Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-16
TAFT MAKES CONCESSIONS TO
WESTERN SENATORS ON RATE
REGULATION.
STILL GREAT DIVERGENCE
ON TWO PLANS PROPOSED
President is Far Away From cummins'
Idea of Rate controI-Adn,inistra
Ignores LaFollette and Break is Ex-
peeted With Wisconsin's Radical
Senator.
Especial Correspondence

Washington. Oct. 16.-With Attorney
General Wickersham already at work
in the effort to draft legislation for the
regulation of the railroads and of in
dustrial corporations engaged in inter-
state commerce, and with several lead
ers Of legislative thought soon to APP
pear in Washington for the purpose of
conference with the administration
,luminaries regarding the formulation
of these measures, it will be only a
short time until the air of congress
sional seriousness will begin to settle
once more over the capital.
President Taft, about the time con-
gress adjourned, very frankly discuss
ed his ideas concerning legislation
along these lines, with a number of
members Of both houses. The under
standing is that at that time the presi-
dents views did not very we'll coincide
with those of some of the men who
have long been moving for more legis-
lation. But the Des Moines speech of
Mr.. Taft indicated that he had con-
siderably changed his opinions, and
that the change was in the direction
of concession to those western republic
cans who are looked upon as radicals
concerning these propositions. While
the Des Moines speech did not by any
means go far enough to satisfy many
of these western statesmen. it was de-
cidedly a concession to their general
opinions.
Cunnnnina n IA Heard
Senator Cummins is one of the most
important of the men who have been
invited to come to Washington soon
after Nov. l for conference with the
attorney general and the interstate
commerce authorities in connection
with the serious business of framing
legislation. Senator Borah, Of Idaho,
who also has some very progressive
opinions, is expected to be another who
will be consulted. The opinions of Sen
ator Dolliver will especially be sought
concerning legislation for amendment
of the Hepburn act and for control of
capitalization. The senator's promi-
hence in the Hepburn acts preparation
and management, and the fact that he
has prepared an elaborate measure for
the control of capitalization, explain
his claims to consideration. Senator
Clapp, another of the progressives who
took leading part in getting the Hep
burn measure thru the senate, will
come in for hearing
The president, in short, wants to as
sure that his program will have the
support of the particular men who
were not able to go with him in the
making of the tariff measure. II he
can induce these men to assume the
leadership in the contest for this new
class of legislation, he will have gained
a great moral victory, as we'll as a
most important political one These
men in the tariff contest lined them
selves up against the president and his
program Their leadership of the sem
timent which has been displeased with
the tariff bill has been one of the most
potent influences in arousing hostility
to that measure in the middle west.
The feeling has become strong in that
section, that these critical senators
know more about the merits of the tar
IF bill than the president himself
knows, and that there was much justi-
fication for their attitude of OPPOSE
ton. That sentiment might become a
most important political force in the
next year or two unless somehow allay-
ed. No more effective way could be
found to counteract it, than to enlist
these same senators as the leaders in
favor on an important administration
program.
LaFoIlette is Ignored.
The understanding is that one influ-
entail mid western senator has been
ltcf
those conferences that are to be held
before the opening of the December S.
sion Fl is Senator LaFollette. The de-
veloping relations between LaFolletre
and the administration strongly sug-
gest that the president is not going TO
give much countenance to the radical
Wisconsin statesman. There is COM
plant from Wisconsin that the federal
patronage there is being used uniform
" for the purpose of weakening LaF'ol-
lette and strengthening his opponents,
who are preparing for great fight to
defeat IlaFollette next year. Rumor
relates that this attitude has rather
been forced upon the president by rea-
son of the demands of influential east
ern senators whose hostility to LaFol-
lette has led them to insist that they
can not regard as friendly any program
| which recognizes LaFollette more than
/ is absolutely necessary. That there is
wide-reaching array Of influence de-
termined to prevent LaFollette's return
to the senate is insisted by the friends
of the senator, and indeed it is adj
mitted by people who commonly are
close to the higher powers of repuoli-
can poiitics-tnose powers T7''!!;:ch arc
in touch with large business interests.
Means Break With Taft.
The relations between the admins
tration and Senator LaFollette are not
likely to be improved in view of the
interesting coincidence by which la
Follette's autumnal lecture tour will
take him along the trail of the presi-
dents western trip. making speeches
in Pronunciation of the Payne-Aldrich
tariff measure. LaFollette's weekly
magazine has been enthusiastically at
| lacking the administrations stand on
the conservation question for some
time, demanding that Secretary Bal
linger be retired. In retaliation for
this, as some politicians think, the adj
I, ministration is managing to handle
Wisconsin patronage without advice
from LaFollette. However, the con-
servation issue had not yet been raised
when DIT was made apparent to the
friends Of LaFollette that the STATE
patronage was to be handled by the