The National tribune., 1906-03-01
A SENATORIAL BOOMERANG.

situation unprecedented in the his
last Friday by the action of THE Big
Fiye''-Senators ElIsins. Foraker, AID
rich, Kean and Crane. AS is we'll
known, these gentlemen have been
steadfastly and warmly opposed to the
Presidents policy of putting the Hep
burn Railroad BIZ through the Senate
precisely as 1t came from the House.
without amendment or alteration Of
any kind. Reasons as plentiful as
blackberries in June have been freely
given for their fervent opposition. Here
are a few of those alleged. from which
the reader may select what fits with
his knowledge of the Senators and his
opinions as to the motives which con-
troll them:
/. Pride of authorship in bills and
amendments of their own. which they
wanted legisiativeIy recognized;
2. Intimate connections with great
railroad interests opposed to any re-
strictive legislation;
3. Dissatisfaction with the Presidents
dictatorial attitude toward Congress
and especially the Senate;
4. Jealousy of Senator Dolliver. whom
the President had made his represen-
tative in the matter, to the exclusion of
some who thought that they should be;
). Jealousy of the House taking the
lead in this important matter, and rele-
eating the Senate's part to mere regis
tration of its will.
The list could be extended indefinite
ly, but these will suffice. The affair
opened in the Senate Committee on In
ter-State Commerce. of which Senator
E.Ikins. of West Virginia, is Chairman
and which has been pondering over d
bill by the Chairman since some weeks
before the opening of the session. Be-
sides Mr.. Elkins's own bill. nearly
every Senator has had a bill of his own
and those who hadn't bills had amend
ments in plenty for everybody else's
bills. The Democratic members of the
committee, having no ghost of a show
for any bills of their own. had cunning
ly decided that their best play was tC
Democratic thunder, and that the Pres
ident had come over to ground they had
marked out and occupied long ago.
Senator Dolliver, holding in his hand
a telegraphic proxy from Senator Cul.
| lom, in Florida, moved that the Com.
4 +aI,
port the Hepburn Bill to the Senate
without amendment. The votes o.
Cullom. Dolliver and Clapp (Republi
cans) and of Tillman, McLaurin, Car
| mack, Foster and Newlands Demo
crats) were recorded in favor of thi,
| vailed over the five adverse votes o.
Elkins, Aldrich, Foraker. Kean ant
Crane, all Republicans.
! Then Senator Aldrich hurled a re
| taliatOry handgrenade at Senator
Dolliver and the President, by moving
that the Hon. Benjamin Riley Tillman
of South Carolina, be selected to make
| the report. Senator Elkins nominate;
Senator Dolliver. and the roll-cal
showed Aldrich, Foraker, Kean, Crane
and McLaurin voting for TilIman, anC
EIkins. Clapp, and Newlands for Dol
| liver. Dolliyer and Tillman did no
vote.
| The announcement set Washington il
a hubbub. Tillman has been the bite
| enemy of the President ever since fou
years ago, when the President recalled
his invitation to great function, ant
has never missed an opportunity t
pour out the vials of his wrath on tn
Chief Magistrates head. His recen
very vicious speech on the Mrs. Morri
affair is fresh in the memory of all
| That any Democrat should be selecte'
to introduce and manage the leading
measure of the Administration was, t
say the least, startling. That it shoul
be Tillman-well, words fail.
The Republican Senators who did thi
may feel satisfied, but we can assur
them that their constituents will not
They will probably have to take u
plantations.
AS for Senator Tillman and the Dem
ocrats, they are naturally making TIL
most of it, as they have the right to dc
They have already assumed quite higl
ground. To their original claim tha
the bill was Democratic proposition
they now add that it is in their hands
and it's success will be to their credit
Senator Tillman says that he has n
need to have any consultation with tn
President about it. The President
views are well known. They have bee
frequently expressed at great length
and if he has anything more to say, h
has every facility of communicable
with Congress.
While the President is incensed at tn
action of the Senators, he puts the bes
face he can on the matter, and say
that Tillman is strong, bold fighter
who comes out in the open, and hi
management of the bill will be all tina
can be expected from any one.
Il The complaint against women an
preachers is that they have no discrim
inatioD n adiactiyaS and b,,rJ tha;