The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-05-09
Believed Enough Votes Are
Assured to Pass Admins
tration Railroad Bill
GAMBLE AND CRAWFORD Of
c0UTh DAKOTA MAY JOIN IN
This will Give Forty.Seyen Republl.
can Votes, or Enough to Pass the
Measure Without Assistance From
the Democrats.

Washington, May 9.-Under a flag
OF truce hostilities between the con-
servattve and progressive Republicans
OF the senate over the administration
railroad bill have ceased temporarily.
They will be renewed probably when
Senator's Cummins and Dolliver re-
turn from Iowa where they have gone
to open the campaign. They are not
expected to arrive in Washington until
Thursday. Senator Aldrich is expect
ed to return from Rhode Island on
Tuesday. If he should attempt to pre-
cipitate a vote on any important
amendment Senators LaFollette and
Clapp will undertake to hold the floor.
Meanwhile the white house will be
the scene of the real activities, Presi-
dent Taft having undertaken to bring
into line some Of the so-called near
insurgents" whose attitude on the
railroad bill has been a matter of
doubt. That work was begun Satur-
day and 1t was claimed that Senator'S
Gamble and Crawford Of South Da-
kota would join the forty-five regular
Republicans previously canvassed,
making the necessary "all-Republican
gram. d,
While an understanding was reach
ed In the house that the vote on the
railroad bill would be taken Tuesday
1t now seems certain that the demands
will seek to have the bill recommitted
with instructions that the sections for
the creation of court of commerce
be eliminated. This motion probably
will be made by Representative Adam
son Of Georgia, the ranking minority
member Of the committee ON inter-
state and foreign commerce. The
vote. 1t is conceded. will be close.
Long and Short Haul
| In the senate the long and short
haul provision il the immediate sub
tect Of controversy, but 1t is receiving
little more attention than the stock
and bond sections which come further
along in the bill. Indeed, these por-
tions are far more puzzling for q
| variety of reasons than the proposed
prohibition Of greater charge for
short than for long hauls. The presi-
dent and the attorney general are
pressing for their retention and, in
clined to accede to their demands, the
regular Republicans will make q
stand for the sections. Some of the
regulars. however, would be pleased
II the sections in dispute were elimin-
ated from the bill.
So far the president has had his
way with reference to these sections
and some of the inside senators
were disposed to admit they would
remain In the measure. Among those
who are understood to doubt the wis
dom of their retention are Senator's
Aldrich, Elkins and Root, all of whom
concede the possibility of legal COM
plications over their conflict with
state laws. The president is not dis
posed to yield, however. and Attorney
General Wickersham is represented aa
being willing to vouch for the validity
of the provisions.
! No especial effort is being made to
hold Republicans in line against the
long and short haul amendment. 1t
is generally recognized that local con-
ditions are such that many, of the
senators from the interior states can
not avoid supporting this provision.
But the regulars count confidently
upon making up among the Democrats
the losses on their own side of the
chamber. Conceding the probable
loss of nineteen votes from that side
in favor of the amendment, they say
they will get fifteen Democrats in OPP
position to the provision. Their con-
tention is that most of the Democratic
senators whose states skirt the At
lantic, Pacific and gulf coasts, as we'll
as some of those along the Mississippi
will antazonize the provision. If they
get the fifteen Democrats votes and
hold the forty Republicans, most of
which are assured to them, they will
have majority of eight.
The supporters of the provision re-
fuse to concede so many Democrats,
and many of them say that II the
amendment Is beaten at all the defeat
will be by much more narrow mar
gin. Senators Dixon and Bristow will
not concede defeat at all. but contend
that an amendment along strictly pro-
hibitive lines will be adopted They
give the antagonists of the amendment
fewer Democratic votes than they
claimed. The nineteen Republican
votes which it is expected will be cast
for the amendment are those of Sen
ators Beveridge, Borah. Bristow, Bur-
kett, Brown, Carter, Clapp, Crawford.
Cummins, Curtis. Dixon. Dolliver,
Gamble. Guggenheim, Hepburn. La
Toilette. Nixon, Smoot and Suther-
land. The supporters of the provision
hope to be able to get Senator Jones'
vote.
The president is said to be urging