The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-27

StterdAcS Oh fTOuty to DC
More Harm Than One From Debs
Mr.. Lodge Makes a Plea in Supper,
OF His An,endment-Mr. Spoone.
Devoted His Attention to the Con.
st~itutional Powers of the Inferior
Courts-No Action on Request of the
House for Conference on the State.
hood Bill.
Washington, March 22.-The railroad
rate bill occupied practically all of the
time of the senate toay. There were
two speeches, n by Mr.. Lodge, and
the other by Mr.. Spooner.
Mr.. Lodge spoke in advocacy of mis-
amendment looking to the enlarge
ment Of the interstate commerce COM
mission, and in doing so replied sharp
ly to some recent utterances by Com
missioner Prouty. Referring to an in
terview by the commissioner, Mr..
Lodge spuoke first of an utterance of
Eugene Debs, and said that it was
not capable of doing so much harm
as Mr.. Prouty's statement. He outlin-
ed New England's attitude toward the
rate bill. and said that with the mile
age system established, all the manu-
facturers in the New England states
would be destroyed.
Mr.. Lodge entered upon a plea in
support of the various provisions of
his amendment, first taking up the
distribution of the commissioners
throughout the country on the basis of
the judicial circuits, when he was in
terrupted by Mr.. Tillman, who object
ed to this method of selection because
Of the Importance of the commission,
and Mr.. Foraker agreed with him,
saying that location should not be
considered in filling the commission.
"If," he said, we are going to have a
rate making commission I shall insist
upon the combining of the number to
three and that all be residents of
Washington, and free from prejudice"
AS going to show how locations
might influence action by commission
ers he cited a case in which Mr.. Glenn
ents, a member of the commission,
had written IN opinion favorable to
Rome, Ga, his own city, as compar-
ed with Atlanta in the maximum rate
case.
Mr.. Spooner devoted his attention
to the constitutional powers of the
inferior courts contending that those
courts could not be destroyed, nor
their jurisdiction taken from them.
He engaged in controversy with Mr..
Rayner over b power Of congress
to deprive the courts of the privilege
of ~suspending the findings Of the inter
state commerce commission, and the
discussion closed with the usual ex-
change of courtesies between Mr..
Spooner and Mr.. Tillman.
During the day Mr.. Beverage, as
chairman of the committee on terri
tories, asked for the appointment Of
%conferees to meet the conferees ap-
pointed by the houce on the statehood
bill.
Mr.. Foraker promptly objected to
the selection Of the senate represen-
tatives upon the suggestion Of the
chairman of the committee, saying
that that gentleman did not represent
the sentiment of the senate. The dis
position of the subject was postponed
until tomorrow.
In the course of Mr.. Sponer's argu-
ment, Mr.. Tillman interrupted with
remarks that eff the supreme court
should hold that congress has no pow
er to control the inferior courts the
people would elect a congress that
would enact legislation that would
bring relief to the people," and he pre-
dicted that in such event means would
be found of notifying the court and
securing the right of decision as, he
said, was done in the legal tender
case.
Mt. Spooner interpreted this ex-
preston to mean that eff the supreme
court did not square its opinions with
the cornfield law of the senator from
South Carolina it mus be reformed,
but teat if It's cr;aions did square
with those of thf senator, il would
not need to be reformed" He asked
Mr.. Tillman vhere he had gotten his
knowledge OF law, and the latter re-
piled with a comprehensive ave OF
the right hand. that ne had "imb.bed
it with his mothers milk"
Continuing Mr.. Spocner paid a hign
tribute to the comnlon OF the
South Carolina senator, but he adde
that the senator was apt Dy Innuen-
do and otheruis to impugn the gool
faith OF others.
THE senator does me a great
wrong" responded Mr.. Tillman,
when nc, :mag.rcs hat / assume &.
be better than t,.ars and Nj. Sipson-
err replied that he knew that in his
sober moments the senator rom
South Carolina na6e no such assump-
ton.
Mr.. Srooner undertook to take az
the thread OF the controversy with Mr
Rayner, and beginning he said:
Nov the senator from Maryland is
a great lawyer"
Mr.. Tillman broke in with the ex-
clamation, And yet you two greal
lawyers are standing here and pulling
wool over te~chnicalities."