The Washington times., 1906-05-05
RAILROAD RATES
SITUATION AGAIN
GOES TO PIECES
Author of +" Wandering
Amendment" Keeps to
Background.
COURT REVIEW TROUBLE
Not Even Senators ATTEMPT
to Predict Out
come.

AOlllO.
Seemingly on the point OF clarifca ton
and adjustment as recently as yesterday,
the railroad rate situation In the Sen
ate presents today an aspect of such
complication that nobody is willing 70
venture a guess at the outcome.
Court review is the bone Of contention.
Sensational stories are afioat as TO the
authorship and sponsorship OF the pro-
posed compromise court review amend
ment
The character and effect of the pro-
posed Allison amendment. on which fl
has been expected the Republicans would
unite. is the subject OF heated con-
troversy. II is pronounced on the one
hand innocuous. and is said 10 make no
essential change from the original House
bill; and on the other hand Il IS de-
clared by such men as Senators Bailey
and La Toilette 10 be the broadest sort
Of court review. This view of II. is
echoed by New England Senator's who
claim the complete victory.
Mystery Grows.
The propo sed amendment has been
passed about In the Senate and publish
as an Allison proposition. That the
Iowa Senator actually wrote II is spe-
cifically denied by his colleague. Sena-
tor DOlliver. who, however. declines TO
say by whom it was written Senator
Allison is i'll at the Portland, and was
denied to callers today.
On high authority II IS said that Sen
ator Spooner. than whom nobody has
been more insistent on a broad review.
wrote the Allison amendment into the
form In which IL has been circulated.
The report on this point IS that among
the others who tried their hands at
framing satisfactory compromise
amendment was Senator Fulton. that
he made the first general outline Of the
same sort Of amendment; that this was
passed around among interested Sena-
tors, at length reaching Spooner. who
licked II into the shape In which It was
presented at the White House. ap-
proved. and turned over to Senator Al
lison for introduction.
Bread or No Bread.
Ahead of all the questions Of COM
manding interest that are today discuss
ed in Senatorial circles. Is whether this
Is really broad and comprehensive re-
view, giving the courts the mower ~
1 final determination in a more connra-
hensive way than the real advocates NJ
regulation have desired, or whether in
fact. II Is an immaterial change offer-
ed as a sop without substance 10 the
railroad Senators.
Something like a sensation was rro
duced by the occurrences of yesferiav
afternoon in connection with this pro-
posed amendment. Newspaper men
called at the White House to discuss the
fhnE
the President considered the Allison
amendment the best that was 10 be had
and that, as basis on which IeSislatjon
tory.
In reply to questions. assurance was
given that the President did not fear
tnat too large discretion was left to
the courts in dealing with matters that
should come TO them under such a pro-
vision.
On Senate's Floor.
Almost at the same time that this dis
cussion was going on. Senator AIdrich
rose in the Senate and said:
Whist I stated TO the Senator (Mr
Tillman) privately. will state publicly
The senior Senator from Iowa Cdr. Ali
SOM has some amendments To offer n
this bill, but he is detained from the
Senate by Illness 1 feel quite certain
he viii be out by Monday. do not know
how II is with other Senators, but my
duty upon committees has absoluteIy
taken all my time.
There are several important matters
before the Committee on Finance U,bicb
we are gong INTO at considerable length
ana L am sure we should be very Glad
TO have vacation until Monday. feel
sure the progress of this bili will ba
more rapid and more certain by an ad-
morrow.
Bailey's Regret.
Senator Bailey here interiected tho
suggestion that as the Republicans
seemed to be getting ready to get TO-
gether. and more progress could be made
in one day Of conference on that side
than in three days of debate, Il might ba
best to adjourn over. He regretted thar
they were getting together. because he
might come opportunity for the Domo-
cratic minority to do the country the
service of passing the bill.
The motion of Senator Aldrich was
agreed TO. There were expansive smiles
on Democratic faces when Senator TILE
man pressed the Rhode islander into
expressing publicly the interest which he
had before expressed in private on he
half Of the Allison amendment.
Inc commonest comment of cynical
observers, including many Senators. is
that the Allison amendment is simply
a Spooner-Aldrich proposal which was
70 have been sugar-coated with the an
proval and sponsorship ef Senator Aft
son and served TO the Senate and the
country. NiiS
Several days ago. it is stated in MI
nois pondcal circles. Senators CuIIom
anu anu Aailson ii were at the White House
LOT discussion of this amendment and
the distinction Of Offering it and tberaI erto
by getting the credit OF settling tba
VcAeo Sonstroversy was placed in the
reach or senator Cullom. He declined
TO become sponsor for the measure ~
was later circulated as the AiiIsoa