The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-03-28

late the working of the railways engaged in inter
state commerce" By this more radical policy" he
meant the government ownership of railroads. Twice
since then he has declared in his messages that eff
fective regulation is the only thing that will prevent
government ownership.
The Esch- Townsend bill, which was framed in ac
cordance with his suggestions, passed the House bv
a practically unanimous VOTE receiving the support
of Republicans and Democrats alike. The railroads
made no effort to defeat the bill in the House. and
therefore, we have way of knowing what mem
bers would have voted against the bill if their votes
would have defeated 1.-THE railroad lobbyists are
considerate enough not to require show of hands
except where a show will count A determined
fight made against the bill in the Senate and
literary bureaus established by the railroads. sup
piled editorials to all the papers that would use
them. When National convention of business men
called to indorse the Presidents program the
railroads got up an opposition convention. A ma
jority of the Republican Senators entered into an
agreement to prevent the passage of the bill in the
form which the President asked and the Republ-
members of the committee which reported the
bill intrusted it to the leadership of Senator Till
man, of South Carolina, in order to emphasize the
fact that they regarded it as Democratic measure
Two important amendments secured by the
Democrats-an antl-pass amendment, introduced by
Senator Cuberson, of Texas, and an amendment
introduced by Senator Stone of Missouri, restoring
the criminal clause which the Elkins act had re-
pealed. number of important amendments were
introduced by Senator La Toilette, of Wisconsin,
and supported by the Democrats but they were voted
down by the Republican majority. One of these
amendments authorized the interstate commerce
commission to ascertain the present value of the
railroads, which President Roosevelt has
since indorsed
The Democrats formed combination with the
Roosevelt Republicans to secure the passage of a
bill along the line laid down by the President but
at the last moment he effected compromise with
the railroad Republicans of the Senate, and, by
concedlng their demand in the matter of court re-
view, secured almost the solid Republican vote for
the bill The Democrats felt aggrieved that the
PRESIDENT should have receded from his position
when he could have secured what he wanted with
the aid of the Democrats and the spirited discus
sion which followed resulted in some prominent ad-
dlt1ons to the Presidents Ananias Club
The new law is being tried and the results
OF the experiment are awaited with interest 1t
PROMPTS interstate passes, and this provision seems
to be obeyed, but the cutting off of the pass in
creaSeS the revenues of the road, for those now
pay who used to ride free Senator Foraker claims
That the Elkns act should have the credit for stop
ping rebates the recent prosecutions having been
under that act; but matter which act proves to
Dc the most effective, the stopping of rebates is
Instinct advantage to the railroads. for thew now
-eta1n IN their treasures the money formerly re-
urned to favored shippers
"A number of the State Legislatures. stimulated
~ the example of the President (and no longer
estralned by passes, undertook more effective leg
station IN local rates. All of the States in the
northern Mississippi Valley and several Southern
otateS reduced the passenger rate to two cents and
0me OF them made reductions in freight rates
hese reductions are being tested in the courts
hd II IS TOO early to predict the final result