The San Francisco call., 1910-03-16
.CuMMINS UNfURLS
INSURGENT BANNER
Scores President Taft for At
tempting to Bend Law
Makers to His Will


road bill even though it might result
in an effort to read him out of the
party, Senator Cummins of Iowa, in
effect, declared in the senate today in
the initial speech on the railroad bill.
He commented especially upon the his
story of the measure, which he said
had originated in the executive branch
gress.
After occupying it's place on the
senate calendar for Is days the bill
was taken up at o'clock, and thus
was launched the discussion of what
the members of the senate regard as
the most important legislation before
congress. The Iowa senator had spoken
about two hours when he asked leave
to suspend until tomorrow.
The leave was granted, but Senator
Hale, chairman of the republican
caucus gave notice that hereafter the
bill would be kept constantly before
the senate. In language just as posi-
tive Bailey declared that the bill could
not be rushed and declared that con-
gress was liable still to be considering
it when the dog days arrived.
CRITICIsEs PRESIDENTS COURSE
In the main, Cummins speech was
QSNOleu u general review OF the
railroad measure, but 1T was preceded
by a recital of the history of the pro-
posed legislation, in which he criti-
cised the course of the president and
declared his intention of opposing the
bill in its present shape, even at the
cost of the displeasure of the chief
executive.
"If the uncontradicted and apparent
ly unauthorized statements of the
no w ma he IN
publican at least is expected to vote
for 1T just as 1T is, unless he dares to
incur, not only the executives dis
pleasure, but to be banished from the
republican ranks" said Cummins
Il do not speak o fthis phase of the
subject in a spirit of anger. l am
conscious of no other sentiment than
profound regret. ] recognize that It
is not only the privilege but the duty
of the president of the United States
to make such recommendations to
congress as, in his judgment, will pro-
mote the general welfare. He is quite
within his privileges and his duties
in expressing his views upon such sub
jects as often as he likes and as en-
phatically as he pleases.
whether he is within his privileges
or his duty when he undertakes to
prescribe the precise form that legis-
lation shall assume may well be
doubted His great predecessor evil
IDENTIFY thought that executive propriety
did not permit 1t.
WEAKENS CONGRESS- POWER
1T is not fear that in a slight
instance or during one administration
the independent will of the members
of congress can be overcome: but if
upon subjects like the one before us
the practice of having a bill prepared
in the executive offices and presented
to congress for passage, accompanied
with an implied ge that punish
ment follows disobedience is con-
tinued from year to year, in the end
congress will become a mere form in
organized society
Declaring to be extraordinary the
circumstances connected with the
origin of the bill the Iowa senator
detailed the meeting last August of
Attorney General Wickersham in New
York with others who. he said, had
undertaken to put into shape for
enactment the various recommendations
of the president OH railroad legisla-
tion. The report as made to the chief
executive was supposedly confidential,
he said, but as a matter of fact, long
before 1t reached the president it had
| fallen into the hands of the railroad
men.
Discussing the progress of the bill
after it reached the president Cummins
declared that 1t had been vastly
changed. Indeed. he declared, but for
the birthmark of the commerce court
no one would recognize the measure
| born in the dog days up there in New
| York"
These changes he attributed TO the
| influence of the raiIroadmen that had
| been brought to bear upon the presi-
dent and attorney general before jan
uary II, when the bill was presented to
the chairman of the committee on inter-
| state commerce. He asserted from the
| time the measure had been turned in
| to the president until 1t had left him
nearly every railroad president in the
country had visited Washington and
had been heard by the president and
the attorney general-many of them
| twice substantially, every change
| had been made to suit the railroads.
Wade Ellis Under Fire
WASHINGTON. March 15.-Wade H.
Ellis and his present relation to the
department of justice and the republi-
can campaign in Ohio were discussed
in the house today.
Minority Leader Clark insisted on
knowing, in connection with appro-
priations for the department of justice,
whether Ellis had ceased to draw his
salary as assistant attorney general
since he had taken charge of the Ohio
campaign.
Tawney expressed confidence that
Ellis no longer drew any salary from
the government.
Ellis has had an. opportunity said
FITZGERALD of New York, ito get in
formation that can be very valuable in
frying the fat which is the technical
republican expression, and with that
power he may save the president in
his own state In the coming campaign -
Wade Ellis is still on the payroll
of the department Of justice, and will
probably stay there" shouted Repre-
sentative weisse of Wisconsin, enter
ing the house from the democratic
cloakroom, where, he explained. he
had telephoned the department to get
this information about Ellis.
Wade H. Ellis stated tonight that he
resigned his Office as assistant to the
attorney general March l to accept the
craftsmanship of the republican state
executive committee of Ohio. He ex-
pected to be relieved of his duties in
washington Immediately. but because
of a delay in securing his successor and
the absence from the department of the
attorney general in connection with
the Standard oil case he was asked to
serve in the department.