New-York tribune., 1910-05-10
[From The Tribune Buresu.]

Washington, May 9.
LEGISLATIVE SITUATION.-There Is
no Improvement in the legislative situation
in the Senate. although the prospects IN
the House are encoura ging. The leaders
are confident they will be able to pass the
interstate commerce bill in the house To-
morrow by safe vote Representative
Adamson will move TO recon1r1lt, Win III
structions to the committee 70 eliminate
the commerce court provision, ana the
Democrats will support the motion solloly'
aided by a few insurgents under the fao
of Representative Lenroot. the La fohette
lieutenant, but confidence is expressed that
a sufficient number of insurgents VIII vote
with the regulars to defeat the Aoanlsoh
motion In the Senate the SITUATION re-
mains unchanged, with forty-four votes
against the amendment which Senator
Cummins will urge to Section 9. TINS sec
ton is-designed 10 empower the Interstate
Commerce Commission to review classln-
cations. and Mr.. Cummins proposes that no
changes in classification shall become oper-
ative until approved by the commission.
Under the circumstances the leaders are
marking time with the hope that the Pres
ident may still be able TO secure addluonai
votes among the insurgents in sufncient
number to give the regular Republicans a
majority of the Senate. II is malntained
that TO forbid the railroads to put into eff
feet changes in classification without pre-
vious approval by the commission would
alter the entire spirit of the law. would
mean change from federal supervision OF
rates TO federal dictstion of rates The
President is still optimistic regarding his
ability TO secure sufficient votes to give
-1re ,,-hn16inO
administration side of the controversy. The
President is anxious to save Sections 13 and
Il, giving the government control of rail-
road securities, but is willing that Section
Is. the penalty clause OF the two previous
sections. be abandoned. The Senate leaders
are confident they can defeat the long and
short haul clause
STRIVING FOR HARMoNY.-The next
few days will witness the most earnest ef-
forts to bring the Senate insurgents. at
least all but few black insurgents" back
into the Republican fold. It is felt by some
of the Presidents advisers that there is no
really fundamental and irreconcilable
difference between a majority Of the in
surgents and the administration. The situ-
alton in the Senate is remarkable Presi-
dent Taft has induced the leaders to put
aside their prejudices and support him in
his effort TO clinch the Roosevelt policies,
but just he has accomplished that the
insurgents abandon him and demand ex-
trene measures. which President Roosevelt
never advocated and which it would be i'm
possible 10 induce the regular Republicans
TO accept, even if the President approved
them, which he does not. The result is
to
party success, not only now but in the
future. II is felt by some Of the Presidents
advisers that If the insurgents can be
brought to realization Of the extent to
Taft administra ton, but the success of the
Republican party for a long time to come,
they will reconsider their course and per-
haps unite with the regular Republicans for
the party veal against the common enemy.
There is no denying the fact that as things
are going the split in the party is
growing steadily wider. and If the diplo-
mats in the Presidents official family can
accomplish the task they have set them
selves they will deserve the utmost credit.
Whether they are successful or not will de-
pend upon whether the Senate insurgents
prove to be actuated wholly by selfish am
bitions or whether they still retain sufficient
party loyalty 10 subordinate what they be-
lieve to be their own interests to the larger
good.