Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-05-27

There was nothing to do but vote.
| During the last hours of the debate
Senator Bailey, as it was understood
in caucus of the Aldrich Republicans
the day previous, made a speech in op-
position to the Dixon amendment and
| said that he could not vote for 1t in
general for the reason that 1t would
destroy business conditions and would
| result In confusion and turmoil. In
the course Of this speech Mr.. Bailey
said there were some Democratic
amendments pending that he would
vote for.
Delivers Emphatic Speech.
Senator Dolliver, one of the Progress
| sive leaders, Immediately seized the
situation. and calling attention to the
remedy which the opponents of the
ng-and-short-haul clause had put
forth. namely, that the people should
move out of the communities which
are Disseminated against, he said:
''If that Is the only remedy that can
be suggested, there are mighty few
| amendments such are now pending
that will not command my vote as a
protest against that cynical and brutal
alternative which is offered to COM
munities in every way entitled to the
good will and to the sympathy and
to the help of their countrymen all
over the United States"
That was notice that the Progress
sives were not going to be bound by
party, but they were going to vote
for any amendments that would help
to cure the evils from which the in
terror parts of the country are suffer
ing under the present railroad dis
criminatory rates.
AIdrich Forced to Yield.
Senator Dixon offered as substi
tute for the pending Hepburn amend
ment, an amendment made up of a
portion Of his own agd a portion of
that offered by Senator Paynter. Aid
rich, quick to see that the combination
which he had made with Bailey had
been undermined by the adroitness of
the leadership of the Progressives, ac-
guessed and said that the substitute
offered by Dixon would have his sup
port. The retreat of Aldrich threw
the senate into confusion. The only
thing to do was to recess. This was
done for half an hour on the motion
of Senator Dixon. Aldrich, still con-
fident of his leadership, asked a con-
ference in his own room, where the
amendment which had been offered by
Mr.. Dixon on his feet could be per-
fected. The conference resulted in
nothing Mr.. Aldrich was deserted.
The end of the half hour over, the
amendment had not been perfected
and a recess for another half hour
was taken. Mr.. Smoot brought the
amendment out Of Mr.. Aldrich's room,
took it to the desks on the rear OF
the Democratic side and it was per-
fected in the open and Mr.. Aldrich,
in order to know what it contained,
had to come and stand alongside of
Cummins the Progressive, and Bacon
the Democratic, while it was being re-
written. It was a bitter pill for Aid
rich not to be able to write this
amendment in his own room and I'M
der his dictation. The amendment as
it was agreed to and finally adopted,
makes it unlawful to make greater
charge for shorter than for longer
distance in the same direction, but that
the Interstate Commerce commission
may, in special cases after investiga-
ticn, permit a railroad to charge less
for longer than for shorter distances.
Shows His Adroitness.
In jumping in at the eleventh
hour and leaving a majority OF
his forces to vote for his long-and-
short-haul clause amendment strong
err than that which was originally pro-
posed by the Progressives, Senator AL
drich was merely saving his political
face. According to statement at
tributed to Senator Root the Organ
ization could have defeated the Dixon
amendment and could have prevented
the writing of a long-and-short-haul
clause into the law, but in doing so 1t
would jeopardize the seats of six or
eight senators and in all probability re-
duce the Republican majority in the
senate by that number.
This was the strong political con-
sideration. There is no doubt but
that by cracking the whip strong
enough the Organization might have
secured the vote of such men as Car
ter. but if 1t did SO it was sure to write
his political death warrant.
Aldrich is a more adroit leader than
Cannon. Aldrich was as thoroughly
beaten in the senate as was Cannon In
the house recently, but Aldrich did not
propose to go to the mat. He realized
that even ii he had victory, it would
be at too great sacrifice, He figured
it to be better for the Organization to
permit the Progressives and the Dem
ocrats to write the amendment and
save what ne could than to go to the
mat, possibly win scaly victory and
pave the way for ultimate defeat in
the retirement of several of his trust
ed allies. The Democratic leadership,
aside from that of Senator Bailey, was
much wiser in the senate than it was
in the house. There 1t no doubt but
C1l,.~o, C1ork in tho hOuS0 made