The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-25


opposed to ali sussostion OF governs
nicntaisownorahip.h
President Roosevelt respects Mr.. Till
frittii. ,n11e Ia honest md he is fighter,
he snid OF the South Carolina Senator
to-day. II am glad thcrate bill Is TO DO
In honest hands"
Democratic hands, be 1t remembered
Senator uooIliver and Representative
Townsend went to see the president to-
day. They were smiling when they came
away after conferouce of half nn
hour or 30.
SHE President is 'lc-llghted,'" said
Mr.. Dolliver, the author of n rate blu
introduced IN the Senate, exactly sim
lar to the Hepburn bill. which passed
the House. md for which Mr.. Tillman
will fight on tho floor OF tho Senate.
II didn't see any signs of gloom In
there remarked Mr.. Townsend, siiil-
ingly.
Perhaps Not So Delighted.
There IL doubt whether Senator Dolliver
lis as delighted ns he would have the
public believe. IIc based his hope of n
presidential boom OH TINT bill to regulate
railway rates. lie thought that, as the.
floor leader OF tho fight which should be.
made for II. he would be In the limelight
for several weeks, during one of the
most hotly-contestodn and spectacular leeis-
lative contests of recent years. But his
calculations miscarficd and he Is re-
duced to the position OF twirling his
thumbs. while Tillman and thirty-two
other Democratic senators, all thcreiare,
will struggle 10 sec tho administration
measure become Il law. Aldrich, Elkins
and Lodge, the redoubtable Lodge, the
whilom "moutiplece OF the adminisra-
tDf hnl Law. 49, nnr n fa,rt, nod
will be In the same position, though Dol
liver is believed to be sincerely in favor
of rate bill. I'VE of the minority may
be n perfectly opposite phrase in the
mouth of the Massachusetts senator, IN
the course of q speech on the bill. And
1t will sound upon the cars OF Democrats,
who have long had to bear the -insuffer-
able arrogance of Lodge. with q sweet
ness al! its own.
Rift in the Clouds.
1T is rift in the Clouds" said Dem
ocratic senator to-day. And the thought
was manifested in the broad smiles
wreathing the faces of Democrats
wherever found. There Is believed to
be no doubt that the sentiment of tho
country is Overwhelmingly in favor OF
governmental regulation of railroad
charges. Democrats have l,een declaring
never declared for the principle in ma
tional convention, but u decided ma
jority of them followed the President and
supported the Hepburn bill in the House, |
uniting with the solid Democratic side. |
IL the fight for the bill in the Senate |
were between Republicans alone 1t is |
extremely doubtful whether there would
be amy legislation, on the subject at all
worthy of the name. AS 1t is, the bill
hi
the Democrats, Democratic leader, and
solid Democratic support.
There seems but one thing for the
Republicans to do" said Republican
official of the Treasury Department to-
day to The Times-Dispatch correspondent.
THAT Is for them to assemble in ma.
sional convention before the Democrats
convene in 1905. adopt the Democratic
platform OF 1896, and nominate Mr. Bryan.
IL the rate I'LL does anything like as
much as 1t is. expected to do for the
shipper, such a course Is the only one
BY which the Republican party can win
Veteran Democrats, like Senator Bailey
and others say to-day they have not
been us hopeful concerning the immediate
future of the party in many years.
Not Indicate Final Shape.
The action of the Interstate Commerce
Committee in voting to report the bill
does not Indicate anything concerning the
fral shape in which 1t VIII be passed.
The resolution to report the measure
favorably contained a clause giving TO
any senator the right to amend 1t as he
may choose. SO that whether the bill
will finally contain n clause giving to
the railroads the right to appeal from
the decision of tho Interstate Commences
Commission regarding rate, the rate
fixed by the commission to go into effect
and remain the rate until the court passes
ON the case, cannot be predicted with
any greater accuracy than before the
committee took action.
Senator TIllman favors such an amend
ment, So does Senator Carmack Senator
Martin IS inclined TO the same course.
Senator Daniel, who has been out OF the
city for some days. tsabeleved TO incline
to Il review amendment.
There Ia as yet no reason TO change or
modify inany way the statement made
repeatedly in this correspondence in the
course of the past month that tho bill.
as finally enacted. will contain review
clause, as outlined above.