Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-01-22
SENATOR TILLMAN
Still MAKES REPUBLICAN SENh.
TORS UNEASY.
He lnStruCtS Them in the Powers
That Congress Possesses Over
Railroads and Insurance Com
panieS. The Panama Canal tx.
pendifureS prObed by Him.

Before congress had been in session
three days Senator Tilman opened his
guns on the enemy in manner the re-
publicans will not forger in many a long
year. The South Car r,linian is held in
high personal esteem by nearly eve.y
political opponent in the chamber. They
recognize in the man both ability and
rugged honesty. and he is given credit
for the absolute sincerity OF his actions
in public lie. That the speeches of
Senator Tillnan have greatly worried
the republicans there cannot be the
slightest doubt. The animated debate
primarily stirred up by him on two oc.
casons since the new congress assem-.
bled, ana tue pertinent statements bear
ing op campaign contributions made by
insurance companies and other corpora.
tions which Mr.. Tillman has caused to
be printed in the Record, will furnish
during the next contests for control OF
the house some of the most valuable
hltCIutu.O ONOl Put ih Aoi tliN
edifcation and enligh, enment Of voters.
Mr.. Tillman found means of pre-
cipitating the first debate of the session
in viii n he engaged by Introducing
resolution calling upon the secretary of
the treasury for information as 10 wheth
er any of the examinations of national
banks showed that the officers OF these
institutions had paid out money to he
used for political purposes.
OF such searching mind is Mr.. Till.
man, although not a lawyer. that it re-
mained for this farmer.senator to dis
cover, and to call vividly to the attention
Of his fellow senator's, a provision in the
act creating the department Of commerce
and labor giving the right to the corpor.
alton bureau to practically regulate in.
@surance companies engaging in interstate
business. AS shrewd and watchful a
statesman as Mr.. Hale, OF Maine, was
forced to his feet and had 10 acknowledge
plainly that the clause quoted by Mr..
Tillman was not originally in the bill.
liaiC COHlCcoCu tildU liC wa PuLLICu
and did not know how the provision
crept into the measure, and did not
realize that he was either voting for
bill or allowing bill to pass withou}
protest that gave to any department ol
the government the authority to take in
charge the business of insurance com.
panies as a part OF the interstate com.
merce. Mr.. Hale further said that he
did not feel that the senate or AEy sena
tor was bound by the fact that in the
hurry Of legislation upon subject not
thoroughly investigated a clause crept in
giving authority to investigate insurance
matters.
In his tlash-like quickness Mr.. Tilman
went back at Mr.. Hale with the answer:
'It is there all the same! 1t is law
passed by both branches OF congress and
approved by the president, and is law
until repealed"
Mr.. Tillman has rot only this session
introduced short bill for the regulation
OF railroad rates, but Immediately after
offering 1t obtained recognition and made
a speech on his bill that brought into
the discussion Mr.. Foraker. of Ohio, Mr..
Knox, of Pennsylvania, until recently
attorney general in the cabinet OF Presi
dent Roosevelt; Mr.. Gallnger, of New
Hampshire, and other shining lights on
the republican side OF the chamber.
Mr.. Tillman's bill provides that when.
ever the interstate commerce commission
SHALL upon complaint and hearing, de.
eide that any charge made for such SER
vice is unreasonable, it shall have the
power, and it shall be its duty, to fix
maximum and reasonable rate for such
service and to make an order specifying
the time, which shall be within thirty
days after the date OF such order, when
such rate shall be the only lawful rate
which the carrier may collect until
changed by further order OF the com
mission.
In vain did the republicans try to con
fuse and disconcert Senator Tillman by
insisting that his sole aim was to give
the commission power to fix rates and
that there could be no appeal to the
courts. He very promptly replied that
the railways should have the right to go
into the courts to seek redress. 1t was
right, he said, guaranteed to them by
the constitution itself.
Mr.. Tillman has also taken an active
mart in the discussiOna this sassiop IN
the Panama canal matter appropriation,
and no senator receives closer attention
than he from his fellow legislators, or is