Arizona republican., 1910-03-17
NAME OF THE PRESIDENT
Invoked By MT. Aldrich for Which He Was Subjected to Criticism-An Admis- sion That Bill Had Been Amended

Washington. March I6-In the sharpesJ debaJe vet provoked in the senate on the administration railroad bin. bitter criticisms 0f the support CTS of the bill in trying to put the measure through without amendment, elicited from Senator AldriCh the ad- mission that the bill had been amended. This statement Was made during the second day of Senator Cummins speech attacking the bill. but not until after the friends Of the measure had been accused of trying 10 hide behind the president and behind the fact that the bill had been drafted al his direc- ton.
 For more than two hours. the preSi- dent figured in the discussion. and for a time. his title, if not his name. was banded about with d freedom that amounted to reckleSsness. In this portion of the debate Senators Aldrich Bailey Cummins. Root, Elkins and Bacon figured conspicuously Senator CummiRs con(ended that the provision in the bill referring to the traffic agreements would render them legal without their submission to the
 
 asserted that there had been conspicu- ous silence in the committee on this subject Thereupon MT. Cummins turned to NIT. Aldrich. who is a mem Der of the committee on interstate commerce. and questioned him on his interpretation of the meaning of the provision.
 The whole truth" interrupted MT. Bailey. before MT. Aldrich could re- ply. "is that the intention of the pro- vision for the repeal of the antitrust : law is to reverse the supreme court of the United States. The effect and purpose is to take the railroads from under the supreme court"
 Mr. Aldrich denied the intimation of the Texas senator and from this collO- quoy arOse a general discussion as to whether it had been the original in- tention to include the railroads In the Sherman antitrust bill. During this discussion MT. Aldrich said that not q senator who had voted for the Sher- man antitrust law had the slightest idea that the railroads were embraced within it's terms.
 But all the same you are now try ing to take them out of it. reiterated MT Bailey.
 ''I beg pardon responded Mir. AL drich. but that is not true. The sen ator from Texas is mistaken as to the purpose of the proposed law, as is the senator from Iowa.
 Mir Cummins would not admit that he could be mistaken. for he declared that the purpose of the law was writ ten broadly or it's face. There could be no doubt that it repealed the law on traffic agreements, he said.
 Senator Elkins undertook to refute this contention. He asserted that ev- cry one must know that the railroads violate the law every day. This as- sertion was challenged bv several sen ators but the West Virginian held to his position and asked Now. why em- barrass the railroads? It is not the agreement that is powerful" he said. but the rates themselves: SD long as the commission controls the rates, it is in command of the situation"
 Mir Aldrich referred to the supposed alliance between the "insurgent' re- publicans and the democrats, and then after d brief protest by MT. Cummins over this method of presenting the matter the Rhode Island senator de- cleared it to be his opinion that no schedule of the roads. whether an agreement or not, could go into effect without the approval of the commis- sion. If that is not made clear in the bill. am perfectly willing to have it made so." he said
 The Iowan replied that he never made a single suggestion for an amendment to the committee; that MT. Aldrich had heard none from him. Consequently. he was quite unable to understand why Mir. Aldrich made the statement. In this connection the presidents name was brought into the discussion.
 Mir. Cummins was still discussing the terms of the alleged antitrust re- peal and referring to some of the pro- visions. when MT. Aldrich stated that such was the purpose of the president and the attorney general
 This statement brought Mir Nelson to his feet with a strenuous protest "The senator must not hide behind the president he said excitedly. That's small business; it won't do. It's not the way to legislate.''
 Mir. Aldrich was also somewhat eX cited when he replied and disavowed his intention of taking refuge Behind anyone. Tt is not my habit he said. | "to hide hehind the president or any