Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-07
LAST DAY Of DEBATE
Closing the Discussion on the
Railway Rate Bin.
BoURKE COCHRAN FAvoRs II
The Only Means to Check Public
0wnership.
BoURKE COCHRAN FAv0Rs IT
NORTHERN SECURITIES CASE
Mr. Mann Says Reference to Passen-
ger and Sleeping Cars Omitted
to Avoid Southern Opposition.

Iner0 was no 0cfdy Ifom pfctiNiiHdiy
business In the House today. the railroad
rate bill being taken up at II o'clock and
the last day of general debate was begun
The program included speeches by Mr..
Bourke Cochran IN. ". Mr.. Mann uii),
Mr.. williams (Niss.) and Mr.. Hepburn
tIowa)
A short speech in favor of the bill by
Mr.. Bankhead (Ala.) preceded Mr.. Cock
ran, who was limited to an hour and a
quarter. Mr.. Cochran announced his posi-
ton in favor Of the bill. While he did not
consider 1t a panacea for all evils, 1t was
a. most wholesome manifestation of
unanimous public determination to deal
with the rate evil. 1t was the only means
by which public ownership. the most plaus-
ible argument Of the socialist, could De
stopped and checked.
Mr.. Cochran had been speaking but
few minutes when he had full audience
on the floor and the galleries were also
occupied to their capacity Mr.. Cochran
gave simple analyses of favoritism and dis
elimination to show its inherent injustice.
Favoritism was always granted corruptly.
"Sir." he continued. 1.-THE history Of rail-
road management IN this country Is the
history of favoritism. of corruption and Of
fraud" In spite of this he would not say
the railroads had not rendered enormous
as they should be. HIS next assertion was
that railroad influences dominated both
political parties.
Illustrating this, he showed how the rep
resentatives of wealth ignored the courts
and dominated state administrations The
very court which had dropped the proceed
ings against H. II. Rogers had the next day
issued most vigorous injunction against
striking prfnters
Northern Securities Case Reviewed.
In this connection he reviewed the North
ern Securities decision which. he said, de-
clared criminals and conspirators those re-
sponsible for that combination. Hartman
and Morgan. he said, quarreled over the
control of several railways in the north
west which threatened to interfere with
their plumber. The President directed an
action against them. The court declared
conspiracy.
what was the RESULT" he asked. 1T
was to reduce the control OF these prop
critics from two to one When they came to
distribute the stocks Hartman had been
eliminated. Morgan was supreme. A more
perfect conspiracy was perfected through
the decision Of the court itself. And the
stock which was selling at 500 to $lO2
when the decision was pending. sold Tor
$160 after 1t was announced, thus enrfchlng
the conspirators, who walked out OF court
just $240. 600 COO richer for having been con-
victed." D
The fact that no criminal proceedings had
been begun was dwelt on at some length,
and the HALL sentence of Debs and the con-
viction of two senators for mere 1ndiscre-
! tons contracted Compliments were pald
to Rockefeller. 'at once the richest ana
nest despised of our whole population:
The most effective feature of the bill. he
maintained. was the popular disposition
back of 1t, the next was its publicity
feature.
Universal applause greeted Mr.. Cockran's
close, and after the informal congratulatory
reception to him had conciuoeo MT. Nlann
Qll) took the floor.
Passenger and Sleeping Cars.
Expressing some reticence at doing SO.
Mr.. Mann said he would explain why the
Bill contained nothing relating to passenger
and sleeping car rates.
I'VE have a bill which will pass this and
the other body: we did not want to array
the southern senators against the bill and
open UP In this body the question of sep
arate ears for whites and blacks in the
south"
AS to passes, he said, the old interstate
commerce act prohibited free Transports
ton, and the present bill did not interfere
with that.
Mr.. Williams, the democratic floor leader.
who followed Mr.. Mann presented a host
of congratulations on the RATE bill. He
took up In turn In his fluctuations the
democratic members of the committee re-
porting the bill, the whole COMMITTEES, the
democratic party, the republican party, the
President and the country.
Mr. Williams said he hoped the House
would remain in session until next Decem-
Der before It would yield any amendment
Mr.. Hepburn followed Mr.. Williams with
the speech closing the debate