Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-06
MIscllIAkEous RaooRh
Rnllrnnd Rntna aI-nrIalnllnn.

Further adyiccs from Washington are
70 the effect that President Roosevelt is
receding from his insistenoe that the Hep
burn bin for the regulation of railroad
freight rates, which he forced with the
House of Representative with the
aid Of Speaker Cannon and caucus die
tation, shall be accepted ia its entirety by
the Senate. The Republican majority
Of the Senate win not stand for It, and
sooner than precipitato the open Repub-
lioan fight that would attend blind insist
ence, with the disruption Of the Repub-
lican party as a probable result, the Presi-
dent, it Is said, is now disposed TO listen
20 the counsels Of some Of the ahlest rep
resentatives of his party in the Senate,
who are not in favor of the Hepburn bill
and will not consent TO having It iammed
through that body
Among the counsellors who seem TO
have penetrated the Presidents thick
hide OF sclf-conoeit and induced him to
face the real situation is Senator Knox of
Pennsylvania He has labored earnestly
with the President, and, according to late
Washington advices, has finally brought
him around TO the point Of reason. As a
result, il is said, the President, though
with great reluctance, has consented TO
accept a rates measure to be framed in
accordance with majority sentiment in
the Senate, which sentiment, il is held,
also represents the real majority sentiment
in the House Of Representatives before
it was oveawed annd repressed by ad-
ministation influences.
How Senator Knox would have the bill
framed was indicated by him in a speech
delivered in pitisburg last November.
"a very short end simple law, he said,
"would reach the root of the trouble. It
should provide that the tolls collected by
common carriers and. the practices pur-
sued by them should ho just, fair and
reasonable. Tho power to determine
these tolls and practices should rest with
the railroads and not be intericrod with
except upon complaint and after full hear
ing before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. The commission should have
the power, it if finds tho complaint well
founded TO declare what shall be "a Just.
fairly remunemtiye and reasonable rate
or practice to be charged or followed in
place OF the one declared 90 be unreason-
able. This order Of the commission
should take effect within such reasonable
timo as shall be prescribed by the com
mission IN the order and should be final.
subject to attack for nlawiulncss in the
Federal courts, where it would have to
stand or fall upon Rs merits"
If railroad rates legislation we must
have, a law framed along the lines thus
laid down by senator Knox would be
much better than the inoonsiderate
measure passed by the House Of Repre-
senta,ives, which Is but am expression OF
Populisiic camor against the railroads
Il aims 10 clotho tho Interstate Commerce
Commission with practically absolute
power TO make rates. allowing the railroads
no night Of appeal 10 the courts. Under
law such as Senator Knox proposes. the
nte-making power would romain with
the railroads, with the right Of appeal
reserved TO shippers, such appeal to be
heard by the Interstate Commerce Com.
missioni and, further, with the right OF
appeal by the railroads TO the Federal
Courts, where the rate established by the
Interstate Commerce Commission would
as Senator Knox said, 'have to stand OF
fall upon its merits
Il is not probable that any important
interests would be rudely disturbed by
such legislation. With the right Of fna
appeal to the courts, the interests Of ship.
pers and railroads alike would have fan
consideration, and the railroads would
not be subjected TO the evil influences Of
any final power vested in an agency that
might prove subservient to every breez,
Of popular olamor
lithe President shan assent to the care
ful and businesshle proposition Of Sena.
tor Knox he win show that he is not en-.
tirely bereft Of reason and common sense