The National tribune., 1906-02-22
THE RAILWAY RATE BILL.

The Hepburn Bin has now been be-
fore the Senate Committee for nearly
two weeks. during which time il has
been a matter of tremulous interest to
the Committee and the Senators. All
of the Senator'S have views more or less
pronounced as to what legislation is
needed. but they are expressing these
views with considerable care and an
eve at once upon the White House and
the country. The look toward the
White House is probably the more in
tense. since there is q growing convic-
ton that the Presidents position is a
certain index of the popular feeling.
The present alignment seems to be on
the question of revision. and upon this
there is a well-defined demarcation in
the Committee. and it looks as if this
would extend to the Senate and be the
line of battle there. The railroads seem
to be fighting for what is termed the
Review Amendment That is. that the
courts shall be authorized to review the
decision of tie Interstate Commerce
Commission. and suspend such order
until 1t can be thoroughly examined.
There is no provision for a review in
the Hepburn Bill. but the supporters of
that bill have contended that such a
power resided in the courts without any
| specification. 1t was something inher-
ent in our form of Government. Every
| man or corporation has. in the --nry ma
ture of things. a right to appeal to the
court against anything which he con-
| siders unjust The railroads insist that
| the right to appeal shall be actually
stated in the bill. and there probably
will be an accession to this demand
with the President consenting and Sc
| ecting Senator Knox to write the
amendment This is very delicate
matter, as the opponents Of the review
| clause fear that it will be taken to pre-
vent the operation of the order of the
| Interstate Commerce Commission unit
| the time has passed for which reliet
| was asked. For example. it NAV be all
| important to rush an immense lot OF
wheat to market to meet some emer-
eency. or the same may be true y
regard to cotton or pigiron. The rail.
road takes advantage of the needs o
| the shippers to greatly raise the rates
| The shippers appeal to the Interstate
| Commerce Commission for modifica
| ton of the rate. and the Commissioz
| issues the required order. to which tn
| railroad replies by an appeal to th'
court suspending ~" Commissions ac
| ton. Before the courts can act upoI
| the matter the emergency may har
passed. the demand for those goods ha
been filed. the railroads have been vic
torious in exactinp the rates and
shippers have been mulcted. This I
what the anti-reviewists seek to guar
against. Any poll of the Senate vii
| regard to measure before that bod
must ALWAYS be received with the great
est caution. but the following is give
out as the most likely way in which II
Senators stlnd at present:
For review-Messrs. Aldrich. AlgeT
Alice. Ankenv. Brandegee. Bulkeley
Burkett. Burnham. Burrows. Carter
Crane. Depew. Dick. Dillingham;. Dry
den. Elkins. Flint. Foraker. Fulton
Frye. Gallinger. Hale. Hansbrough
Hepburn. HOPKINS. Kean. Kittredge
Knox. Lodge. Penrose. Perkins. Piles
Platt, Proctor, Scott, Spooner, Warrel
and Wetmore-a total of SO. and al
Republicans.
Against review-Messrs. Bacon. Bail
ey Berry. Blackburn. Carmack. ClaDr
Clark of Montana. Clarke of Arkansas
Clay. Culberson. Cullom. Daniel. Dolli
ver Dubois. Frazier. Gearin. German
La Toilette. Latimer. McCreary. McLau
rim. Mallory. Money. Nelson. Newlands
Overman. Patterson. Rayner. Simmons
Stone. Taliaferro. Teller and Tillman-
total of 35- md all Democrats excep
Messrs Clapp. Cullom. Dolliver. l.
Toilette and Nelson. Republicans.
Doubtful-Messrs. Allison. Beveridge
Clark of Wyoming. Foster. Gamble
Hemenway. Long. Martin. McCumbeI
McEnerv. Millard. Morgan. Nixon. Pet
tus SmOot. Sutherland and Warner
total of IT. and all Republicans excep
: Messrs. Foster. Martin McEnerv. Nor
gan and Pettus. Democrats.