The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-05-09
Both Sides in Doubt Over Outcome of Fight on
Long and Short Hall Clause---Regulars Say
1t Is Beaten--C Contest This Week Will Be
Hottest of Entire Session. Publicity
Bureaus Working Ouertime to
Create Impression That In
surgents Are on the Run.

Washington, May 9-The railroad
fight in the senate, which was resumed
today, will have at least one new ele-
ment in it this week. Neither side
knows which can expect to win the
fight over the long and short haul
clause. Both sides give some names
and some figures, but the fact is that
all the canvassing and urging that
has been done has failed to develop
as a positive certainty the fact that
either side is in control. 1t is prob
ably the first time in many years that
the senate has gone into battle
where the interests Of the organiza-
alton did not know what would be the
result.
Senator Crane, who does the poll
ing for the Aldrich machine, is quoted
as having reported to the lead
ers that the long and short haul
clause is beaten Senator Curtis, who
has been as active as Crane, in the
same work, but is opposing the or
ganization on the one question of the
long and short haul clause, is just as
positive that it is not beaten unless
there are more democrats ready to
vote for it than is known at this time.
Party lines in both parties are down
and the fight on this one phase of the
bill is to be fight for individual votes
without regard to party affiliations
One thing is certain, and that is
that the contest this week will be hot
ter than any previous contest in any
phase of the bill. The insurgents
have been fighting hopeless battle
up to now, but they won their vic
tory when they compelled the regu-
lars to withdraw their merger section
and the section that repealed the Sher-
man antitrust law SO far as it relat-
ed to the railroads. The house in
surgents did not get their fighting
nerve thoroughly until they had won
one victory over Cannon and their
next fight was still hotter one and
1T won. The senate insurgents. not
withstanding the loss of some demo
cratic help, have on the face of it a
less discouraging fight ahead of them
than had the house insurgents the
lafternoon they offered the Noyes reso-
luton to put Cannon off the commit
tee on rules.
The senate organization is working
Its publicity bureaus overtime to
create the impression that they have
the insurgents running, but when they
tell that there are fifteen democrats
who are going 70 vote with Aldrich
they refuse to give any names. Mean
while. the men who are now temper
arily out of it. are the most skeptical
and the least willing to give credence
to what they say. The insurgent bat
Itle line is pretty well formed for the
flight. Piles. who lives in Seattle and
lis therefore interested in making the
rates to interior Washington higher
than to the seacoast, is to speak
against the long and short haul clause,
Piles is up for reelection next year
and Eastern Washington is already
backing Miles Poindexter, one of the
insurgent leaders in the house. SO
Piles is playing for the western coast
cities Of his state as his one chance
for reelection. Lodge of Massachu-
setts is scheduled to speak for the
New England idea Of rates to protect
New England industries. After them
the interior senators will take their
place. Reed Smoot, who has thus far
never fought an Aldrich proposition
but on this question has become such
an out and out insurgent that he does
not hesitate to meet the insurgents in
ILaFolIette's Office and appeal to them
for help, is to speak and probably will
follow Lodge. Borah will show how
the west has suffered at the hands Of
the railroads and, as lawyer. will
show how ineffective is the Bayntel
amendment.
Then LaFollette will make probably
the most scathing. speech he has ever
made in the senate, There viii be
things said that may create enmities