The Washington times., 1916-04-01

Senator that Mr.. Mccall would have
been II he had been q Senator.
The chief difference between the Nc
Call record and the Weeks record 10
altogether creditable to Mr.. Weeks In
that he has not served so long ume
In Congress. and. therefore. has not
had the opportunity to make so mucn
OF the same kind Of record.
to vote according to his conviction on
the Dolliver-Hepourn railroad rate leg
islatIon OF 1877. and vote against It.
lie was ono OF the seven members OF
the House OF Representatives who stood
up 20 be counted In opposition to that
IL may as we'll be said here and now
that no man who was a member OF
the Congress which passed that legts-
Iation. and who voted against Il, will
states.
Not only that. With Just as much
confidence II can be said that no man
who voted against the Legislation Will
be nominated for President at the Re
publican convention this year. The Re
publican party this year 10 out TO win.
II has no notion OF storming windmills
or otherwise attempting the impossible.
on important questions. but II VIII
never nominate q man with thor
oughly bad record on any question oil
the first significance.
OF all the legislative products Of the
progressive period. which was prac-
ticaiiy co-incident with the Roosevelt
Administration, no other measure has
obtained recognition equal to that ac-
corded to the Dolliver- Hepburn railroad
rate regulation bill. II Is looked upon
today as vital. elemental, fundamental.
1t represents q parting Of the ways in
national policy. 1t was a milestone
marking the end OF an era and the be-
ginning of an era.
Railroads the Issue.
There was squarely presented to the
American Congress and to the Ameri.
can public at that time the question
whether the Government was to reEu.
late the railroads or the railroads were
to run the Government.
Mr.. Roosevelt and the vast majority
in Congress maintained that the firs
obligation was to make II perfectly
clear that the railroads were not Il
run the Government. II that legislation
had failed It would have marked fol
an indefinite period the end Of serious
efforts 70 establish Federal control ovel
carriers. IT would have amounted Il
| frank acknowledgment that the power
or the railroads was so great that Con
gress could do nothing with them shor
OF the great plunge into Government
Truly conservative men OF that err,
sincerely believed It was necessary L
pass this regulatory legislation as ,
means to end a widespread agitation
that threatened. unless appeased, I,
carry the country far into radicalism.
There were In the House of Repre-
sentatives at that time Just seven mel
who were unable to see this point. ant
voted against the passage Of this meas
ure. They were:
Messrs. yreeiand. southwick. an,
Mr.. Lttlefeld. Of Maine;
Mr. Sibley, OF Pennsylvania;
MT: McCall. OF Massachusetts, and
MIR. WEEKS, OF MASSACHUSETTS,
| This bill received 2IS votes in the az
firmative. the foregoing seven in tn,
OF the House were recorded as not vot
ing: 1t is very seldom that any piece O
| legislation receives so large q vote.
Long Discussion.
There had been long and able dis
cussion, preceded by many weeks o
popular discussion ana agitation Of tn,
question. There was no doubt that tn
measure had the enthusiastic support o
the great majority OF the public. II IL
repeal were proposed today II may wei
| ~. uOuptVu Wnetner any member o
either house of Congress would hav
the temertty to support the proposal
| Even among the men who opposed II a
| the time OF its passage, among raiIroa,
executives and financial figures, the bill
Is now frankly accepted as on tn
whole good. useful. and desirable.
| Mr.. Weeks. like his colleague, Mr.. Nc
Call. was Independent enough to dar
vote against this bill. While his inde
pendence may be lauded. his JudEmen
and discretion will hardly receive tn
encomiufns OF practical politicians who's
thought Is centered on the desira bilit,
| OF success In an election.
1t s not overstatement to say tina
President Wilson and his political man
ayers would be eminently Rratified I
have so attractive an issue handed I
them ready-made as this of Mr.. Weeks
vote against the Dolliver-Hepburn bill
Against Parliamentary Reform.
Il Mr.. Weeks seems always to have beef
opposed to parliamentary reform. II
was opposed to revision of the oil
rules OF the House. and. as a membe
} OF that body. consistently voted agains
taking from the Speaker the author
; ity to name the committees of tn
House. This power was the basis O
the organization OF the old House INA
chine" II was ultimately taken awaS
but not until after the Democrats ha
come into control.
In the Senate. again, Mr.. Weeks or
posed porular election OF Senator
, This, too, was ultimately to be Il
emancipation OF the upper charlbe
from the rule Of any faction, interes
or clique.
Following the Weeks votes through
out his experience in both houses.
Is plain that he has been almost I'm
formly with the extreme conservative
5 The list OF specific votes. made up froi
: the Congressional Record. has alread
3 been given. Records like this are u
4 ing studied with q GOOD deal OF II
Z terest nowadays.