The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-08-22
TAFT ANSWERED
BY FIRE ALARM :
FORAKER
Ohio Senator Makes Reply to
Columbus Speech
ATTACKS HEPBURN RATE LAW
Picks Flaws In Seoretarys Tariff POSI-
ton and Asks About Square Deal
for Negroes.

nfbl huufess hltef tue COLUMBUS sp'fSu
Of Secretary vi War TAFT United
State Senator Foraker before the
OhHutauqus assembly here discussed
his fellow townsnsA's opinions, from
which he differed W many particulars.
lie attacked the Hepburn rate bill AT
great length. asserting that whatever
merit II possessed II owed 10 the
amendments Of the senate, most OF
them with ny active assistance aud
solne 81 them upon my own sotion."
If" be continued. the bin had been
put through the senate as II was put
through the house aud IN, scnate com
mittee. under ordoR o. allow ne
amendments whstsvor, IL would have
beeu without any redeemlng features
whatever except such ~ the minds
VI that proposition may claim " mad
| In the provision eonfeTing the rate
mAkiAg power co the Interstate 0su
nsros oot. mission. To that proposition
1 was uHAltorsbly oppss0d.
The 6bJecaoA 70 eonfsrrinG the rate
making power upon ,kv lHtepstAte oo1n
Rsrcs commission Il not In ny epinion
answered by Secretary 1Nft lie
makes No answer " The suggestion
that the three powers ~ gayefnnsnt
| the legislative. the executive and III
| judicial. arr all conferred on the cou
misalo4 and that rhh SonningAng Of
these pevsrs Ia unprecedented aud In
violation Of both the spirit AID the lot
/ tsr Of the constitution
/ Il have c0nteRdsd that 90 Tar 40 |
have yet beeu Informed there Las been
20 lowering Of rates since the Hepburn
lew Was passed whereby the shippers
u Ohio have beea benefited etcopt oil
ly such as wotiid have bssn made in
all probability n the Hepburn law had
never been passed. On the contrary.
since the Hepburn rate law vas passed
the majority Of their rates have bsen
advanced Very few II ssy have been
lowered
The purpose Of the Elklns law was
10 give the shippers Of the country n
speedy remedy against rebates aud
determinations Of every kind and
character aud 10 absolutely break ~
aud destroy such psaetiCes."
Senator Foraker dselagsd that suit by
the government had been tastltuted
undaT the Ehlns act aud not under the
Hepburn hv.
Senator Foraker spoke q bis recent
public requests that Secretary Tuft
give a bill q particulars a. o. his lar
IN rsVlsioH views aud. declaring the
| Columbus speech not sufficiently "lu
minOSs on this point" continued
'ons who was able a year ago 10 de.
clare hlmsolf unqusnhedy In FAVOR Of
an lhDsediais revision nc that time
should Be able now " give some speci.
hcations a. 10 what then prompted
him 10 mako such q declaration But.
Instead, W. are told that he merely
assumes that the cost Of production
In this country has 20 far diminished
since the DinEloy Law was passed
that TIE duties now In force are hish
sr than hscssssTy 10 cover the az.
forvncs In the eott Of labor hero and
abroad. Assuming for ths sake Of
argument tbat - Il correct N his
conts9tioh that the difference In labor
and that difference alone should IA
tho DUB. be SEEM 10 overlook the fact
that the dytisi AIod b the Dinghy
law veto In the Ipdsuent Of the con
grsss that okActAd that statute. no
higher whom they were hxod than
was necessary W cover that dlneren.
tiAl. and that the dutles then hXcd, II
that pAs Il 10 goVosn. cannot be hlsh
enough new. for h IL common hnowl.
edge that the cost Of all kinds " labor
has In the meanwhile advanced from
% 10 70 per cent IN this country with.
out any corresponding advance In for.
eign esuntfiss.
For u seesAd reason for Immediate
revision We are told that q majority
n the members Of the National Manu-.
facturers' association have declared
themselves In favor Of q revision or
the tarIR. In tho Arst place the nc.
ton OF this Assooia tion could not have
influenced the secretary when he spoke
M Bath one year ago. for II was taken
only few weeks ago. Except his as
sumption aud this action Of this as
ISOLATION. the secretary practically as
signs no other reason why tue tatn
should be revised. except only that
revision must come some time and that
II we do not revise the Democrats may.
"What contend for ~ that before
any such revision IL entered upon the
people shall be heard on the subject,
and have already suggested that
such a step should not be taken until
after We have q chance 10 consult
thom In the presidential campaign Of
next year"
Senator Foraker called on the secre,
tary TO say what IN his opinion the
chief executive should do about tho
defiant notification VI the war amend
ments 10 the constitution, involved in
such statutes M that passed In Georgia
only few days ago. He Is properly
In favor OF doing all In our power for
! tia aiGht nllllonh OF hrnWn paoplo n