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A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO
POLITICS, AGRICULTURE AND HOME LIFE
Vol. 18. No. 923.
Lincoln, Nebraska, February 15, 1906
Subscription $1.00
TRY TO WEAKEN BILL
CORPORATION SENATORS SOUR
AT HEPBURN'S MEASURE.
If They Can Introduce "a Little Joker"
That Will Give Courts Complete
Power of Review They Will Be
Satisfied.
Washington, D. C, Feb. 15 Rate
legislation has occupied the attention
of the senate comittee on interstate
commerce for several days, but the
members are slow to agree. As has
been anticipated Elkins, Aldrich,
Kean, Foraker and Crane are opposed
to the Hepburn bill, which Dolliver,
Clapp and Cullom have indorsed.
While the general run of statesmen
look upon the Hepburn bill as quite
moderate in its regulative measures,
the corporation senators are far from
satisfied with "the provision giving the
interstate commerce, commission pow
er to fix rates after" complaintahd in
vestigation, suujeci'iu iub cuusuui
tional rights of - the, railways to ap
peal to the courts for relief.- The hos
tile senators demand , . that specific
powers be given the courts to re
view all the acts of the commission
and to be the final arbiter with refer
ence to rates. In other words, they
ask that the courts be given tbe pow
er to override the commission at any
and all times. Realizing, however,
the power of the opposition they may
give up hope of having their own bills
indorsed by the committee and" may
rely on their legal skill to weaken the
Hepburn bill by a "little joker" they
have prepared.
Mr. Tillman and Mr. McLaurin have
not yet declared themselves in favor
of the Hepburn bill. Mr. Tillman is
anxious to obtain a more drastic meas
ure. Should these democratic sena
tors fail to vote for the bill it cannot
be reported in its present form." If
nnp of the votes is lost the committee
will be tied, unless Senator Cullom
returns to Washington m time to cast
his vote.
the bitter dissatisfaction with exist
ing conditions, state and national,
among the republicans of Nebraska.
Partisanship, they believe, has lost Its
power, and they think that the result
will be a large independent vote that
can be won by the democratic party
if it nominates high-grade candidates
on a sound but radical platform.
, Speakers from outside the state
who have been invited are, Hon. Cato
Sells, Vinton, la.; General Weaver,
Colfax, la.; Mayor Rose of Wilwaukee.
and Hon. John H. Atwood of Leaven
worth, Kas. The state speakers in
vited are Hon. G. M. Hitchcock, Hon.
George W. Berge, Hon. A. C. Shallen
berger, Hon. W. H. Thompson, and
Hon. P. E. McKillip of Humphrey.
Governor Folk of Missouri, who -was
among those invited, tnougnt at first
that he would be abe to attend the
dinner, but he has now, definitely in
formed Chairman Allen that he will
not be present.
Chairman Allen has received many
letters from all parts or the state com
mending the idea of a conference and
he is confident that the attendance
will exceed 500.
STRIKES BLOWAT" FREE PASS
DEMOCRATS TO MAKE PLANS
Dollar Dinner Will Be Held in Lin
coln on March 6.
State leaders of .the democratic
party will meet the rank and, file: at
"a dollar dinner,, to be given in Lin
coln, Neb., on March 6. Chairman
Allen; has fixed on .the foregoing date
after hearing from all the speakers
who have been invited to attend. , m
; The chances for democratic success
seemed so good to Chairman Allen
and others high in the councils of the
party that a dinner and conference
wa3 decided upon for, the devising of
ways and means to make the approach
ing campaign a triumph. The idea
instantly met with favor among demo
crats in all parts of Nebraska and the
prospects are excellent for one of- the
biggest democratic love feats ever
held in the state.
The democrats base their hopes on
La Follette Introduces a Sweeping
Bill in the Senate.
.Washington, Feb. 15. Senator La
Follette has introduced a bill pro
hibiting federal officials from asking
or accepting railroad or other passes
and prohibiting railroads from grant
ing them. It imposes penalties for
violations of the law. .
The bill forbids all persons and
corporations giving free passes or
franks to any political committee or
its employes, to any candidate for
an office under the constitution or
laws of the. United States, or to any
holder of such an ofiice: The bill
forbids , passes, franKs or privileges
being issued to any person which are
withheld, from any other person for
"the traveling accommodation or
transportation of any person of prop
erty, or the transmission of any mes
sage or communication.'. . -
The punishment ror violations of
the bill is . "imprisonment at hard
labor not more than seven years, nor
less than one year, or by fine not ex
ceeding $5,000, nor less than $100."
Agents and officers or companies
within the purview or the bill are
to be privileged from testifying in
relation to anything it prohibits, and
no person so testifying is liable for
punishment for any offense., concern
ing which he was required to testify.
'Free pass," as used in the bill is
defined "any form of ticket or mile
age entitling, the holder to travel over
any. part. of the line or lines of any
railroad,: issued to the. nolder as a
gift in consideration or any service
performed. or, to be performed by such
holder, , or any other person, except
where . the ticket or. mileage is used
by such holder. In the performance of
his duties as an employe of the rail
road issuing the same." , .
-Railway mail service men while in
the performance of tneir duty are' .to
be exempt from the provisions of the
biii.';...- . .. . .- -
Congressman Norns of Nebraska
assisted Congressman Gaines of Ten
nessee in drafting the anti-pass
amendment, which the latter offered
to the rate regulation bill. , It was
first drawn by Mr. ualnes and then
turned over to Mr. Norris, who almost
entirely reorganized it and added the
provision that railroads must keep
a pass register, which shall be
opened to the interstate . commerce
commission, and adding several pen
alties. The amendment received
ninety-three votes, with 137 in the
negative. All the Nebraska members
supported it, as did nearly all the
democrats. Iowans, so rar as they
voted, opposed the ... amendment, and
so did the South Dakota members.
The reason offered by the latter two
delegations was that they were rep-
resented on tne committee wnicn.pre-
L pared the bill and was opposing all
amendments, and they wanted to be
loyal to their colleagues.
GRASS SEED IS ADULTERATED
Agricultural Department Issues Cir
cular Putting Farmers on Guard.
Washington, Feb. 13. The depart
Tnrt"tJf1SgfICtllttifelsstred a circular
relative to an investigation of the
adulteration of orchard grass, blue
grass, clover ; and alfalfa seed. The
department gathered seed from all
parts of the United States, buying in
the open market, and of the" seed ex
amined about one-thrid was found to
be adulterated. The tiegrees .of adul
teration varied from 10 per cent to
75 per cent. The names of upward of
100 firms, which -the department al
leges are selling the adulterated seeds
are printed in the circular.
It Is estimated that 700,000 pounds
of Canadian bluegrass seed are annu
ally imported into the United States
and mixed with the Kentucky blue
grass seed and sold as the latter.
A similar amount or trefoil is im
ported from England, mixed with al
falfa seed and. sold at a corresponding
advance, says the circular. The seed
men hold that in many instances they
have innocently bought from others
the adulterated seeds. The depart
ment volunteered' to examine and re
port without charge upon any seed
samples sent by dealers or consumers.
Pleads for the Starving
President Roosevelt has issued an
appeal taking official cognizance of
the famine In northern Japan.' It has
grown to such tfcrious proportions
that he asks . . for - contributions. He
recommends that these be sent to the
American National Red Cross, which
will forward them to , the' Japanese
Red Cross to be used as the Japanese
government may direct. Contribu
tions can be made to local red cross
treasurers or sent airect to Hon.
Charles Hallam' Keep, Red Cross
treasurer,-United States Treasury De
partment; Washington, D. C. s
TRADING AND PLOTTING
REVOLTS HAVE BECOME POPU
LAR AT WASHINGTON.
Factions Trying to Compromise With
Each Other and With the President
Democratic Discord Not So Seri
ous as Republican Dissension.
" Send $1,00 for a year's .subscription
to The Independent and receive: Mr.
Berge's, book,' ''The Free Pass Bribery
System' free "as a premium! This
offer wlH'remain but a short time. -
Washington, D. C.,fFeb. 15. (Spec
ial) Democratic sentiment here is
severely critical at the present time.
The democratic senators are greatly
displeased at the insurgency of Sen
ator Patterson, although they give
him credit for perfect sincerity and
admire him for his rugged defiance
of caucus threats to read him out of
the party. While his rebellious at
titude may result in the ratification of
the San Domingo arrangement, thus
striking a hard blow at democratic
cohesion and power of opposition,
there are few senators who are dis-poseC-W"..(ake
vengeance upon" the
Colorado statesman. ;i .
Sympathy for Patterson
Senator Patterson was the object of
much sympathy when he returned to
Washington because of his campaign
against political corruption in Colo
rado and because, this led him into
criticisms of the supreme court which
resulted in his being fined for con
tempt without a trial. Among men
of his own party he has been regarded
as a martyr suffering for the freedom
of the press, and even his republican
friends, who are disgusted with polit
ical affairs in Colorado, have en
deavored to make It jplear that they
look upon him as a victim, not of his
own folly, but of , unfortunate circum
stances. , Planned Moral Victory
Democratic senators expected to
win a great moral victory by present
ing a solid front against what they
consider President Roosevelt's usurpa
tion of the treaty-making power. The
defeat of the San Domingo treaty
for such it is, although out or cour
tesy to the senate it was called a
protocol would mean increased pres
tige for the democratic party. The
triumph of. the treaty- will place the
republican senators in a good position
to oppose White . House wishes on
other matter, notably rate" legislation.
The plan,' is to throw a sop . to the
White House Cerberus, who is hated
by a few ..and feared by many. After
tickling the president by "nudging
up", to him on the San Domingo af
fair, the corporation senators expect
to attack the Hepburn bill with , the
purpose of tearing it to pieces. It fs
even reported that "the, president has
traded off the most vital part of ef
fective rate legislation In order to se:
cure the senate's,, support on the San
Domingo treaty. v - v i!r rf
Hepburn Bill Threatened
'
True friends of effective legislation
regard the Hepburn bil as none too