The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-02-23
HINGES ON COURT REVIEW
President Looks TO Knox For
Opinion on Rate Bill.
CONSTITUTION MAY COVER CASE
DANGER OF THE SITUATION LIES
IN ROOSEVELT BEING WRONG.
LY ADVISED.


out of the way, Washington will get
down to serious affairs of state Next
week will witness another effort on
the part of the opposing railway rate
forces to get together in the senate
committee on interstate commerce in
support of a bill which the president
will approve.
Until the president can be heard
from in some expression that will indi-
cate whether he will consent to the in
serting in the bill something providing
expressly for a court review, the OPP
posing forces will stand pat. The pres
ident has never opposed court review
of the commissions acts, and he does
not oppose it now.
Everything will depend upon the
working of the court review part of the
bill. Aldrich, Elkins, Kean, Foraker,
Moody, Taft, Root, Knox-none of
these has yet put into written form
his court review ideas, and so there
is nothing definite thus far to which
to talk. If proper review section is
proposed, or one that the president
thinks is proper, he will approve it;
otherwise, he will not approve.
The Views of CIapp.
1t may be said in this connection
that Senators Clapp and Dolliver, who
are standing out in the senate commit
tee for the Hepburn bill as it went
through the house also believe as law
yers that ample review is afforded by
the federal constitution, and that it is
unnecessary to provide for it specifi-
cally in the rate law. The other side
disputes this, and demands some spe-
cific provision for review.
If, in the end, the president becomes
satisfied with review section, and ex-
presses a wish that it be incorporated
in the bill, thus making it a part of
the administration program, Clapp and
DOlliver will fall into line, although at
present they are standing out manful-
ly.
The president agrees with their con-
tention in the main, and would like to
see the Hepburn bill become a law
But at the same time, if a court review
section that is not destructive Of the
main purposes of the bill can, by it's
acceptance, grease the way for the bill
in the senate, the president will be dis
posed to accept it.
Wedding Out Process.
1t is thought that Moody. Taft and
Root will, some time next week, sub
nit their review opinions to the presi-
dent in writing, and that various sena-
tors will do the same thing. With
this specific information before him,
the president will begin the work of
wedding out and amendment until he
finally reaches a section that will suit
his position. This section will then
be submitted to such men as Taft,
Moody, Knox, Clapp and Dolliver and
their opinions asked concerning it,
Substantial unanimity among these
men will bring about the PRESIDENT
approval. and the lack of it will prob
ably compel him to stand by the Hep
burn bill
The senate committee, as is known,
did not reach a vote on the rate bill
at its meeting Friday. This fact was
due to several causes, among them
Senator Tillman's illness and Senator
Cullom's absence from the city. The
chief cause, however, was the desire
| Of the president that nothing be done
| in the way of registering committee
| opinion until the return to Washington
of Senator Knox. Knox came back
yesterday afternoon, and it is believed
! that he will have his court review
views prepared in legislative form in
| a day or two. The president wanted
the committee to have the benefit of
| these views before roll call and the
committee, therefore, consented to ad-
J journ yesterday without a test of
strength