The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-28
Progressives Win in Fight to
Have Telephone and TeIe-
graph Companies Regulated
by Interstate Law.
VAIN EFFORTS MADE
TO DEFEAT AMENDMENT
Reactionary Senators Opposed
Suggestion of Senator Dix
on, But in the Fight Were
Forced to CapituIate.


Writing from Washington for the In.
dianapolis Star, Louis Ludlow. the spe-
cial correspondent says:
The senate today took surprising
step forward along progressive lines
by adopting an amendment to the rail
road bill which provides that "tele
graph and telephone companies trans.
acting interstate business shall here.
after be placed under the supervision
of the interstate commerce commits.
sion."
This amendment was bitterly fought
inch by inch by the reactionaries. who
tried in vain to adjourn the senate
before it could be acted upon.
It precipitated the most exciting and
dramatic situation of a days session
that was surcharged with interest, be
cause it had been the common expec
tation that that bill would come to a
vote on final passage today.
After being routed on the adoption
OF amendment bringing telegraph and
telephone companies within the scope
of the railroad bill the reactionaries
pulled their forces together and with
the aid of democrats brought about a
hurried adjournment of the session
just in time to head off vote on an
other important progressive amend
ment offered by Senator Brown of Ne
braska, which seeks to prevent any
railroad company owning stock in q
competing railroad.
The latest indications in the light OF
today's developments are that vote on
the passage of the bill could not be
reached before Tuesday.
Even Proeressives Surprised.
The victory won in forcing the tele.
graph and telephone amendment into
the bill surprised even the progress
ives, who had not expected any such
luck. The house already has adopted
a similar provision, so that the confer.
ees can not reject this legislation.
Senator Dixon of Montana started
the ball rolling by offering as an
amendment to the senate bill the exact
provision that has been incorporated
in the house bill. This covered nine
printed pages and contained much de-
tail matter. It's length was seized upon
by reactionary leaders like Lodge and
Hale to impress upon the senate that
some time would be allowed to consid.
er it, ---u
They argued that it was very i'm.
portant matter and that it should no,
be rushed through. This argument on
it's face was buncombe, as every sen.
ator has had an abundance of oppor.
tunity to read the provision in the
printed house bill. Senator Brandege
of Connecticut moved to lay the Dixon
amendment on the table and the reac-
tionary whips scurried about the cham
Der to get the necessary votes to carry
Brandege's motion.
The senate, however. by a decisive
majority refused to table the amend
ment. There were only % votes in
favor of tabling and 81 votes against
the tabling
Those who voted against laying the
amendment on the table were:
Beveridge, Bacon, Borah. Bourne,
Briggs, Bristow, Brown. Burkett, Bur
rows, Burton. Carter Chamberlain,
Clapp. Clark Of Wyoming, Crawford
Cummins, Curtis, Dixon, Dolliver. Fra
zier, Gamble. Gore. Jones, La Toilette,
Martin, Newlands, Overman, Owen,
Paynter, Perkins, Purcell, Rayner
Shively. Simmons. Smith of South Car
olina, Stone and Taylor.
Reactionaries Fight for Delay.
The reactionary leaders were startl.
ed by the large majority against tabl
ing the Dixon amendment. They i'm
mediately began to fence about and
exhausted their parliamentary cum.
ing in trying to stave off vote on the
adoption of the Dixon amendment.
Its simply out of the question to
adopt this amendment today" protest.
ed Senator Lodge. 1T contains nine
pages and senators certainly have a
right to know what is in it"
Senator Hale also was very much
agitated. Senator Aldrich had taken
a o'clock train to New York, think.
ing everything was lovely. and this
left Hale in charge Of the Aldrich bi-
partisan machine.
The senator from Maine. in his
most plausible and persuasive man
ner. said he had plan. He thought
it would be fine arrangement for
the convenience Of the senator's il the
amendment could 60 over 50 that 1t
could be printed In comparison with
the existing law. SO that the changes
could be noted Hale's talk was very
fetching, but the senate was not In a
mood to be diverted frup its desira to