The Topeka state journal., 1910-05-04
INSURGENTS AND DEMOCRATS.

| Interest in Washington continues to
center these days in the handling of
the railroad egislation-one of the
most important features os Taft legis-
Iative program-by both branches of
congress. During the last few days"
says recent Washington dispatch to
the Chicago Record-Herald, 'the
Democrats ana the Insurgents of the
house, ostensibly for the purpose of
perfecting the bill, have forced through
sensational series of amendments
which may cause a prolonged deadlock
between the two branches and perhaps
ultimately defeat the whole thing.
That the bipartisan alliance
which now constitutes the actual
working majority of the house has so
emasculated the bill as to endanger its
passage is now the regular plant. 1t
is asserted that the alliance is oper-
ating so as to put responsibility for
failure to enact the measure into law
upon the Republican party as whole
and thus discredit the administration"
Suggestions along this line were
made in an editorial in these columns
a few days ago and were greeted, OF
course. by some of Republican in
surgent" newspapers as vagaries. They
keep insisting all the tire that the
"insurgents' in congress and these
gentlemen say so themselves occasion
ally, are in sympathy with the Taft
program of legislation. That being the
case, they are taking a mighty pc
culiar way of showing it. They are
certainly not standing by President
Taft in this matter of railroad legisla-
ton. They are working HAND in glove
with the Democrats under the leader
ship of Champ Clark. 1t is the Demo-
Gratis with the aid of the insurgents
who are sounding the death knell of
a railroad regulation scheme which
has been devised by President Taft and
his advisors. and favored by the mem
hers of the interstate commerce COM
mission. 1t is not a plan that is salts
factory to the railroads either as some
ill-informed people would like to make
others believe. 1t is a plan, though
that would treat the railroads justly
and at the same time bring them ac-
tualIy under the control and regula-
ton of governmental authority, some
thing that the famous Hepburn law,
passed during the Roosevelt admins
tration. tried to 10 and failed utterly.
IL the democrats CdIl XIII Ills lCSlS
lation or turn it into a legislative mon |
strosity which will work more harm
than good, that will be pie for them, |
if they can fool the people as to who |
is actually responsible for such a state |
of affairs. The chances are, though |
that they will not be able to fool the |
people President Taft and his friends |
are alive to the situation. They are
going to see to it that the responsible |
ity is placed where it belongs and that
will be right on the shoulders of the
Republican insurgents" who insist |
that they are in favor of the Taft and |
Roosevelt policies but who take ad-
vantage of every opportunity present
ed and act with the Democrats in
handing these policies the blackest
kind of eyes. And these se1f-same Gin
were sent to congress by Re
publican constituencies with the nat
ural expectation that they would up
hold the hands of a Republican presi-
dent and a Republican administration
in the furtherance of Republican prin-
ciples for the administration of gov
ernmental affairs