The independent., 1907-03-14
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT

tions of wealth he said They've,
all Of us-should have considered the
possible effects of this agitation before
it was begun or before conditions that
made its growth possible were allowed
to continue. II we had all met on
common ground and co-operated for
our mutual benefit, nobody would be
worrying over the situation as it is
today
I'VE all made a mistake in this. l
realized the mistake and / believe the
administration at Washington is be-
ginning to realize that it has been a
little too radical in it's attitude toward
the railroads. Henceforth ! look to see
its opposition take on more OF the
spirit Of cooperation. / believe the
railways can expect to receive more
enven- handed justice. We men at the
head of the great corporations on our
part are coming to better under
standing Of what the government ex-
poets of US. We are beginning to get
the point Of view of the administra-
tion. We feel that we are now, all of
us-the public, the government and
the railways-on a common ground
where we can deal with each other in
the right spirit.
'1 am more than willing to give my
support to such a process Of enlighten-
ment. I'm ready to make the advance
ment of such scheme of cooperation
my chief interest. Surely there could
be few conditions imaginable that
would be Of wider benefit to eliminate
hostile friction"
Congressman Hepburn, chairman or
the Interstate commerce committee OF
the house said however of Mr.. Harrl-
man following his testimony of the
week before: "I believe that Harri-
man is the living justification of all the
railroad legislation that we have en-
acted and all that we have attempted
to enact, and that by his own admis-
sion we should have passed laws much
more drastic than we did pass. If
understood the testimony Of Mr.. Harri-
man and his associates, it is possible
under our present financial system for
one man to increase the indebtedness
Of railroad corporation by $92,000,000
without adding one cents worth of
visible property. IL it is not high time
that such condition of affairs should
be ended, it feels to me that no evil
under the sun should be corrected"
Among the important actions of
congress before it adjourned on the
fourth was the passage Of the amended
free alcohol bill which is intended to
permit farmers and small distillers to
manufacture industrial alcohol The
ship subsidy bill after passing the
house by a small majority was de-
feated in the senate, where it had to
be reconsidered owing to amendments
added in the house, by filibuster led
by Senator Carmack of Tennessee.
The total appropriations of the session
were in round numbers $919,000,000,
an amount considerably in excess of
the appropriations of any previous
session. Senator Spooner of Wiscon-
sin surprised his colleagues by an
nouncing his resignation. In explain
ing his action he said: con the fourth
day Of March instant, have served in
all sixteen years as senator This is
a long time for one, neither willing
nor financially able permanently to
abandon it, to take from his profession
1t has been taken from mine, for |
have not thought it compatible with
the full and interrupted discharge of
public duty to pursue it and | have
therefore, during my service with two
or three trifing exceptions, purely
local, absolutely abstained therefrom.
For years private duty has plainly
demanded of me an early return to
the practice of my profession and |
have never since last took the oath of
office wayered in the determination to
retire from public life on the expira-
ton of my present term, March 3,
1909" His resignation will take effect
on May /, and it is reported he will
engage in a legal capacity with one Of,
the great railroad systems.
For the present the project of let
ting contracts for the building of the
canal have been abandoned. Following
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