Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-24
WILMINGTON. sATURDAY. FEB. "a.
MlgcEllANEous REcoah
where Sand the PreaIdent Z

Either the Washing ton correspondents
arc woofully at sea, or President Roose-
welt is wobbling most ridicuously in his
attitude towards the Railroad Rates bill
now pending in tho Senate
At the outset il was stated with great
confidence that President Roosevelt had
lndorsed the Hepburn bill as il was pre-
sented TO the House of Representatives,
and was insistent that IL should be enacted
without the suggestion Of amendment.
That this was really the administration
attitude at that time was proved by the
ready manner in which Speaker Cannon
and the administration leaders on the
floor Of the House jammed the measure
through intact, without permitting amend-
menis to be oven considered. And so
the bin passed the House and was sent to
the Senate as an administration measure
from title to the final word
- Then hognn to come rumors Of change
Of front by the President, on account Of
the many impcrlcotions and absurdities
which had been pointed out in the House
BILL and also by reason Of the determined
opposition of leading Republican Senators
20 the measure in It's present shape. First
Il was said that tho President would con
sent TO an amendment providing for re-
view by the courts on appeal from any
action by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission in establishing rates. Noxt this
vas denied. There were various other
Stories and finally, on Wednesday last
came an authoritative announcement
FROM the White House. 10 the effect that
President Roosevelt would no longer at
tempt 30 dictate what kind OF railroad
legislation Congress should enact, but
would leave the entire subject TO that
body, roserving to himself, however, the
constitutional right TO veto the measure
that Congress might pass, in the event
that it failed 20 command his approval.
Very favorable was the comment that
greeted this announcement, as it was be
heved tho President was at last looking at
the situation from the right point of view
in admitting that the power TO legislats
is vested in Congress, and not in tho Ex-
ecutivc. But scarcely had the echoe,
OF this favorable comment died away er,
there came another report from Washing
ton 20 the effect that tho President haC
changed again and was back to his orgina
insistenco upon having the Hepburn bill
passed by the Senate just is il came from
the House or Representatives, obscurities
imperiections and an. While this state
ment was not given out as"authoritative,
as was the one previous, it was heraldeC
that the President had declared in EN-
phatio terms for the unamended Hep
burn Railroad Rates BILL" "Emphati,
terms" we suppose, are to be considered
as even more conclusive than "authori
tative announcements"
The latest news Is said to have createc
a high degree Of dissatisfaction amonl
the Republican Senators, who only
short time previous had reioiced at th,
announcement Of the Presidents NOR
reasonable frame Of mind. senator Kno,
was especially disgruntled, as he had in
troducod a new bill in which the righ
of appeal 70 tho courts from the rate de
cisions of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission is specifically and carefully pro
vided for. lt was presumed that Senate
'Knox was acting in cooperation with
II not under actual instructions from, tn
President, in offering this new bill an,
the later Presidential declaration. oil
emphatic terms" in favor Of the Hen
burn bin as it came from the House upse
the calculations OF Senator Knox an
those OF his Republican colleagues VIII
desire to do the right thing in the matte
Of railroad rates legislation and at th
same time avoid an open quarrel witt
President Roosevelt.
No man can tell what another weol
may bring FORTH Unless President Rooss
welt has been grievously lied about, h
has been wobbling over this matter at
rate which affords no assurance that h
will not wobblo some more. He ma
undergo another change and make anothc
authoritative announcement" followe
byanother emphatic declaration. Near
while, the best thing for the Senate to d
is to pass such a Rates bill as the maiorit
Of its members may think right an
proper, and let the President rage
wobble, as be may please.