The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-02
ROOSEVELT NOW
BETWEEN FIRES
Radicals on One Side, Railroads
on the Other, in Rate
Reform Fight.
CUMMINs-BACON
FORCES ASK MORE
Doniver Bill, Which Is All that
Can Be Gained Now, Is
r. .Assailed. .,..
BY w. w. Jermane.

BY w. w. Jermane.
Washington, JAN 2-President Roose-
welt seems likely to find himself between
two fires on the rate question. One one
side, obviously, are the railroad people
who oppose his policy, and now on the
other side it seems there are gathering
a goodly company of his former friends.
men who are more radical than he, and
who declare he is not standing out for
enough on the rate question.
For the purpose Of getting together,
these radicals are attacking the Dolh-
yer bill, which was introduced in the
senate the day following AL import
ant White House conference at which
all interests were represented. 49,
Attack by Cunlnlins.
Governor Cummins of Iowa has made
q long speech, in which he has attacked
the bill because it does not give to the
Interstate commerce commission the
power over differentials, the right to
correct rate inequalities between local.
ties.
E. P. Bacon Of Milwaukee, the chief
exponent of rate reform, is following in
the Cummins track and has issued a
circular which is being mailed to all
his friends over the country. This cir
cause it fails to give the commission
authority to adjust differentials.
Where the President Is.
In the meantime the president stands
where he has always stood, in favor OF
making some kind of genuine progress,
and willing, to that end, to accept some
bill which will make a start in that di-
rection. He is not asking for every
thing in any bill which he may finally
say is the administration bill, but he is
asking for all that he feels he can get
thru congress. His ideals are just as
Cumnlins and Mr.. Bacon, but there is
this difference between him and these
people-he believes in making real
progress, and not in insuring total de-
Feat by trying to do too much at one
time. j
Poll Of the Senate.
nal readers that a careful poll has
been made of the senate on several
phases Of the rate question, and that
the Dolliyer bill was intro duced as q
direct result of it. That bill represents
the very utmost that can be hoped for
at this time, and if the president, We're
and failure would be written across The,
face Of his railroad policy. =
The Dolliver bill does accomplish
much. It does not accomplish all that
the president might wish, but that fact
doesn't make him discard that bill. He
wants all it will give, and then, at some
later day, he wants to begin a cam
paign for additional legislation.
+. What Cummins Demands.
This the Cummins and Bacon people
apparently do not indorse. They want
him to ask for everything at one and
the same time, and thus get absolutely
nothing.
These people need to read the presi.
dent IS essay on F'The Latitude and the
Longitude Of Reformers lin his "stren
uous Life.''
That essay gives true picture of the
various elements which are always
striving for reform in this country.
The difference between the president
and some Of these elements is that hi
has what he calls ''the saving grace Of
common SENSE That is to say, hi
attempts only what he can carry thru
regarding even slight progress as being
better than no Lsogress at all.
AS to Diferentials.
= In the poll Of the senate above re
ferred to, it was discovered that ce1
tain senator's, now standing on tn
Presi6ent's side, would not support an
bill giving the interstate commerce
commission power over differentials
Among these senators are both Dollive
and Clapp. And they are the repre-
sentatlves of number so large tina
their support meant the difference i
E.. the. senate between legislation and n
legislation. Tie Dolliver bill accord
1ngly seems tc represent as much as ca
be forced from the senate at this tim,
Dolliver Bill or Nothing.
The president 8 friends in Washing
ton are wondering whether Governc
Cummlns and Mr.. Bacon would rattle
have the Dolliver bill become a Ia:
at this time than to have no legislatio
at all.
If they would, their criticisms c
that bill are untimely and calculate
: to do more harm than good. Their pre-
emit attitude of hostlnl>,
that they are working with the pres
dents opponents and not with his SUI
porters.
The president some time ago realize
that before long he was likely to p
between two fires. He then remarkt
that he was standing for certain pr
ciple, and intended to get as much on
ShaS1Ou 1nGO ldW dS pOSSlD1e. I1S d(lu
that he did not yet know what certa
Of his supporters, like Mr.. Bacon, wou
demand in the end, but that if they
manded too much, he certainly won
z not follow them. He believed in ma
ing progress, in going ahead, and n
In having the wheels go around on
5@> creased track.
Evidence of Friction.
The railroad people are probably
lighted at this evidence OF fricti
among the advocates of rate legislatiC
1t is no doubt more inspiring to the
than it: is to the president or any
his friends who understand the Wa.
ington situation.
1t is doubtful if the president h
ever favored putting differentials
the hands of the interstate commissie
is asserted in many quarters til
such a provision would mean that t
commission would in reality have t
general rate making power.
All that the president has ever ask
for in his messages and public q
dresses is that the commission have t
power, when given rate is complain
of, to name the new rate in it's pla,
that new rate to 90 at once into effe
This is vastly different from what Go
ernor Cummins and Mr.. Bacon are NJ
demanding.