Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-05-25
RATE BILL PASSES SENATE
AFTER A LONG AND SENSATION.
AL CONFLICT OF INTERESTS.

Only Three Votes Against Amended
Measure-The Question of Veracity
Raised-Hints of Treachery silenced
Brief History of the Bill.
The muchamended Hepburn railroad
rate bill was finally passed by the sen.
ate at Washington late Friday after.
noon, by n vote of II to 3, after hav-
ing been before that body nearly three
months. The three votes against the
bill We're east by Senator Foraker Of
Ohio, the only republican recorded in
opposition, and the two octogenarian
democrats from Alabama, Senator Nor.
gan and Senator Pettus. In brief
speech, just before debate was closed,
Senator Foraker declared that there
were many things in the bill which he
heartily favored, but that he was not
in accord with its basic principle of
giving the rate-fixing power to the in
terstate commerce commission instead
of to the courts. Senator Morgan said
that the law contains provisions inim-
zeal to the interests of Alabama. Sena-
tor Tillman made the final speech be-
fore the bill was put to vote. He said
the bill would mark step forward and
added:
but for the work OF Theodore Roosevelt
in bringing this matter to the attention OF
the country, we would not have had any bill
at all. 1t is true that the idea was not
his and that the demand for the legislation
was made in three democratic platforms;
nevertheless, he Seized upon the idea, and
the success of the issue is largely due to
his advocacy. I can't congratulate him on
his victory, for I think we should have had
a better BILL He expressed the opinion
that if the bill failed to give the relief
sought it would be because the people go to
sleep.
Early in the session an amendment,
offered Thursday by Senator Teller,
eliminating the words Sin its judg'
ment " from the power given to the in
terstate commerce commission to fix
rates, was adopted by vote of 80 to
"a. Senator Knox and others, in their
speeches, had declared that these words
would render the whole bill unconstitu'
tional. In the view of the interstate
commerce commission the elimination OF
these words weakens the bill and prac'
tically leaves it to the courts to fix
rates. This view is shared by most adj
ministration senators, and is rated as
the view of the president himself.
The bill NOW passed has received
more attention from the senate and
the country at large than any measure
that has been before congress since
the repeal of the purchasing clause OF
the Sherman act in 1898. 1t was re-
ported to the senate on February 20
and was made the unfinished business
on March u. From March IL to May
4 the bill was under general discussion
without limitation on the duration OF
speeches. IS of which were delivered
For II days the bill had been under
consideration under rule limiting
speeches to Is minutes each. During
| the last week of its consideration, O
controversy arose between President
Roosevelt and certain senators in
which the question of veracity was
raised. 1t began when the presiden,
accepted the Allison amendment instead
of insisting on the Long amendment
Senator Rayner of Maryland contended
that this authorized the broadest posi-
BILE court review.
~ congratulate every railroad president
| in the United States and his grand retinue
~ counsel upon the great triumph they have
attained he said; unfortunately, th'
president is so constituted that he canno
| look at a trap without fooling with tnt
spring Last week he got in and theh II
| Al h, 1rApt ~
some way he got out. But then ne kept or
looking at the trap and walking around y
and in and out of it, until now ne is caugh
beyond hope of escape.
Senator Bailey of Texas declared
that the president had completely sur
rendered to Senator Aldrich and the
conservative republicans in the matter
of court review. Senator Tillman Their
made a statement in the senate cover
mo the details of his and Senator
Bailev's negotiations, through ex-Sen
otor Chandler, with President Roose
welt regarding the rate bill. me presl
dent was openly accused of having de
liberatelv violated an agreement made
With minority republicans and demo
crafts through Chandler. 1t was as
serted and backed up by writer
statement from Chandler, that th'
president had said that he mad peel
much troubled by the advocacy Oh al
unlimited court review by some OF tn
+fawvers of the senate, naming Senators
Kpox Spooner and Foraker as trying
~ iniure or defeat the bill by lngen
ions constitutional arguments, but ina
ba had come to complete disagreement
WITH them. He made this point EN-
nhatic by repetition. Chandler s writ
ten statement further declared:
latter the president had made his state
o,+ renlied that had reason to beleV
,bat most of the democrats in the sena,
,ronld sustain his limitation OF the court
nowers. hut that / was sure that MI oaiie'
and Mr.. Tllman would insist upon coupiin
with the limitation some restriction upon VI
nower of the courts to issue inluhc'iUh
a;ust the orders of the commission. De
fero had finished my statement on thi
-. tba president interrupted me, sayin
r.. nead not explain further, because
vas warmly in favor of such restricuo,
That evening I saw Mr.. Tillman ana toi
him what had occurred. ho,,
Tn regard to the statement a1ou
Senators Knox, Spooner ana ro!ahe y
SENATOR Lodge subsequently sala n
was authorized to say from the Wnit
may that it was an unqualified raise
hood Mr.. Chandler declared tnat 7
was summoned by the president 70 q,
conference and that the presldent !ot
In, he wished through him to get int
nn, with Tillman, Ballei
e con ather democratic senators. An OF
en- an;a, sta statement was then issued fror
1ha White house in the form Of tw
1 lne from the president and Alto,
letters lion' ,taaax The president said