The bee., 1906-02-01

that state of affairs by giving a
single commission power to fix
every rate in the United States
and destroy beyond recovery ev-
cry remaining vestige of compe-
tition. "He (Senator Clay) pro-
poses in the name of Democracy
and of the people TO give one
commission arbitrary power to
fix rates, not alone for the rail
roads, but for the shipper, for
you and me, aud every man in
the country" Nothing could
have better shown the improba-
bility of getting a drastic rate
law through the Upper House
than such a declaration of hcstil-
ity from the Rhode Island Sena.
tor.
The donkey and the elephant
lay peacefully down together on
Wednesday, when the House
Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce agreed on a
unanimous report Of the Hep
burne rate regulation bill. A
few days ago it looked as if the
hopes of the committee members
for such a consummation were
not to be realized. The Demo-
Gratis had almost decided to re.
port in favor of the bill intro
duced by Mr.. Davey, of Louisi-
ana, in which event the House
would have divided on strict
party lines. AT the last moment
it was decided by the majority
that unanimity was worth the
concessions it demanded and
their measure was altered to
meet Democratic objections. The
principal change consists in en-
powering the Interstate Com
merce Commission to prescribe a
"just, reasonable and fairly re-
munerative rate to be thereafter
observed as the maximum rate,n
instead of a "just, reasonable
and fairly remunerative maxi
mum rate" Another concession
was made by providing that on
appeal the court shall pass only
on the law In the case, and not
on the facts or the commission's q
findings. The revised bill will
be taken mp and passed after the
urgent deficiency bin rs out Of
the way, and the House can then
turn to the consideration of ap
preparation bills and other rou-
tine measures, having shifted to
the Senate the job of drafting a
really equitable and we'll bal
anced rate bill.
President Roosevelt believes
that the American navy, ship for
ship and man for man, can whip
anything afioat. He said so to
President Scherer, of Newberry
College. when the latter, who has
lived several years in Japan, ex.
pressed the opinion in a talk with
the President that the Japanese
fighting qualities but refused to
admit that better men or ships
than those of the United States
are afloat under any foreign flag.
DIR. Schorer surrendered at dis
cretioh and came away from the
White House to make the story
public.
The tobacco industry of the
United States need have 40 fear
of Philippine competition under
the Payne bill, according to Ed.
itor Charles III. Clark O; the
Hartford Courant. Mr.. Clark
was member of the Taft party
which visited the islands last
summer. Recently speaking of
the trip, he said-
"There has been fear that the
tobacco interests of this country
might suffer from the eompeti.
tion of the islands If tobacco
were admitted free There is no
need fearing that. It's 'thank
YOU with tine first Manila cigar,
and mo, thank you, with the
second. AT a gathering the 9TH
er evening, ! laid down some Gig
arettes made especially for our
party in Manila. A, man who
knows all about tobacco and Gig
arettes tried one. He assured
me that there was no tobacco In
it, and asked me if there were
camels in the islands.