The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-25
MIR PULLMAN IALKS OF BILL Says It is Now a Non- Partisan Measure. AMENDMENTS ARE SUGGESTED Elkins Believes That Bill Win Pass
 the Senate. President fs Pleased and Says He is Well satisaed with the Selection
 of south Carolina Senator to
 Make the Report.
AMENDMENTS ARE SUGGESTED

Washington, Feb. 24.-Yesterdays railroad rate problem in the Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce continue to be the uppermost topic about the capitol.
 Senator Tillman, to whom was so un- expectedly assigned the duty Of re- | porting the bill, was detained at his home by illness, but his colleagues were in frequent communication with him over the telephone. He told them | that he had a slight cold but felt no doubt that he would be able to ap- pear in his seat in the Senate Mon day, when he would report the bill as directed by the committee. The un- expected assignment of MT. Tillman to this duty received as much attention as the sudden determination to report the bill. The members of the committee were full of "reminiscences of the meeting | and not the least interesting of these was the story of the details of MT. Tillman's selection. His name was pro posed. as has been stated, by Senator l Aldrieh, but he was not mentioned Tn 1 that connection until after considera- ble discussion of the advisability of se- l lecting some one else for the service. | The first intention was to confer the honor upon Senator Cullom as the old | est member of the committee, but
 when he cast his fortunes with the Eadvocates of the straight Hepburn-Dol liver bill the majority of the Republt- cans manifested an inclination to drop him, and Senator Eikins, chair man of the committee, was suggested. Selection of TiIlman. Senator Ciapp then made the point that a supporter of the bill should be
 chosen to report it to the senate ana
 take charge of it there. Senator AL drich, representing the five Republi- | can opponents of the measure, tmnle- diately fell In with this suggestion and
 said that he thought that MT. Tiliman 1 should assume the duty as the senior
 Democratic member Of the committee. MT. Clapp nominated Senator poliiver' 1 but Senator Tiliman was chosen.
 Speaking today of Mir. Ttuman's se- l lection. Senator AIdrsch expressed great 1 satisfaction. saying that under the cir | cunstances 1t was the wisest and best 1 that could be made. He voiced the gen l eral sentiment about the senate In ex- l pressing the opinion that the South l Carolina Senator would have no diff culty in rising to the requirements of 1 the occasion. His selection, however,
 was an anomalous in that he has ire | duently expressed himself in nvigorous | language as opposed to the bill until
 amended, as had the most if not all of | his Democratic colleagues on the com mittee. Nor does he make any secret
 now of his opinion that the bill should | be amended.
 | Already there Is much discussion on | this subject of amendments and t was made evident today that the scene of
 activity in behalf of a modification in | favor of court review provision had been transferred from the committee | room to the floor of the senate. | It Is the belief that with such an | amendment the bill will secure prac- | ticaIly all of the republican votes and | the claim will be made that a majority | of the Republican Senators would stand | for such a change
 Commenting on the bill today Sena- | tor Tillman said:
 TiIIman Talks.
 "The first thing to do Is to discover | and incorporate in the bill the amend
 ments necessary to perfect 1t. There
 was no opportunity in the House of
 Representatives to amend the bill and | there are two very essential amend
 ments needed to make the law at all 1 adequate.
 One is the strongest possible pro- | hibition of the ownership and control | by public carriers of the articles to bo
 shipped over their lines to the exclus- | lon of private owners. Tn other words, l the railroads have a tendency to deal
 in some of the commodities that 1t was
 supposed they would onIy handle in the | capacity of carriers. This applies par | ticularly to the coal business. They
 should also be required to make con
 nections with spur lines or contribu | tory lines and supply them with cars | and not block them.
 | "The question of adding to the pro-
 vision now in the bill for a judicial
 review of the findings of the inter state commerce commission should be
 approached very cautiously Tn the | first place a decision of the commits
 sion has the same standing as an act l of congress. No court would under
 take to nullify an act or congress pend l Ing an appeal unless 1t should take
 high handed course. can see no
 reason why a decision or the commits
 sion should be retired pending an ap-
 peal in the courts.
 Any proposition to set aside such
 A decision pending action by the courts will receive the strongest opposition l can gve 1t for one. No one seeks, and certainly I do not. to deny the rail- | roads the right to appeal to the courts. If a rate is established that threatens the confiscation of their property of
 course they will have right 10 go in-
 to the courts for protection.
 "But for one, am not inclined to
 accnrd 10 the members of the Inter-
 state Commerce Commission any less | natrIotism or good judgment than is
 accorded the judges on the bench, They | in both instances are appointed by the President and confirmed by the sen1te
 and think one can be trusted as we9
 as the other. I do not fear that this
 ooroy,Ission Is going to establish rates
 that will be satisfactory and think
 that we will be able to trust the com
 mission" .-,..i... ..-,.-,
 inc bnl would probably lead to ire
 ouent conference with the President.
 inc senator meditated moment and
 'sThe Presidents views are well un-
 derstood. He has expressed himself
 very fully in his message and Inter
 views. The newspapers have not spar
 ed any opportunity to- to announce mo 11s,r. what a tbis subject. Therefore there is no
 further need for anybody to get his views. and he has been very free to
 communicate his views to Congress
 whenever he has seen At to do so' apo you take the vitw that this rail-