The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-05-20
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Cen
eral Topics from
the Capital.

| May ID, 1910.
The administration Railroad Bill
which has been adopted after discus.
sion which has lasted over three weeks
has been the most important legislative
event OF the week, or perhaps of the
session. There is much discussion in
political and legislative groups with ref
erence to the effect of the bill. The req
ular Republicans insist that it practically
f, re-cnaCts the present law in regard
to the long and the short haul. The
Democrats see much progress in 1t in the
right direction. The insurgents are evil
IDENTIFY disappointed with the bill as it is
passed. tbs. however evident from the
bill that the burden is shifted from the
shipper to the railroad companies in the
matter of the short and long haul rates.
Under the terms of the bills as passed
the railroad will have to satisfy the
Interstate Commerce Commission that
the rates are equitable and not undulv
discriminatory. Under the present law.
this burden has always been upon the
shipper, who has had to Oppose the
long and the short haul rates upon the
! ground OF their unreasonableness. The
insurgents are very well satisfied with
this feature OF the bill, and are claiming
victory as far as it goes The long
and the short haul features of the bill was
introduced by Senator Dixon, of Mon
tana, and his amendment made it unlaw-
tul Tor any common carrier to charge
more tor short haul than for a long
haul, when the short haul is included
within the long haul. There was. how
ever, clause to the effect that by appli.
cation to the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, the common carrier might in
some cases be authorized by the Com
mission to charge less for longer than
for shorter distance. The passage of
this amendment emphasizes what has
long been evident with reference to all
legislation, that little direct and positive
progress can be made and that all
amendments in closely contested bills are
the result of series of compromises and
that very seldom radical or important
changes are enacted.
Two more statues have been added
this week to the many that already adorn
the parks, squares and triangles of
Washington. One is an equestrian statue
OF Count Pulaski, and the other heroic
sized statue of Kosciusko. These statues
have been presented by the Polish citi
zens of the United States, who with
their descendants, are said to number
from four toefive millions There was
great parade of regular and volunteer
soldiery, fully 5000 in number, with
speeches from the President and the
Cabinet officers, and also from distin-
guished Poles, and one delivered in the
Polish language. There is no city in
this country, and scarcely any city in the
| world
than Washington, and quite a number
of others are contracted for, notably
that OF the equestrian monument of Gen
era. Grant, surrounded by group of
distinguished contemporaries.
There is now very good prospects that
Congress will pass bill changing the
Inauguration date from the proverbially
inclement 4th of March, TO the last
Thursday in April, nearly two months
later, and to time of the year that is
more suitable tor great out of door
pageant. The bill will be called next
week by Congressman Parker of the
Judiciary Committee, who has it in
charge, and put upon its passage under
suspension of the rules Mr.. Henry,
who is the author of the bill, says that
there is but one possible obstacle to its
passage and submission to the States
for ratifcation-he is afraid of the ndif-
ference in Congress and not in the State
Legislatures after the measure has re-
ceived the approval of the National
Congress. If the bill is passed nearly
two months will be added to the short
session of Congress, and with the grow
ing national business, these two months
are of great importance. 1t is known
that the new bill would insure good
weather, or at least tolerable weather for
the great public function which occurs
only once in four years, the inauguration
of President, and which attracts now
more than quarter of million of
people TO Washington, and which in
good weather will attract a still greater
number. The bill or amendment, if
adopted, will go into effect January Ist,
1913, which is after the term of the pres
ent Congress, and it arranges that the
terms of the President and Vice-Pres-
ident then in office, shall be extended to
the last Thursday in April, and that all
subsequent terms of the President, Vice
President and the members of Congress
shall end on that day. 1t is believed
that if it once receives Congressional
approval, the proposition will receive
ratification by at least three-fourths
of the States of the Union, which will
make it a law. 1t is notorious that ow-
/! ing to the inclement weather peculiar to
the early days of March, lives of distin-
guished men have been lost, that the
health of others has been impaired and
it is doubtless the case that many others
less distinguished have met their death
through visiting Washington in the in
clement weather peculiar to the 4th of
March, Inauguration Day.