The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1906-02-15

road freight rates. The ex-
hilaratng spectacle is present
| ed of unanimous report from the
great committee on Interstate and for
eign commerce thing the like OF
which has rarely happened in congress
but. as a matter of fact. while Presi-
dent Roosevelt advocates such leglSla-
tion it is well not to forget that that IL
lustri0us Democrat of Texas, Judge
John II. Reagan is really the father of
it. Things move so fast in our day
that people are likely to forget. BY
some sort of legerdemain Senator Shell
by NJ. Cullom managed TO fasten his
name to the bill and las been struttng
around in his borrowed plumage ever
since. Nevertheless the fact remains
that Judge Reagan set the ball in mo-
ton. That the house will pass the bill
by n practically unanimous vote is al
most certain. What the senate will do
in the premises is another stOry-per-
hapS most important one. The truth
is that by the time this letter is in
print the senate will have before it
four propositions pregnant with re-
suits: a. The Santo Domingo treaty;
(2) the Philippine tariff bill: CD the
statehood bill; a. the railroad regula
ton bill. There is much of political
possibility in those four measures.
| That thai Il .,,tl
and break many political fortunes
there can be little doubt. Several
presidential possibilities will be pos.
stbilities no more when these measures
are settled. Others not now considered
in the running will be forging TO the
front and paving up the ground.
Should all four OF those bills be de
feated by any cOncatenaton of events
1t will be body blow to the admins
tration, for they are essentially ad-
ministration measures; at least they
have been urged by the president The
Santo Domingo treaty Is particularly
his handiwork-got up Ia what seems
To be In the very teeth of senatorial
aud public opinion. Even certain sen-
ators who will vote for its ratification
deem II dangerous performance and
heartily wish that it may he defeated
A Democratic Victory.
The Republicans have a majority Of
ll2 in the house of representatives
consequently ii is almost impossible for
the Democrats to score victory over
them IN voting. Nevertheless we accom-
plished that difficult feat on Monday,
Jan. 90, and. as our Victories in voting
are likely TO be few and far between
during this congress. this one is well
worth describing IN full, especially as
ii was on an important point The Re.
publicans have poured many verbal
broadsides into the trusts, but there
has always been distrlist IN the public
mind touching their sincerity in that
regard. What follows throws much
light on that point.
| Monday, Jan. 20. Mr.. Gillespie of
| Texas, Democrat, called up the fol.
lowing resolution, which, he claimed,
WAS privileged:
Resolved. That the president of the
| United States be, and he is hereby re-
| qnssted to report to the house OF repre-
| ssntstiyes for its informa ton all the facts
! within the knowledge OF the interstate
| commerce commission which show or
tend 10 show that there exists at this
| time or heretofore within the last twelve
| mDnIhk has e visited "a MT IN, nr
| rangement between the PENNSYLVANIA
| Railroad company, the PENNSYLVANIA COM
, pany, the Norfolk and Western Railway
| company, the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
| road company, the Philadelphia. Balti-
| more and Washington Railroad company.
| the Northern Central Railway company
| and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
| company, OF any two or more of said
| railroad companies. In violation of the
! act passed July 3 1880 and entitled "An
! act 10 protect trade and commerce against
| unla~ful restraints and mOnopOlies" or
| acts amendatory thereof.
J Before the Republicans seemed TO
comprehend the import Of the resolu-
ton the speaker declared that II had
passed. Thereup0n Mr. Dalzell of
Pennsylvania and other Republicans
got busy very suddenly. After some
discussion as TO the legislative status
OF the resolution Mr. Dalzell moved 10
reconsider the vote by which II had
been passed. Mr.. Gillespie moved to
lay OH the table Mr.. Dalxells motion
TO reconsider and demanded the yeas
and nays. which were ordered BY
that time there was great confusion on
the Republican side and much rushing
about 10 find out what the resolution
meant and also to nnd out whether to
vote yea or nay, with congressional
election only nine months in the dis
tance. Several OF them took to the
brush. while some two dozen or more
voted with the Democrats. thereby en-
abling us 10 table, the Dalzell motion
by vote OF 100 to 93. 80 Gillespie
won out.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Combine.
asked him TO give me his reasons
In f.2l for offering the resolution. aud
here they are. He said:
My reasons for introducing house reso-
luton No. lb7. which passed the house OF
| representatives today. are as follows: Ths
| supreme court IN the Northern Securities
| Gaze, stated one OF the propositions of
| law AZ follows: That every combination
| OF conspiracy which would extinguish
se.npstitiol between otherwise competing