The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-07
STILL C0NFERS
v With DEMOCRATS. |: / [ n. 4 | J.
President Holds Consultation
With Raynor5 aid May Ask
to See Others.
s5 ------ : --------- WY ------5 !.
ELKlNs DISCUSSES IS c; ]. S RATES 4: :'.
5ELKlNs DISCUSSES RATES
Has Lively it'll llilllal!l,
Butlncident Ends iii Good .
EIunor.

5s (From Our. Regular rfCorresponuent.)
&, WASHINGTON, d. c. April ,6--flie
certainty of the passage Of a bill by the
Senate comforting on the Interstate Com
merce Commission the power to tfix rail-
way charges lis recognized. The exact
nature Of tl;.s bll5can scarcely be np-
ploNimatcd. and few senators will dare to
guess. have not seen yet any reason for
changing the prediction made IN this
correspondence two months ago, OF more,
that tho BILL when it leaves the Senate
and when 1t goes to the President for final
approval, Will provide for review OF
the findings Of the commission BY the
courts This rcvicw section will be so
liberal ms to give jurisdiction to the
circuit courts OF the tN,iGd States. and
will allow the suspension or the rate
fixed by the commission. pending the de-
cision OF the judicial tribunal.
Every amendment proposed by either
Democrats or Republicans to the bill
since 1t came TO the Senate, affecting the
power OF judicial review, has sought to
limit such power. 1'lie Bailey amendment
went furtllcst lii this direction, though
the so-called Long amendment, which, 1t
is said, was drawn ntEthe White House,
went n considerable way In the matter
OF restricting the jurisdiction Of tho
courts over decisions Of the commission.
i .
railroads could scarcely have asked more
than was granted by tile Long amend
uent. Fs
President Mistaken.
IT is safe to assume that the President
thought whom lie made this great con-
tcession in tho ma tier OF {, court review.
that he would break the ranks Of those
Republican Senator's who We're lighting
the bill so bitterly, but the event las
shown that lc was sadly mistaken. The
so-callcd "rnirOad senator's, are still
as bitterly opposed To the bill as they
wore months agO, The hope undoubtedly
cherished by. the President of being able
to secure the enactment OF the law by
Republican votes, has been dashed. He
had been told many times IN the past
d that this was Impossible, but lie refused
4 to believe It. Time and again has the Re-
publican majority this session refused to
lie led or driven Into supporting measures
ON which the heart or the President was
set hut Mr., Roosevelt persisted In be.
licvIng that his Influence anil prestige
we're still sufficient toFcarry through his
great schcmc Of governmental rate re-
g,lation.
lie had found that which was apparent
long ago, that his party is split wide
omen on tho subject Of rate regulation
by legislation, and hat while lie Is tho
nominal leader Or tho Republican party
in this country, his following Is far from
Nolng as large MS 1t was a year ago. OF
course, this applies chiefly to Congress.
IT Is problrmatica' whether It has been
decreased in the country AT large, among
the masses Of the voters.
Turns to Democrats,
Having recognized the hopolessness Of
looking to his own party to- enact rate
law, the President has turned to the
Democratic senator's for aid and counsel,
Senator Rayncr, OF Maryland, WAS tho
NTH Democratic senator to go to the
White House IN the past three days,
Mr.. Rayner called this morning, and
spent an hour or more in conference with
President Roosevelt The lines along
twhiclt tho two conversed are not known,
but ii Is assumed that the conversation
was OF the general character Of those the
President has had With the four other
pemscrats with whom he has conferred
this week.
The President has Just reached the
polnt where he asserts that proposed rate
LEGISLATION IS cot partisan In nature He
has stuliousy avoided expressing an
opinion as TO whether the pending biil
should be regarded MS Republican,
measure, aud this leads 10 the belief on
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