Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-12
REGULARS RULE DAY.
Railroad Bill, Perfected by
Friends, Likely to Pass.
THREE TEST VOTES TAKEN
Insurgents Unable to Force ANY
Changes in the Measure-Three
Amendments by Republicans.

That the administration railroad bill
will be passed by the Senate practically
as it was drafted by the Attorney Gen
eral and reported by the Senate commit
tee on interstate commerce on the votes
Of Senate regulars, with the amendments
framed by the regulars, is predicted to-
day as the result of yesterdays votes ID
the Senate.
There was a lineup on the provisions
of the measure late yesterday afternoon.
1t indicates that the, republican regulars
are well mounted for the fray.
Eight republicans, 1t was disclosed
stand together in efforts to make more
drastic the provisions Of the measure
Senators Cummins, Clapp, Borah, BITS
tow, Crawford, Dolliver, Beverage ana
Nelson. Senator La Toilette Is known to
sympathize with the insurgents. Although
he did not vote yesterday his vote is ex-
pected to be cast with them in the fu-
ture.
Senator Bourne also voted once with
the insurgents yesterday afternoon 1t Is
understood he stands as q near-insursent
or the railroad bill. Senators Brown ana
Burkett of Nebraska, classed as near-ln-
surgents. voted with the regulars yester-
day. 1t is generally believed their sup
port has heen lost by the insurgents.
Results of Test Votes.
On the first test vote, four democrats,
Senators Money, Foster, Percy and Sim
mons, voted with the regular republicans.
On later votes, the democrats were SOL
idly with the insurgents.
Excepting the vote on Senator Hey
burns amendment, to provide for the es-
tablishment of land courts, when the vote
was not along party lines. there We're
On the first the regulars won By 40 to
o. on the second the regulars were VIC
torious by 50 to 80 and on the third the
regulars had SO votes to % for the In
Surgents.
All told, three amendments were made
to the bill yesterday afternoon. One is
designed to prevent the Court OF Com
merce to be created by the bill from hav-
ing any more jurisdiction over orders OF
second allows appeals to the United
States Supreme Court from introductory
DEGREES of the Court Of Commerce, and
the third limiting the time within which
hearings are to be held on applications
for injunctions.
Nelson Defends Antitrust Law.
rious amendments suggested by Mr.. Ell
kins, Senator Nelson took occasion to
state his position toward the bill as a
whole. He especially opposed the repeal
Of the Sherman antitrust law as applf-
cable to railroads.
II regard that law. next to the Consti-
tuition. as the most important law Of our
statute books" he said. ITO my mind 1t
is the only protection against the inroads
of the trust
Asserting that from the first the Sher-
man law was applicable to the railroads.
he said that the roads had resisted the
statute from the beginning.
II am talking about the bill as 1t
came here" he said. land am impelled
to talk. in view of speech made out
west the other Gay
Dig at Wickersham.
He referred to the speech made in Chi
cago Saturday night by Attorney General
Wickersham. Later he said it did not
lie in that officials" mouth to go out
to Chicago and make a speech criticising
members of Congress after framing such
a bill.
He sarcastically characterized section
H. relating to railroad combinations as
the most charming provision of the
provision allowing the Court Of Commerce
to approve railroad mergers in advance
of ,neir contamination, declaring that
with this blessing once obtained me
combination afterward could do anything
that it might desire to do.
He said he could not vote for the bill
SO long as it proposed to repeal the anti
trust law. He asserted that the bill was
almost wholly in the interest Of the rail-
roads. and predicted that If it should
become a Jaw all the roads of the coun-
try would soon be controlled by two or
three men.