The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-02
NO CHANGES IN RATE BILL Measure Sure of Passage
 bY snate. ITS oPPs GNTs ARE RESIGNED No H of Assistance From the President. F'oraker Amendment To Statehood Bin VIII Be Adopted, And santo Do- mingo Treaty And Phiiip-
 pine Measure Passed.
 

Washington, March 1.--That the rail road rate bill will be passed by the Senate practically as 1t came from the House is an admission that the op- ponents of the measure are almost ready to make It was admitted to- day that they cannot hope for any assistance from the President In get ting an amendment for judicial review 1 of orders of the interstate commerce commission. The President made this clear to Senators Crane and Spoonef today.
 The only hope left to tho opponents of the measure Is in the Democrats.
 They have not definitely determined
 what the party. position will De to-
 ward such an amendment. but if Is ad-
 mitted that more than half of the min~ ority favor passing the bill exactly as 1t came from the House.
 The task of lining up Senators on
 this subject is proceeding daily, both factions being active in this respect It Is believed that by the time the bili is taken up 1t can be determined whether there Is a possible chance for an amendment If there is not, the opponents uhhesitatingly say they will make their speeches and record their
 votes against the measure and lend
 their asitance In bringing about an early vote.
 Most Important Measure.
 The railroad rate pill for several days has been regarded as the one measure standing in the way of an ear ly adjournmen. of congress. One of the leading Republican senators, a member of the steering committee, de- clared today that the Philippine tariff bill, the statehood bill and the Santo
 Domingo treaty are all dead.
 He qualified his statement concern
 ing the statehood bill by saying that
 he meant that the friends of the bill could not pass 1t without the Foraker
 amendment providing for the submis- sion to the votes of the people of New
 Mexico and Arizona separately, the question whether they should have l joint statehoeA. A poll Of the Senate today showed that if voted upon now the Foraker amendment would win 4s Ito 40. providing the entire vote of the 1 A vote oIi the Philippine tariff bill l in committee Is sekeduled for tomor- row. A majority of tne committee is opposed to the bill, although two mem bers have not said definitely that they | are not willing to permit the bill to be reported to Senate. Only senators Lodge, Beveridge. Long. Carnnack and
 McCreary have declared their posi- tions in favor of reporting the bill. Opposing the Bill.
 Senator Hale. Burrows, Brandigee, Culberson. Dubois ana Stone are pro nounced in their opposition. while Sen ators Dick and Nixon. said to be op- posed to the measure. have been in- clined to vote to bring the bill from the committee.
 The nasty poll of the Senate taken today indicates that If brought to a vote the tariff bill would be defeated by a much larger vote than was found for the Foraker amendment to the statehood bill. Tn the event the bill is defeated in the committee the, op- ponents have expressed the inten- tion to make a motion in the Senate to have the committee discharged from further consideration or the measure and thus finally dispose of it by test vote on such a motion.
 Practically all of the Senate leaders concede that the Santo Domingo treaty will be defeated if brought to vote and the plan generally favored is to defeat the treaty as early as possible and thus avid continued discussion of it.
 Under this general program outlined by Senate Republican leaders a great amount of expected oratory would be eliminated. These leaders say freely
 that Congress will adjourn early ana
 May 1, has been named as the latest probable date.