Show RAilROAD RA RATE If BILL Vi Views ws of Senator Tillman Tiliman Who Made the Report Read at Length lit in Senate CLEAR AND CONCISE VI VIEW NEWLANDS OF NEVADA ALSO HEARD Washington March say unto yOU here love your enemies said Dr DrEdward DrEdward Edward Everett Hale In begInning his prayer opening the senate today but butIr Mr Ir Platt was the only senator present to listen to the admonition The ab absence absence sence of senators did not however de deter deter ter the venerable chaplain from pro proceeding proceeding with his invocation which was wasa a prayer for general cooperation IndivIduals corporations and nations A bill was passed repealing the pro provision provision vision of the tonnage law of 1884 au authorizing authorizing the president to suspend some of the exactions Unusual Distinction The senate chamber soon filled and by the time Mr Tillman took the floor to present his report on the railroad bill there was an average attendance The report was awarded the unusual ds dis distinction of being read at length In presenting the document the South Carolina senator stated that the report contained only his views and was not therefore a report in the ordinary sense Let the senators views be read said Mr Aldrich h Mr Tillman at first demurred but Mr Aldrich replied that he had real curiosity to know what Mr lIr Tillmans views were and other sena senators senators tors joining in the demand he yielded and the clerk proceeded with the read readIng lag Ing When as the reading progressed the clerk was about to omit an extract from a message by the president Mr lIr Tillman objected HIt It is the most important part he said Senator Views The report is the first clear and con else statement of the differences con Corning court review features and other proposed amendments that has been made a unanimous report of the corn com committee impo Impossible sible Without hesitancy the senator declared It to be his belief that the bIll should be amended but that amendments should not be of a character to impaIr or prevent the ac accomplishment accomplishment of the objects of the leg which are set forth best he says in the presidents message to He emphasized the need of regardIng the measure as nonpartisan but predicted that the issue cr created ted will be paramount in the next presIdential election As to the effect he said Those who arC ard responsible for delay or Inadequate legislation will find that when at last the floodgates of popular wrath and in indignation ignation are hoisted there will be some fine grinding done Mr Tillman prefaced his report by speaking of the peculiar circumstances ruling the committees action on the house bill which made it an embar embarrassing embarrassing rassing task to submIt views that would be concurred in by the committee as a whole Commenting upon the absence of harmony in the committees deliberations the report says Party Lines Broken Instead of being amended In corn com committee as is usual so as to command as a whole the indorsement and sup support support port of a majority of Its members the bill was brought into the senate in a form not entirely satisfactory to more than two members Party lines in the committee were broken down and the bill is In the hands of the senate by reason of the union of hr five members of the minority party and three members of the majority in congress who con concurred curved in reporting it favorably and whIle these eight senators are agreed as to the general purpose and scope of the bill there are radical differences among them as to the amendments that ou ought ht to be incorporated in It This lack of harmony among the sup supporters supporters porters of the billIt would be speak speaking speaking ing with more accuracy to say the sup supporters supporters porters of the policy involved In the bill brIngs about the anomalous situation In which a member of the minority party Is put In charge of the proposed legislation which is generally regarded throughout the country as the cher cherished cherIshed scheme of the president with whose general polIcy and prInciples that member Is not In accord At the same time the bill blU Is designed to carry carr Into effect his own con convictions and thrice reiterated demands of the party to which le he belongs NonPartisan Legislation Legislation EmphasIzing the claim that this con condition is without precedent in legisla legislative tire tive history Mr Tillman says it brings into prominence the fact that the pro proposed proposed posed legislation is nonpartisan and for he urged that Democrats and Republicans alike aUke shoUld bend all their energies and lend all that is best bestIn bestIn In them to perfecting and passing so important a piece of legislation He declared that woe will be the harvest of any member of the senate or house whose work in formulating bill to regulate railroads lacks earnest earnestness ness or honesty of purpose and wh shall seek to belittle the question Or r ku kil kuthe the bill by sUbterfuge and deception The bill as It came from the house hous Mr Tillman characterized as loose worded and capable of different inter interpretations In thus commenting the house bill Mr Tillman said he ca claim to give expression to no opinio e except his own The object sought r added best can be outlined in the lan Ian language guage of the president lii In his last an anal message to congress and from thi the thc senator Benator Quoted extensively Section Fifteen Important After enumerating the changes from the exIsting laws regu regulating lating Inter tate commerce he state that the most Important Is found i 1 section 15 in which power is sought t be vested in the commission after Hafter full hearing upon complaInt made to determine and pre prescribe prescribe scribe what will ln n Its judgment b deemed just and reasonable and faiti faill remunerative rates to b thereafter observed in such auch cases as tho tb maxImum to be charged and to mak makan makan an order that the same shall go mt int effect and remain in force for years ears whIch order shall go Into o thirty days after notice to the carrk carri and shall be in force and be observe by the carrIer unless the same shall b suspended or nullified or set aside b the commission Or be suspended or ie asIde by a court or competent tion Concerning thIs section Mr Ir Tillma said round the f first provIsIon the mos inos earnest and exciting contention ha arisen and there is a great deal of df ference of opinion as to the scope o 0 othis this clause and the executive powers 0 the commission under it may be the results of this In the senate If the bill becomes a la Ia lathe the final determInation of the at issue must be made by the court There Is even greater upon the Question of judicial revIew Rests With Congress Friends of the railroads contend salt sait Mr Tillman TilIman that congress canno limit the jurisdiction of the court while on the other hand h hadded hadded added It is asserted with equal em emphasis emphasis that the power to create al ab courts other than the supreme court rests alone In congress and that courts being statutory are limited in their scope and power by authority which created them He con continued continued HI 1 myself incline confidently to this thi view and have hare not the slightest doubt that it is possible properly to amen amend this bill so as to prohIbit the circuit courts from interfering with the orders order of the interstate commerce commIssion by any interlocutory order This ques question question tion also must be determined by th the supreme court should the proposed law be enacted The senate must determine by its vote what shall be its attitudE upon the questions of court review and interlocutory suspensions The whole question at issue as to giving relief to the producing interests of the country countr r revolves around this feature of the bill If any decision of the supreme court shall declare decare that congress is power powerless powerless less to grant speedy relief through a commission it nee needs s no prophet to tell teU that an outburst of surprise and indig indignation indignation nation win will sweep over the country Commenting on the gross earnings and the net earnings of railroad prop properties said that once a year every dollar in the United States passes through the hands of the rail railroads railroads roads and every three years becomes a apart apart part of their net earnings He asked if it is any wonder that the railroads have the most brilliant legal minds at their command to conduct legislation and asserted that the struggle is be between between tween them and money citizenshIp and capital Summing Up He discussed at length th the building bunding of great fortunes and the maintenance of great properties Summing up the situation he said It is impossible to deny that this great accumulation of wealth waith in the hands of the few is such a menace to liberty that the honest patriot stands appalled by the he outlook After commenting at length upon what he be declared to be the existing system of juggling with railroad prop properties properties or the robbery of the masses Mr Tillman stated that this phase of the subject brings Into great promInence prominence nence and importance the relation to congress of the increase in capitalization tion whether It Is the purpose of con congress congress gress to compel the business Indus Industries Industries tries to pay dividends not upon the thereal thereal real value of these propertIes but upon the fictitious value which has been sought to be placed upon them by the Increased capitalization Concerning the application of the bill to this subject he said There Is a dangerous proVision in this bill which in my judgment ought to be stricken out and that it is in section 14 where the InterState commerce commission Is told to determine and prescribe what will in its Judgment be the just and reasonable and fairly remunerative Uve rate The last words are too elastic and ambiguous and can be construed to mean too much that would be harmful Fairly remunerative tive rate on what The actual value or the fictitious value of the prop properties properties 1 Too Much Watered Stock lIr Tillman declared there can be no justice in compelling the people to pay dividend on watered stock primarily to increase the fortunes of men al already already ready too rich He contended that the poor dupes who have been led to In Invest invest vest their savings In such stocks can better afford to lose those earnings than to have the labor of the country saddled with the burden of paying perpetual tribute in the shape of div dividends dividends on dishonest valuations Mr Tillman recommended that amendments to the bill be adopted which would give relief to the Hanom anomalous alous and outrageous condition of af affairs affairs fairs disclosed as existing In West Virginia Vested with the rights of eminent domain to construct their lines and granted liberal franchIses and char charters charters the railroads in the last fe few years have become rapidly transformed into the band of men who do not thrust their pIstols in the faces of their victims and do de demand domand mand money or their lives but ut who whole le levy tribute in freight rates which are areas areas as high as the traffic will bear deny access to market monopolize with brazen effrontery one of the prime necessaries of In every i way show their absolute contempt for forthe forthe the people and the rights Words of CautIon Mr concluded wIth a word of caution to the friendS of the pro proposed proposed posed legislation He said The demand of the people for relief from the oppressions and wrongs the they now endure may be thwarted by the great influence of the railroad corpora corporations corporations This influence has hitherto been paramount and Its representatives in inthe Inthe the tw two houses may feel that it 15 l safe o 0 refuse to redress the grIevances an ano o 0 continue the policy of ace nce Such action on their part will ir ii irmy my judgment be very Unwise and wil only dam up the water The issue wil wilbe be made the paramount one In the ne election and those who are for delay or Inadequate legislation nil wil find that when at last the of popular wrath and indignation art ar hoisted there wIll be some fine done If those most Interested in them great properties will not consent tf t wise legislation to relIeve the distress 01 the people there is danger ot of more r rad radical d ical policies and leaders coming to th front with the result that legislation far more drastic and dangerous than anything proposed In this bill and the amendments to be offered will be eo en enacted acted Mr Newlands Opinion Mr Tiliman also presented Mr Ir New Newlands lands views on the bill Mr Newlands said that while he hc has haf joined in the report on the Hepburn bill and Is in sympathy with the gen genral general ral eral purpose he thought It incomplete and fragmentary He expressed hI his belief that the legislation would not br bE bEas bras as effective as it should be unless there then thenis is added to the pending measure a pro provision provision vision for the national incorporation of railways engaged in interstate corn com commerce merce guardIng against overcapitalization overcapitalization fixing with certainty the rat rates s of taxation of such railway property by the states and prescribing a fixed limit for dividends Such legislation should not simply cover the Interests of shippers and common should embrace the interests of labor by providing for an insurance fund against accidents and Old age and con dIlation of disputes between carriers and their Senator Newlands discussed corporate activity in s saying it has bias been increasing since 1896 Corporations are in politics the senator declared because they feel their property may at any time be the sUbject ot of attacks either by legislatures or by administrative officers cers lie He said when he introduced a resolution creating a commission to frame a corporation act he believed it unnecessary unnecessary to seek the cooperation or the consent of the states But toda today he saId upon reflection he was con convinced convinced vinced it was wiser to secure the co cooperation cooperation operation of both the United States and the states National incorporation he contended contemplated a general law for the incorporation or of national rail railways railways ways engaged in interstate commerce Would Limit Stock Issues ThIs he thought should limit stock and bond Issues to the cash paId on or to the value of the property ac acquired acquired and no issue permitted save sae with the approval of the interstate corn com commerce merce commission Senator Newlands said It is plain the people are restive under exIsting con conditions conditions They realize he said that men prominent in the great oil cor corporations are getting control over the transportation of the country and un unless unless less we unify and simplify thIs control in a few thoroughly controlled great national corporations whose finances and operations can be easily under understood understood stood and whose functions will be en entirely entirely taken out of politics we will drift to national ownership as the easi easiest easiest est solution Senator Newlands suggested that the argument In support of national own was a simple and tak taking Ing one Government Ownership hel I Government ownership lie said has no Iio difficulty either constitutional or practical except Pt possibly the difficulty difficulty culty of honest and efficient adminis administration administration and the country will drift to it unless existing abuses of union con controlled controlled trolled monopoly overcapitalization of accomplished union between the pro producing producing and the interests of control of unjust preferences and discrIminations are done away with I belIeve the |