The San Francisco call., 1910-03-17
OPPOSES CHANGE
IN SHERMAN LAW
Senator Cummins Insists That
Administration Bill Legalizes
Traffic Agreements

WASHINGTON. March 16.-In the
sharpest debate yet provoked in the
senate on the administration railroad
bill. bitter criticisms of the supporters
of the bill in trying TO put the measure
through without amendment elected
from Senator AIdrich an admission
that the bill could be amended.
This statement was made during the
second day of Senator Cummins' speech
attacking the bill, but not until after
the friends of the measure had been
accused of trying to hide behind the
president and behind the fact that the
bill had been drafted at his direction.
For more than two hours the presi
dent figured in the discussion, and for
time his title, if not his name, was ban
died about with freedom that
amounted to recklessness. In this por>
ton Of the debate Senators Aldrich,
Bailey, Cummins, Root, Elkins and Ba-
con figured conspicuously-
Cummins contended that the provi-
sion in the bill referring to traffic
agreements would render them legal
without their submission to the inter-
state commerce commission.
hEaS
The whole truth" interrupted Bal
ley, lis that the intention of the provi-
sion for the repeal of the antitrust law
is to reverse the supreme court of the
United States. The effect and purpose
is TO take the railroads from under the
supreme court
Aldrich denied the intimation of the
Texas senator and from this colloquy
arose a general discussion as to
whether it had been the original in
tention TO include the railroads in the
Sherman antitrust bill.
Aldrich said that no senator who
had voted for the Sherman law had
the slightest idea that the railroads
were embraced within its terms.
But all the same you are now try
ing to take them out of it, reiterated
Bailey.
Il beg pardon" responded Aldrich,
but that is not true. The senator
from Texas is mistaken as to the pur-
pose of the proposed law, as is the
senator from Iowa
CUMMINS MAINTAINS STAND
Cummins would not admit that he
could be mistaken, for there could be
no doubt that the bill repealed the law
on traffic agreements. he said.
Elkins undertook to refute this con-
tention by reading the provision re-
ing asserted that every one must know
that the railroads violate the law every
day.
AIdrich referred 70 a supposed alli-
ance between the @insurgent" republic
ans and the democrats, and then after
a brief protest from Cummins over this
method of presenting the matter, the
Rhode Island senator declared it to be
his opinion that no schedule of the
roads. whether under agreement or not.
could go into effect without the ap-
proval of the commission.
"If that is not made clear in the bill
am perfectly willing to have it made
so" said Aldrich.
Responding to this statement Cum
minis declared the only way TO remedy
the defect was to withdraw the repeal
ing provision
"HIDING BEHIND PRESIDENT"
While Cummins was discussing the
terms of the alleged anti trust repeal
and referring to some of the provis-
ions AIdrich stated that such was the
purpose of the president and the attor-
ney general"
This statement brought Nelson to
his feet with strenuous protest
..The senator must not hide behind
the president he said excitedly; that
is small business and it won't do. 1t is
not the way to legislate."
Aldrich was somewhat excited when
he replied.
"It is not my habit he said, ito hide
behind the president or any one else.
l have opposed the president when it
took a good deal of courage to do so.
If the bill does not carry out the pur
pose of its authors, let's make it do it.
The measure has been recommended
by the president and by at least one
ex-president and it was approved by
the platform of my party and / pre-
sumo also the party of the senator from
Iowa"
TAFTrs SPEECHES QUOTED
When Cummins resumed he read
from President Taft's speech of ac-
ceptance and from his speech at Des
Moines the statement that the inter-
state commerce laws should be so
amended as TO permit railroads to make
traffic agreements If approved by the
interstate commerce commission. In
one of these speeches the president
said that in this way the application
of the Sherman anti trust law to such
traffic agreements would be abolished
''The senator from Rhode Island"
commented Cummins, TO escape the
odium which attaches to reporting a
bill for such a purpose. denies it is
intended that the bill should relieve
railroad corporations from the appli-
cation of the anti trust law"