Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-03-23
WASHINGTON Letter.
From our Regular correspondent,

(Fron our Regular Correspondent.)
| Washington, u. O.. March 17.-It
would be entertaining to know what
the President and Senator Tiilman
really think of each other. Probably
nobody will ever know exactly. But
there seems no doubt after Senator
Tillman's impassioned defense of the
bill In his personal report" on the
measure that the President has found
| by accident in the Senate a champion
| who echoes his views and who is really
| standing for the spirit of the law that
the President has set himself to have
enacted. Thus there is presented the
curious spectacle OF the President and
his bitter eet personal and political op.
ponent fighting shoulder to shout der III
the same cause Senator Tillnan has
often proved himself a fighter after
the President g own heart and his Ian
guage on the rate bill is no less logical
and infinitely harder and more rugged
that the things the President has to
say in his message as to the necessity
for rate legislation. In fact some of
the naked and unsigbted truths that
Senator Tillman exposed to view 10
bis speech are 80 vital to the interests
of everyone who has a real heart inter
est in the country that they may we'll
be reproduced. For he says that it Is
case Of finding out whether the gov
eminent can control the railroads or
whether the roads control the govern
ment and II the latter proves to be the
case there is q period Of radical reac-
ton and social revolution ahead that
may lead to bIoodshed or worse. In
the course of bis remarks Senator Till
man said: "Those who are responsible
for delay or inadequate legislation will
find that when a. last the food gates If
popular wrsth and indignation are
hoisted, there will have to be some fiue
grinding done.
The situation today brings into
prominence the fact the proposed leg
isation ia non partizan.
Ii any decision OF the Supreme Court
shall declare that Congress is pOwerless
to grant speedy relief through com.
mission, it needs no prophet to tell
what IN outburst Of surprise and III
dignation will sweep over tue country.
Whatever else Congress does or fails
to do, the producers of the country
should be relieved from such danger of
being compelled to make good the
values of Over-capitaliZed railroads as
turks in the Innocent looking and
plausible provision about, fairly re-
munerative rates.
Within the last few years the rail
roads have become transformed into
the veriest band of robber-highw aymen
who do not thurst their pistols in the
faces of their victims and demand
money or their lives-but who levy
tribute in freight rates which are as
high as the ira tfic will bear, deny ac
cess to the market, mOnopOliZe with
brazen affrontery one of the prime nee
esslties of life-coal and In every way
show their absolute contempt for the
people and the peoples rights.
I'VE should divorce absolutely the
business of transporting freight as q
public carrier and the business of pro
ducing freight to be transported.
II those who are interested in these
great properties will not consent to
wise legislation to relieve the distress
of the peOple, there Is danger OF more
radical policy and leaders coming to
the front, with the result that legisla.
ton far more drastic and dangerous
than any thing proposed in this bill,
will be speedily enacted"
The foregoing is but part of Sena-
tor Tillman's personal view as present
to being an accurate view ,eveIy house
holder who has felt himself in the grip
of the railroads through enhanced
prices Of living will realize. 1t is fiat
warning to the railroad magnates and
the owners OF the colossal fortunes that
the railroads have built up to come in
to camp and act with reasonable de-
eency lest worse thing befall them.
Whether the railroads and great IN
terests' now we'll represented in maLy
high priced seats in the Senate, WI
heed the warning, the vote on the rate
bill will make plain. The prospect for
reasonably satisfactory legislation IRE
somewhat brighter just now. Eut
there are many things that can happeu
between now and the vote On the bill.
Much pressure has been and will be
brought on individual senator's in ia
vor OF the bill. The press urs against
it has already been brought in large
rolls and there 10 more where that came
from. 1t is possible that the railroads
will see the situation in the same light
that Senator Tillman has presented 1t
and will call off their Hobbies when
they have done what they think is the
utmost they can safely attempt. AT
the same time 1t Is possible that their
eyes may have been pulled shut through
too fat feeding and il this is the case,
the legislation is sure TO be either de
layed indefinitely or else will be OF so
unsatisfactory a character that 1t might
as well not have been passed.