Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-02
FOR A RADICAL REMEDY
Senator La Toilette Defends
His Proposition
FOR CONTROL OF MONOPOLY
Would Prohibit Sale Of Coal Lands to
Railroads.
DISSENT OF HIS ASSOCIATES
Right Of Congress to Make the Prohi-
bition Doubted-Tribal Govern
ment of Indians Extended.
FOR CONTROL OF MONOPOLY
DISSENT OF HIS ASSOCIATES

The Senate began it's session today by
agreeing to the conference resort on the
Joint resolution extending the tribal gov
eminent Of the Indian tribes in Indian ter
ritory. AS agreed upon the resolution reads:
THAT the tribal existence and present
tribal government of the Choctaw, Chicka-
saw Cherokee, Creek and Seminole tribes
or nations Of Indians in the Indian terri
tory are hereby continued in full force and
effect for all purposes under existing law
until all property of such tribes or the pro-
ceeds thereof shall be distributed among
the individual members of said tribes. UNI
less hereafter otherwise provided by law.
Mr.. La Toilette Resumes.
The bill for the settlement of the affairs
of the five civilized tribes of Indians was
then laid before the Senate. Mr.. La Fol-
lettes amendment prohibiting the sale of
coal lands in Indian Territory to railroad
companies being the pending question.
Mr.. La Toilette continued his speech in
support of the proposition. He said sena-
tors had said to him that his amendment
went too far. but, meeting that contention,
he said that legislation. to be effective,
must be positive; that to attempt to do less
than Is proposed by his amendment was to
give husks insteads of the kernel to the
people who were crying out for relief.
Mr.. Lafollette laid especial stress upon
the necessity of prohibiting railroad stock
holders from acquiring the lands and IN
support Of his contention referred to the
fact that through their officers. the railroads
of Pennsylvania own 9S per cent OF the an
thracte coal in that state. He declared
that they had driven the Independent oper-
atorS and independent owners out of bust
ness, thus rendering all the people who use
anthracite dependent upon eight or nine
corporations for their fuel.
Sovereignty Of the People.
He declared that the people must be able
to assert their sovereign authority over the
transportation lines, and that they must
be so controlled as to protect the general
public. 1t had been said that IL the rail-
road companies want the coal lands they
will get them, regardless of what Congress
may do. He could not agree to that doc
trine.
81 want" he said ito put on record the
protest of one individual against the doc
trine that the railroad companies can secure
the mastery of any of the national prod
ucts of the country so as to interfere with
their being fair and even-handed transport
ers OF the products of the country l want
1t put on record that this government OF
the United States is stronger than any OF
its creatures, stronger, than the railroads
in the aggregate, and all the centralized
power Of the corporations represented by
unlawful corporations and trusts. l would
write 1t In the statutes that the railroad
companies must be common carriers and
nothing else, and write 1t so as to make
1t effective"
He presented a letter from T. P. Gore of
Iawton. 1. T., complaining Of railroad dis
ordinations and suggesting the appoint
ment OF railroad commission for the ter
ritory.
Mr.. Clapp said in reply to Mr.. La Toilette
that the Indian committee had hesitated
to accept the amendment because it dealt
with the regulation of the railroads, which
is provided for in another bill before the
Senate.
Mr.. Stone announced his concurrence in
the views Of Mr.. Clapp. but expressed the
opinion that there should not only be no
present sale of coal lands, but that fur
Their leases also should be prohibited.
Right to Prohibit Doubted.
Mr.. Teller doubted the right of Congress
to say that railroad stockholders shall not
become the owners of coal lands. He be-
lieved in restricting the railroads. but would
proceed In an orderly and legal way and
not in a way that would create greater
evils than 1t would eliminate.
Messrs. Mallory, Patterson and Newlands
also found legal difficulties in accepting
the prohibition put upon the holders OF
STOCK In railroad companies, although pro-
Tossing sympathy with the purpose Of the
resolution.
Mr.. Newlands charged that the great
corporations practically control all the coal
iandS IN pennsylvania and West Virginia,
and said they were rapidly extending their
operations in Colorado. Utah. New Mexico
and other states and territories.
Mr.. Teller took exception to some Of his
sta Elements, declaring that there was no
monopoly of the coal lands in Colorado,
and he defended the rights of the people OF
the west to control their own resources.
He criticised the too great extension Of the
forest reservation system and said that 1t
was done in pursuance of 1.-THE insane notion
that the government must hold the lands