Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-07-09

gress which began its legislative
life Dec. last than by any previous
session Of our national lawmaking
holy. Not counting the many acts IA
vorably reported to or Used by either
branch and left in a staue Of suspended /
animation. their fate 70 be determined 7
by the next session, the amount and /
character Of new laws enacted make .
the Fifty-ninth congress the milestone I
of new era in the history of Ameri- /,
can institutions.
The day of the nation has come;
state and locqI powers are on the wane
or in small favor Commercial and in
dustrial Concentration having brought
about new opportunities for abuse OF .
privilege, and the muck rakers having
walked up the public mind to the vari-
Gus existing evils, President Roosevelt
found IND this congress workable soil
for the growth of federal powers in
dealing with those evils. The impress
of the Presidents mind was given to
all the more Important remedies adopt
ed. Neither friend nor foe in the polit-
zeal arena will question the statement
that The work of the session bears the
Roos eyeltian stamp, although the DEM
ocrats all along have pointed out that
the&president was merely camping
along the trail blazed by their party
platforms. Nevertheless the presidents
Marty, being in the majority at both
dnus of the capitol, has either taken
de credit or been forced to assume re-
sponsibllity for what was done, even
SFhen aided by pemocrafic votes.
Railroad Rate Regulation.
The keynote was struck unnistaka-
Bly In the message which congress re-
#eeived at the opening of the session
namely, the insistence on federal fix
Ing OF interstate railroad rates as well
as the prevention of rebates or any
kind of special favors, Rate bills of
various kinds and descriptions were
promptly introduced in both senate
/. and house; but, the house majority be-
inc under better discipline, the bill
was more promptly Formulated there,
which was approved at the White
House. 1t was fathered by Represent
ative Hepburn of Iowa as Chairman of
the committee on Interstate commerce.
1t was so modified in the committee as
to come beforesthe house without Dem
ocratic Opposition, and after a few
days Of perfunttory discussion it was
passed on Feb. by the almost unani-
nous vote of SAG to z, the seven oppo-
nents alfbeing RqRpblicans. As passed
it gave the intesfate commerce COM
mission full power to regulate inter-
state freight tariffs without express
recognition. of the rights of appeal il
the court. This, however, was only the
foundation of the law that was to so
to the statute book.
In the senate the Hepburn bill was
destined to run the gantlet of fierce
opposition from a conservative faction
of the Republicans led by Aldrich and
Foraker and become the football of
personal and party chickering's over Q
period of three months. The main point
of the dispute was the question of c
broad or narrow court review pro
vision, and at one time. after the preSi
dents political and personal enemy
the measure, there was a tacit coalition
between the president and the minority
Later. however. the president accepts
the compromise Allison amendment
uu9n which his party associates ha
agreed. vestiIg jurisdiction in the Gil
cult courts t. enj0in. set aside, amt
or suspend any order of the commits
sion on appeal of the carrier concerned
1t was ut this time that the Democrat
leaders charged the president with ba
faith on the strength of representation
said to have been made through e!
Senator Chandler. Finally the bill
with sixty-Seven amendments, passe
the senate May IS by a vote of II to
Still further changes were made
conference thereafter. Tie senate COZ
ferees held out against the house pr
posal to drop the clause placing pip
lines under federal control. As tn
was finally agreed to by senate AN
house. the pipe lines are to be regaT,
ed as common carriers, but are NJ
prohibited from carrying their ow
products. Railroad and railway ma
employees are exempted from the ant
pass amendment. The president sigl
I'd the bill June %.
Investigations and Inspections.
In both branches bills were intr
duced early authorizing investigation
of the railroad monopolies, and con
bination of these known as the Tillmal
Gnlespie-Canpben measure passed Il
house Jan. % and, though signed /
the president was sharply criticised I
him for not carrying funds and due a
thority The money was appropriate
later and under this authority the
terstate commerce commission has ;
ready unearthed a vast amount
craft and crookedness in railroad 81
oil industries.
The pure food BILL winch passed {
Senate Feb. 81. 63 to 4. was also
line with this federalizing tendenC
Ii did not pass the house until June
24O to II. and then WITH a number
/, n, ~, u, i~G fir