The Somerset reporter., 1906-02-15
In w Washington.

The prosecution In the RECT 9lnoui
case in Washington, which has been go.
ing on for nearly two years, has ended,
and the defence is now being heard
man who had been a Mormon said, IN
passing through the endowment house,
he had taken the following oath: ~ on
and each of you do covenant, and pray
and never cease to pray God to avenge
the blood of the prophet on this nation
The oath, he said, was taken standing,
aud at the col cluslon each one taking ii
was required to bow their heads and
say: IL do
There was an occurrence in the zen
ate, Wednesday, which will not soon be
forgotten, when MIR. Patterson of Col
orado demonstrated against caucus ac-
ton compelling him to vote against the
Santo Domingo treaty. FOR twenty
Senators to order thirty one 10 surrender
their own and adopt the conscience vi
the twenty seems to be- monstrous
senator Patterson shows the instinct of
man and gentleman when he asserts
chat he must obey only his own con-
science senator Bailey uied to whip
HIM into line but 1t was no good,
An effort is being made to repeal an
old law which admits into Maine free of
duty certain lumber manufactured in
New Brunswick. The Maine Legisla-
ture adopted resolutions asking Con-
gress to repeal this law and those resO
buttons have been presented TO the SEN
ate and House respectively by Senator
Frye and Representative BurIeigh.
On Thursday the Hepburn railroad
rate bill passed the House almost unani-
mously. Three hundred and forty-six
members voted for the bill Seven, all
Republicans, voted against il Applause
greeted the announcement of the result
The bill empowers the interstate com
meroe commission to fix the freight rate 5
on railroads. A rate declared by I >
commission to be- reasonable shall e
adopted and put into operation thin :
days after notice has been given to the
railway company whose late is thus
changed and that the prescribed rate
shall continue as the lawful charge "un-
less the same shall be suspended or
modified or set aside by the Commission
or be suspended or set aside by court
of competent jurisdiction The bill
now goes 10 the Senate, where there Ia
some doubt about it's passage. 1t IL
thought that the first thing the senate
II do with it is To amend it 30 that it
shall include specific and adequate
provision for judicial review, 40 that
it may stand the test of constitutionality
in its essential provisions. On Monday
Senator Lodge spoke for two hours on
the question, taking position for gov
ernmentaI regulation of rates, but advis
ed the utmost caution against too radical
action. He expressed the opinion that
the giving of rebates was practically the
only evil existing in connection with the
railroad systems of the country.
senator La Toilette OF Wisconsin has
introduced an antipass bill. 1t pro-
hibits by penalty the acceptance OF any
railroad pass or franking privilege over
telegraph lines
The House refused to pass the whip
ping post bill, for husbands who beat
their wives.
Both branches will adjourn from Fri
day until Monday with respect TO the
White House wedding Saturday.
The statement liz made in Washington
by persons who claim to know what is
going on behind the scenes that unless
other presidential candidates bestir
themselves Vice President Fairbanks
will at no distant day have "A sufficient
number of delegates pledged to make
him a most formidable candidate for
the presidential nomination in 1905 M.
Fairbanks Ia a silent. persistent, pains.
taking worker lie has had the presi-
Dental bee in his bonnet for many years.
He was a great favorte of Pre- dent
Mckinley and many persons believe that
Mr.. Mckinley desired to see Mr.. Far
banks succeed him in the presidential
chair.