Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-11
MORE CONFLICTING REPORTS
Than Veteran Senators Remember to
Have Heard
ABOUT ANY OTHER LEGISLATION
1t Will Be Known as the "Roosevelt
Law"-Trying Now to Make
It Perfect.

How about the railroad rate bill todayr'
a prominent senator was asked this MORN
ing.
We'll" he replied, II can hear the music
and know the procession is on the move,
but just can't exactly figure out which
street 1t Is coming down"
The homely simile pretty accurately de-
soribes the situation in the Senate over
the rate bill at this time. Every one is
convinced that negotiations for an effective
bill are moving forward steadily. but no
one feels quite confident to designate the
particular route by which the desired end
Is to be reached. There are more con-
fiicting reports in connection with this Dill
than veteran senators remember to have
heard about any other legislation. You
can get most any kind of an opinion you
want as to the present condition OF The
negotiations.
These conflicting reports however relate
to specified amendments proposed to the
bill and do not go to the great principle.
All senators agreed that a bill Will be
perfected within a few weeks, possibly
within few days and that when il passes
the Senate IL will be a measure which COM
mands the support of the House and VIII
receive the signature of the President.
Known as the Roosevelt Law.
law" goes without saying. The democrats
do not see their way clear to avo d credit
falling to the republicans. They clnnot
agree upon bill themselves. and there are
not enough democrats to swing a small
group of republicans and force the demo-
cratic idea through. The conservative re-
publicans do not care how much credit the
President gets out of the legislation. pro-
vided the bin protects shippers aud ear
riers alike. and affords adequate court re-
view Once this is accomplished the ad-
ministration claim all the glory 1t de-
sires. conservative republicans say.
Senators We're trying today to gauge the
effect of Senator Bafleys speech yesterday.
1t was admitted on all hands to have been
a very able presentation of Senator Bal.
leys views. 1t did not follow, however.
that he convinced all republicans. Senator
Spooner and Senator Knox both say that
Mr.. Baiey's contentious can be contro-
verted and Senator Nelson is of the same
opinion. well as a number of other sena-
tors. Some interest manifested over
the acceptance by Mr. Hale of Mr. Bafley's
proposition. Some senators We're inclined
to think that Mr.. Hale was not SO much
interested in accepting the Bailey PROPOSE
ton he in committing Mr. Bailey
to the Hale idea of the broadest kind of a
judicial review. Senator Hale certainly
showered concentrations upon Mr.. Bailey
and deluged him with honied words before
he proceeded to ask Mr. Bailey in return
for his acceptance of the Bailey plan to
come forward and join the ultra-conserva-
tives for judicial review.
Mr. Bailey very warlly side-stepped the
honey-laden pitfall which Mr.. Hale was
preparing for him and contented himself
with sticking to the program he had out
lined in his speech
The prediction was confidently made by
conservative senators today that the Bal
ley proposition could not command a ma
iority of the Senate even If 1t could swing
IrdS of he afG I'M tn line
Want to Make the Bill Perfect
Some senators are urging acquiescence
In the Bailey amendment of no suspension
on the ground that it might be possible to
put It I'm a separate clause, which could
be passed upon by the court without preju-
dice to the rest of the bill. But this view
is opposed by other senator's who say that
now they in the fight they desire to
make the bill perfect and not to risk In
corporation OF provisions which might be
declared unconstitutional. They say that
they would like to have the railroad rate
question settled once for all, and not have
to be coming back at ii in every subsequent
Congress to bolster up defective laws.
These senators say that there are surely
enough good lawyers on both sides Of the
chamber to frame a simple, reasonable and
constitutional bill which will not oppress
the carriers unduly and which will pro-
vide desired relief for the shippers. They
say that public sentiment now demands
legislation of that character and the most
conservative men in the Senate, with two
or three possible exceptions, are willing
to yield to public demands and frame law
which win receive the approval of the
country
Some of the republican senators are be-
coming restless at the prolonged debate
over the bill, and are urging redoubled ef-
forts to secure agreement upon amendments
and get the bill out of the way. 1t is pos
sibe, however, that a few more speeches
will have to be made, and It may be neces-
sary to have a vote on one or two amend
ments before final agreement can be
reached.