The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-14
Waterloo Faced by Aldrich
Yesterday When the Long
and Short Haul Clause in
Bill Is Voted on.
RHODE ISLANDER WAS
MISTAKEN IN BACKING
Dixon, Finding His Amend
ment Was in Danger, Took
in Paynter's Plan and the
Combination Won.

Washington. May 14.-Senatcr Aid
rich was completely routed upon the
long ng-and-short-haul proposition in the
| open senate Yesterday afternoon.
BY vote of - to 10 the Dixon
amendment declaring it unlawful for
railroad to charge more for short
than for longer haul, was adopted
after it had been modified through the
insertion of a proviso taken from the
Paynter amendment and in this form
the proposition went through with fly
ing colors and had the support of all
the progressive republicans, all but five
of the democrats voting, and prac-
ticaily the solid alignment of the re-
publican reactionaries.
To Save Their Faces.
Senators Aldrich and Elkins voted
for the Dixon-Paynter amendment. and
lined up practically all of their cohorts
in favor of it's adoption, but it is the
universal opinion that support from
the reactionaries was accorded the pro-
position in order to save the faces Of
the regulars. ~
The situation had changed complete
ly over night. When the regulars
agreed Thursday that voting should
begin at o'clock yesterday afternoon
they felt certain of sufficient votes to
defeat the Dixon proposal by a major
ity of eight, but notice was served late
Friday afternoon by several of the
regulars that the pressure in favor of
the adoption of something along the
lines Of the Dixon, Paynter or Over
man amendments was too strong to be
resisted, and few moments before
the hour set for the vote the reaction
ary leaders discovered they were beat
en-.
Put One Over.
1t was then that Senator Aldrich dis
covered that Senator Dixon, after con-
ferences between the progressives and
with the democrats, intended to modi-
fy the so-called Dixon amendment by
Incorporating an important feature of
the amendment offered from the demo-
cratic side by Senator Paynter of Ken
lucky. so that the amendment as thus
modified was substantially the same as
the Paynter amendment and certain of
the support of all but few votes of
the minority.
This change had been made to bring
together the warning elements in the
senate-democrats, progressive repub-
licans, insurgent republicans and regu-
lar republicans, who had indicated to
Aldrich that they were strongly tempt
to vote for the long and short haul
proposition and unwilling to be de-
feated outright by the coalition of the
democrats and progressive republican
senators.
Tried to Gain Time.
When the vote was about to be taken
Senator Aldrich suggested to Senator
Dixon that a recess be taken for half
an hour.
The Dixon-Paynter combination had
been sprung suddenly. and there were
democrats as we'll as regulars who
did not quickly grasp the Significance
or the change that had been made.
Senator Dixon was wiling to have a
recess in order that explanations
might be made and conferences held.
Aldrich and the regulars have had
their backs to the wall for weeks on
the vital sections of the bill. One by
one the most Objectionable of them has
been eliminated. and above all. the
Rhode Island leader was anxious to
prevent the adoption of new matter, es-
pecially the long and short haul pro-
vision.
Upon his return to the city last
Monday his canvass convinced him
that, while the vote promised to be
close. he would win by majority of
eight. Then he decided that the test
vote should come Friday.
Hope Went climmerinq.
Until few moments OF the hour for
voting he remained confident Then
all his hopes scattered and for the first
time in his parliamentary career he
came to the verge of a vote only to
find the situation slip out OF his grasp.
The hasty recess conference indi-
Gated that il he insisted upon holding
out against the Dixon-Paynter amend.
ment he would be Overwhelmingly de
feated and rather than have it appear
that he had been beaten by a coalition
OF democrats and progressives he de
cided to vote for the compromise.