OCR Text |
Show the senate, and that, as a result, the insurgents and democrats would sweep the regulars from the decks and pass a radical bill. It was feared that the freight rate advances filed would enragt the shippers, arouse the public generally and produce the crisis feared fear-ed in the senate. But the attorney general promptly filed his injunction in-junction suit, and immediately thereafter the railroad officials went to Washington to confer with Mr. Taft. As soon as they reached the capital the railwaymen were informed in-formed by the senate leaders of the conditions which made the injunction in-junction suit necessary. Thoy were told that if they wished to have a railroad bill passed not wholly unfavorable to their interests the must acquiesce in the action taken by the attorney general. The railroaders were convinced and immediately promised the president presi-dent to withdraw the rate advances. Whether the story is well founded or not, it appears to explain most of the known facts. INSIDE HISTORY. .Some interesting political history concerning the purpose of the suit abruptly filed during the session of congress by Attorney General Gen-eral Wickersham to enjoin the proposed advances in rates by the railroads is given by the Chicago Tribune. According to the story, this suit was not aimed at the railroads, but was instituted for its indirect effect on the insurgents in congress and to spike their guns. The railroad people had gone ahead in their own fashion to announce a general advance of rates on their well worn assumption that they had the right to run their business in their own way, free from interference or regulation by the govern-men. govern-men. The story proceeds: At that time the progressive Republicans in the senate, under the lead of Mr. Cummins of Iowa and Mr. Bristow of Kansas, had succeeded in forcing a number of amendments upon the Aldrich senators. sen-ators. They had struck fear into the hearts of the regulars, and there was danger they would be able to make still more radiciu j changes in the rate bill as framed by the attorney general. The panic stricken reactionaries were convinced that the slightest slight-est public revolt against the railroads would precipitate a crisis in |