Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-04-14

| poets OF the rate Diils ana mas frank
ly told them that as at no time has he
considered the movement a partisan
one. ne would like very much TO Sc
j cure assurances of their cO-opera-
ton with the other supporters Of
. effective legislation.
He called attention to the fact
! that the DOliver-Hepburn bin was
/ reported from the Committee on In
I terstate Commerce by the votes OF
all the Democratic members and Of
| only three OF the Republican mem
| bers: that Il was intrusted 20 the
! management of q Democrat, and
! that he. therefore. was constrained
| % believe that il had the favor OF
| Democrats as we'll as Republicans
| What assurances the President re-
| Ccived an detail from mis- Democratic
callers cannot be stated at this time
I though 10 is known i'm a general
way that they gave him 20 under
stand that they desired 20 see effec-
/ tive legislation at this session on
the subject OF the Federal regula-
tiun OF transportation charges.
One Of the Democratic Senators
. told him. IN response to the direct
question as to how the minority
side OF the Senate stood. that be be
lieved three or four OF them were
opposed outright 90 any and al &C
ton OF the kind provided for I'm the
House bill. and that probably a.
mong this number were Mr.. Cor
man and Mr.. Morgan.
While no direct invitation has as
yet been extended TO Mr. Bailey.
/ who, in the absence of Mr German.
is the active floor manager of the
minority, 20 visit the White House.
/ it is understood that the President
would De pleased 90 confer with tae
Texan In his capacity as the Demo
cratic leader. IL is considered i'm
probable. however. that Mr. Bailey
viii go TO the White House ON this
or any other subject unless he
should receive a direct summons
from the President
AS I'm previous conferences. MI
"Blunderbuss' TiIman is being
left out OF it If we are TO believe
the following report:
MT Tillman. who has charge of
the bill. has not been asked 90 par
tcipate in the conferences at the
White House. though 90 IS very we'll
known that the President would
Ike 20 discuss the whole subject
with the South Caroliniau. for
whose honesty AND frankness he
mas a high regard
When asked yesterday NJ he
would go 20 the White House NJ
the President should invite him.
Mr.. Tillman replied in effect that
there was not likely 90 arise any
necessity which would call aim In
90 close conference with the Presi-
dent; that Mr. Roosevelt certainly
knew how ne stood on the rate
question. and that they could effec-
lively cooperate without his going
TO the White House for a personal
interview.
President Roosevelt seems to
think that ne can omciate as leader
OF both the Republican and the
Democratic parties nt the same time.
lie will find himself grievously mis-
taken In this. The Richmond. Va.
Times-Dispatch correspondent In
the issue OF that journal OF the eth
inst. says:
IT. is safe 90 assume that the
President thought when he made
this great concession Ia the matter
.of a court review. that ne would
break the ranks OF those Republi-
can Senators who were fighting the
bill SO bitterly. but the event has
shown that he was sadly mistaken
The so-called railroad senator's"
are still as bitterly opposed 60 the
bill as they We're months ago. The
hope undoubtedly cherished by the
President OF being able 20 secure
the enactment OF the law by Repub-
iican votes, has been dashed. He
had been told many times in the
past that this was impossible. but
he refused 20 believe IL. Time and
again has the Republican majority
this session refused TO be led or
driven into supporting measures
on which the heart OF the President
was set but Mr.. Roosevelt persisted
in believing that his influence and
prestige were still sufficient to car
Try through his great scheme OF
governmental rate regulation.
He had found that which was ap-
parent long ago. that his party is
split wide open on the subject of
rate regulation by legislation. and
that while he is the nominal leader
or the Republican party IN this
country, his following is far from
being as large as IL was a year a
go. OF course. this applies chiefly
TO Congress. II is problematical
whether IL has been decreased in
the country at large. among the
masses Of the voters.
This indicates that there are
Railroad Senators" on both sides
of the Chamber who are playing
hide and seek" with him In his
efforts 10 curb the power OF the
railroads and 10 secure favorable
legislation for the shippers. He
should have realized that corpora
lions know no party and that they