The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-16
DEMOCRATS WILL MAKE
 REPUBLICANS TOE MARX
AN ADEQUAKE RAILROAD BTLL OR ONE OF THEIR
 OWN

Issue Before the Senate Comnittee--
 Neither Side Knows the stren.th of
 the Other--PrincipaI Trouble Over
 question of Judicial Review--Agree-
 ment to Vote on the Measure To-day
 The Members Insist on an Amend.
 Ment.
 washington, Feb. .15.--Agreement to vote on a railroad rate bill to-morrow in the senate committee on interstate commerce is an issue that neither of the factions of the committee, which is divided on the question of judicial re- view or orders of the interstate com merce commission seems inclined to torce, Neither knows the strength of the other, and unquestionably the dem- ocratlc members of the committee are the balance of power, Neither of the republican factions has issued formal statements setting forth their differ ences, but the democrats in an author nave made 1t clear that an adeouafa Dill must be reported or the minority VIII have measure of it's own. Tn this statement, however, 1t is adnaittel that the democrats are divided on the cjes- ton of review.
 me members of the committee insist ing upon an amendment to the housa p!l' are Senators Elkins, AIdricn. For aker, hean and Crane, who do not be- Aeve the amendments providing for any change in the court features of the bill can be voted upon to-morrow. Senators Deliver and Clapp, the chamz pions of the house bill in it's prasan+ form are disposed to insist upon a vote. 4hey desire to have Senator Cullom pared agalnst amendment, but the con servative faction will not permit this. II the vote is postponed, as seems like " Senator Cullom may return to Washington before a vote is taken! Different reports are circulated con- Ecernlng his position, the conservatives admitting the claim that he is against an amendment that would suspend an order of the commission pending A re- view by the courts, but insisting thai he is not opposed to more moderate amendment,
 The positions will be outlined clearly to-morrow, even though a vote is not obtained. Senator Aldrich authorized a statement to this effect to-day, and said that when it is known that the conservative forces are now striving to amend the bill in a manner that will impair its effectiveness they viii 7es is, number of votes. Undoubtedly this statement will bring a response from the supporters of the bill and for tie 1lrst time the real demands of both factions will be given to the public au- thoritatively.
 Republican senators on both sides of the question were asked to-day to say just what the differences are. The re- sponses were directed to show what the differences are not. Many amendments have been circulated bearing on the court review feature, but not one of these appears to have the qualified en- donsement of all of the senators who are contending for such an amend ment. Late tonight it was stated that so far no agreement has been reached on any amendment, despite the fact that numerous conferences have been held during the day between the presi- dent, members of the cabinet and sen ators, to prepare for the compromise draft.
 Senator Aldrich, Senator Allison and Secretary Taft conferred with the pres- ident to-day concerning the alleged ne- cessity of an amendment providing for judicial review. The secretary of war has joined forces with conservative senators in declaring that such an amendment is required to make the bill constitutional,
 Attorney General Moody does not agree to this, and the president, so far as Is known, has not committed himself unalterably. It is said that he an- nounced to-day that he would AlEe to see the amendment to be proposed and to submit it to the attorney general be- fore he endorses any proposition to amend the house bill.
 At to-daly's session of the committee the members conversed generally with the unimportant provisions of the bill during the absence of Senator Aldrich at the White House When he arrived at the committee meeting and announc- ed that he had no amendment to offer it was admitted that continued ses- sion could accomplish no good purpose and consequently an adjournment was taken until tomorrow. There had been an agreement to sit throughout the day.
 Senator Bailey, who is the minority
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