee voted to report the bill with
out the reservation for amending it aud
leaves the whole responsibility with the
Senate. According to this program every
Senator is as free in the course he will
pursue in the Senate as those who have
not been on the Committee and the con-
clusion of the work of the Committee is
considered rather farcical. After heat
ed discussion as to who would report
the bill to the Senate on Monday it was
decided to leave that honor to Senator
Tillman of South Carolina. The debate
on the bill in the Senate will be begun
Monday and will continue indefinitely
Previous to the action ofthe Committee
considerable confusion in the rate stua-
ton was created Thursday when Senator
Knox introduced new and complete
bill covering the subject of rate legislation.
Owing to the intimacy of the President
AID Senator Knox the latter is generally
re garded as the mouth piece of the Adj
ministration. The President has already
been quoted generally as satisfied with
the Hepburn bill though he hoped 1t was
said for an amendment giving specific
provision for review by the courts of the
contested decisions. Therefore the action
of Senator Knox in presenting an entirely
new bill gave rise to speculation and
gossip. 1t was evident that Mr.. Knox
had decided to follow his own Judgment
in the matter regardless of what the Pres
ident actually wished or was popularity
supposed to wish. Gossip with reference
to Mr. Knox's decision to ''go it alone"
has it that the President offended the
Senator by referring to the present At
torney General an amendment which the
latter had proposed. Senator Knox who
is ex-Attorney General of the Adminstra-
ton is said to have resented the idea that
Mr.. Moody should edit his work and de-
cided to present bill of his own and one
which was not favorable TO the Presidents
views on the subject.
~
The passing of the pure food bill by
the Senate was in reality case of white
feather" all along the line. The bill
passed by vote of g to 4 and was great
triumph for the public. 1t has been well
known that the Senate was opposed to
the passage of the bill because of the
damage it would do the personal interest
of many of the members, but the public
clamor has arisen to such an extent that
the bill carried and for once the Senate
went down before popular demand.
The bill provides for sweeping reforms
in the preparation and packing of food
stuffs and requires such labelling as will
make it possible for consumers to know
precisely the ingredients of articles they
buy. One of its principal objects was the
breaking up of the so called patent medi-
cine industry, which has in reality long
flourished as an alcohol and dope" bus
mess and under which the new law requir-
ing all bottles or packages to bear in full a
statement of their contents must be great
ly suppressed. The bill seriously affects a
great variety of industries which have
thrived alone by the receptions they were
able to practice upon the public and some
of these industries were of such wealth
and power that they were powerfully
represented in the Senate by prominent
Senators The work of the magazines
and newspapers though in exposing them
has led to the food of demands from the
public for reform laws which carried the
bill to favorable conclusion.
~
Washington's birthday was the occa-
sion of two notable addresses delivered by
members of the Presidents Cabinet
which have caused wide discussion at the
Capital Secretary Taft speaking in Chi
cago before the Union League club urged
at considerable length the need ola larger
and mroe efficient army in this country.
He dwelt with emphasis upon the policy
of being prepared for war in order that
peace might be ensued aud denounced the
parsmony and prejudice which opposed
establishment of an army large enough
to protect in case of need the interests OF
the United States At the same time
! Secretary Bonaparte of the Navy was in
Baltimore using the same quotations
from Washington to urge the creation OF
a larger navy that Secretary Taft had