Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-04-13
SAYS LAWS OF THE NATION we're DISREGARD
ED IN FAVOR THOSE PAS sED BY MERE STATE - SEW
i ERAL SENATORS DEFENSE WIckERsHAM
y AND STATED THEIR BELIEF IN HIS HONESTY As WELL AS
! HIS

Washington, April 49, Incidental
to the consideration of the admins
tration railroad bill, the merger OF
the Boston and Maine railroad with
the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford railroad, through the railroad
holding law, enacted by the Massach-
usetts LEGISLATURE in 1909, was discuss
ed at length today in the senate.
The principal speech attacking the
consolidation in unstinted language,
was made by Senator LaFollette and
consumed the larger part OF the days
session, Brief responses by Senators
Lodge and Gallinger were made ut
the close of the Wisconsin senator's
speech.
Both of the New England senators
defended the merger and upheld the
law under which it was made.
Mr.. LaFollette presented this tran
saction in great detail for the pur-
pose, he said, of illustrating the pos
sible effect of enactment into law Of
the merger provisions of the pend
ing railroad bill. He traced the con-
solidation from the beginning, but
gave special attention to the Mass
achusetts legislation under which the
combination was made effective,
It was virtually charged by the
speaker that this enactment had been
consummated as the result of dicta-
ton of President Mellen of the New
Haven road, who he intimated repre-.
sented the Morgan-Rockefeller inter-
ests. He quoted from a member of
the Massachusetts legislature. a state
ment to the effect that Governor
Draper had responded to an ultima
tum from the New Haven interests.
He undertook to show that the fed
eral merger suit, which had been in.
stituted during President Ro0sevelt's
administration, had been dismissed at
the dictation of Attorney General
Wickersham, under the Taft adminls-
tration, for the inadequate reason that
the Massachusetts legislature had
passed the holding bill under which
the consolidation was effected.
The argument covered large
range of accusations, but aside from
the speakers desire to hold aloft the
merger as bad example, the evident
purpose was to contrast the Taft ad-
ministration with the Roosevelt ad-
ministration to the disadvantage of
the former.
The criticism of Attorney General
Wickersham was especially stringent
and pointed. The responses by Mes
srs. Lodge and Gallinger were just as
positive in his defense.
It was toward the close of his long
speech that Mr.. LaFollette made his
sharpest reference to Mr.. Wicker
sham. He had practically concluded
his exposition of the New England
merger, and was devoting himself to
condemnation of the pending bill,
when rising on his tiptoes, he exclaim-
ed:
"Mr. President. Is this the wise
legislation embodying no sudden i'm
pulse, but matured views as express
ed in council which the attorney
general in his recent speech at Chi
cago, said, is pressed for enact
ment.' Is it for legislation such as
this that the attorney general COM
mands all who would not be read,
out of the republican party to get in
1ine?''
The session was we'll nigh spent
when the Wisconsin senator conclud-
ed his speech. Mr.. Lodge was the
first to speak in reply. Declaring
that he could not afford to allow what
Mr.. LaFO1lette had said to pass with
out word regarding the attitude of
the people of Massachusetts. he en-
tered upon a statement of facts in
tended to show that Mr. LaFollette's
outline of the situation had not been
accurate.
Senator Ga11fnger, who had listened
carefully to the entire controversy,
defended the attorney general and
asserted the right of New England to |
conduct its own business. It was at |
this juncture that Mr.. Lodge added |
a word in defense of the attorney
general. He said he was not only an !
able lawyer, but high minded man. |
and that he was satisfied that wheth-
er he had acted wisely or unwisely
his conduct had been dictated by the
best motives.
Senator LaFollette then devoted his
remarks to the Massachusetts, state
legislation authorizing the acquisition
OF Boston and Maine stock by a hold
ing company, but failed to find in this
legislation anything like the impor-
tance attached to it by Mr.. Wicker
sham had permitted state legislation
to supersede federal legislation in the
matter in which interstate commerce
was largely concerned.
He declared the people of Massach-
usetts had been taken of their guard
by the authorization to the holding
company apparently, also the chair
man of the Massachusetts, house CON-
mittee on railroads, when he stated
that Governor Draper had been com.