The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-04-06
Senator AlIison's Tart
Reply to Ohioan Who
Asks About Confer
ence With the Presi-
dent Over Rate Bill.
Senator Long is Forced
to Admit the Purported
Administration Meas
ure was Really Of His
Own RandiwOrk.

uT6 was H0d!iY Oh tbs
Own Randiworl<.
Washington, April 3.-During a spir-
tied debate in the senate on the rail-
road rate question this afternoon MIR.
Long, of Kansas, who had been adyo-
eating acceptance of what has been
generally characterized as the admin
istrations judicial review compromise
amendment, was forced by the cross
questioning of leading Republican and
Democratic senators to announce that
the provision had not been drawn up
at the white house. 1t was with much
reluctance that MIR. Long discussed the
conference with the president but he
stOutly maintained that the amend
ment, which was aimed to prevent gen
suspension of rates fixed by the COM
mission under interloCutory DEGREES,
was his own idea and that he had
merely consulted with the president
and a few others about it.
Mr.. Allison explained the meeting
at the white house as conversation ana
tartly gave Mr.. Foraker, of Ohio, to
understand that it was a private one
and that he had no right to press
his request for information as to what
was said. The excited Colloquy really
started while Mr.. Long, in a prepared
speech, was defending the Hepburn
bill
FORAKER INQUISITIVE.
Mr.. Foraker interrupted to inquire
what the senator meant by the term
Justly remunerative" as applied to
a rate fixed by the commission.
THAT is for the committee to de-
termine, replied Mr.. Long.
1T is for the senate to determine"
emphaticaIly declared the Ohioan.
The senator from Kansas insisted
that the question was a judicial and
not a legislative function
Mr.. Culberson, of Texas, wanted to
know if Mr.. Long would object to
striking from the Hepburn bill the
words fairly remunerative" where
they referred to the character of rate
to be fixed by the commission.
Il would not object" replied Mr..
Long.
Mr.. Aldrich, of Rhode Island. want
ed to know whether the courts could
be prevented from inquiring into all
the facts bearing upon the question
as to whether the rate was proper and
legal
Mr. Long declared that any attempts
to prevent courts from inquiring into
the confiscatory character of a rate
would be unconstitutional but he could
not agree with the senator from
Rhode Island as to congress not haV-
Ing the right to limit the sort of a
rate that should be inquired into.
BAILEY ENTERS
Mr. Bailey, of Texas inronically in
quired whether the term fairly re-
munerative" had been discussed at the
recent white house conference, at |
which he said, he understood the Kan
sas senator was present.
As Mr.. Long was about to reply, |
MI Allison arose, Mr.. Bailey imme-
diately turned to him. The senator
from Iowa, believe, was also one
Of those at the conference" he ex-
claimed. q would be glad to hear
from him"
Mr.. Allison, somewhat embarrassed;
over the laugh that went up, declared |
that he went to the white house Sat- |
urday upon invitation of the president
and that to his knowledge the question
as to what the Justly remunerative"
embodied was not discussed.
Mr.. Bailey retorted that he had read |
that conference had been held at |
the white house between the president, |
several senators and members of the |
interstate commerce commission, and |
that a judiciary review amendment
had been prepared and approved and
that the senator from Kansas had been
selected to introduce it in the senate
In view of the failure of the senator
from Kansas to acquaint the senate,
he said. he was inclined to accept 1t
as a fact that the question of fairly
remuneratiye rate was not considered.
Mr. Long declared that the amend
ment which he had introduced had
been prepared by friends of rate reg
ulation and that 1t had been considered
at the white house but that it had
not been prepared there. He saw
no objection to the president inviting
friends to confer with him. He ssid
that the constitution provides the
method by which legislation was to be
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