The Topeka state journal. [volume], November 19, 1905, EDITION FOR SUNDAY, Image 1

About The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
mttnal
SUNDAY
20 PAGES
EDITION
SUNDAY
20 PAGES
EDITION
State
EDITION FOR SUNDAY.
MONEY ALL SPENT
Secretary Taft Tells St. Louis
Commercial Club
That Panama Canal Appropria
tion Is Exhausted.
Monthly Expense Sow Running
About $600,000.
BILLS ARE UNPAID.
Situation Is Bordering Upon the
Disastrous.
Congress Will Be Called on for
Emergency Action.
"Canal Will Be by lT. 8.
According to Law."
and
St. Louis. Nov. 18. Secretary Taft
reached this city at 5:54 p. m.. over the
Baltimore & Ohio railway and was met
at the station by a committee of the St.
Louis commercial club, whose guest of
honor he was tonight at a banquet in
the elegant quarters of the St. Louis
club.
One hundred and fourteen prominent
business and professional men sat at
the table, Secretary Taft occupying the
place of honor at the head of the table.
At his right sat Charles Nagle, presi
dent of the commercial club, who acted
as toastmaster. To his left was Judge
li. Adams,
At 9:30 o'clock Mr. Nagle introduced
the guest to the assembly, who gave
him an enthusiastic greeting. Mr.
Taft's speech of an hour and a half
duration was listened to with marked
attention.
Secretary Taft had as his subject,
"The Panama Canal." He said among
other things: that "the canal is to be
built by the United States government
and built according to law."
The Best Route.
Other things being equal of course
the best route is the shortest and that
is neither Nicaragua nor Panama. The
shortest route, not more than 30 miles,
is across the isthmus of Darien by way
of San Bias river, 30 miles from tide
water to tide water. The difficulty
with this route is that It requires the
tunneling of a mountain 1,500 feet high
in such a way as to permit the passage
of modern steamship. The length of
the ti nnel 1 more than five miles and
at least 150 feet In height above the
watef.
Modern engineering has as yet ac
complished no feat equal to the arch
ing of such a tunnel and the best evi
dence seems to show that the Interior
of the mountain is not granite or
some hard rock that would hold itself
in place after tunnelling, but is prob
ably a shaly or volcanic substance re
quiring the roof of the tunnel to be
supported. The Nicaragua route,
which had and still has sincere and
strenuous advocates, is much longer,
being about 137 miles in length and
involves the extensive dredging and
use of a lake some 110 feet above sea
level.
The Panama route was but 46 miles
in length from shore line to shore
line, had been partly constructed and
was paralleled by an existing railroad,
an agency indispensable to construct
ing any canal. The routes were all
thoroughly discussed by the Walker
commission and it finally recommend
ed the Panama route. Congress by a
majority vote deliberately reached the
same conclusion.
Fund Is Exhausted.
"And now I shall speak of some
thing that is a most important matter
at this juncture," said the speaker.
"Fifty millions of dollars were taken
out of the treasury of the United
States, $40,000,000 for the French
ranama Canal company and $10,000,-
000 for the
republic of Panama to
anal as it is and the right
he Panama railway. Ten
i voted to begin the pre
k on the canal. That
i about exhausted.
give up
of way
millions liminar'
$10,000,
The pay roll at present amounts to
something like $600,000 a month and
there is not enough money on hand
after the payment of the bill to meet
the December pay roll. There are
bills unpaid for material and supplies
that should be paid at once. The de
lay is quite oppressive and unjust to
the creditors of the government. It
will be necessary therefore for con
gress to make an emergency appro
priation to carry on the work without
calamitous interruption. Nothing
could be more disastrous than to have
the pay rolls go unpaid for even a few
weeks. This was the trouble with the
new French Panama Canal company
and with the old French Panama
Canal company. Certainly there is
nothing in the credit of the United
States justifying suspension of pay
ments. Route Is Fixed.
"Few engineers who have visited the
canal have doubted the possibility of
its construction, either as a lock or as
a sea level canal. The theory advanced
by opponents of the Panama and by
opponents of any canal that the route
of the canal has not been finally de
cided upon is utterly unfounded. Con
gress voted in favor of it. the presi
dent has made the selection in ac
cordance with the power conferred by
the act and under its terms he would
be entirely justified in constructing the
canal at Panama without again con
sulting congress, except for the pur
pose of obtaining the annual appro
priations out of the funds to be real
ized from the sale of the bonds al
re.7' autno,'zed by legislative act.
one of the great obstacles to suc
cess m building the canal is the op
position of powerful persons and in
terests to its construction. Some of
this opposition comes from those who
are sincerely convinced that the
Panama route is not a nractirawo
route and that there are other and
easier routes to be preferred. It is not
to be expected that owners and man
agers of great transcontinental lines
should become enthusiastic over an
enterprise which, if carried to com
pletion, must certainly affect the rates
of freight between the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts. As previously stated,
the canal is to be built and built ac
cording to the law authorizing it."
SUNDAY MORNING.
- : - .. ,z
Wiliiam H. Taft, Secretary of War. Who Spoke Last Night of the Serious
aiaie oi inaii-s over
SQUEEZE FAILED.
Stringency in Wall Street ReUeved by
Interior Shipments.
New York, Nov. 18. In the money
markets this week attention has been
divided between the renewed Russian
disorders, the sharp fluctuations in
money rates and the still more re
markable up and down movements in
the foreign exchange. These have
been the three interesting aspects of
the week's situation and they have
moreover influenced the stock market
to the exclusion of everything else. The
main concern we have in possible
financial disturbances abroad is due to
the recent unfavorable turn in the ex
change situation which makes it cer
tain that if Europe were threatened
with a financial crisis our market
would be forced to yield up some
round amounts of gold.
The attempt to squeeze borrowers of
demand money failed because of the
rush of credit offers that were at
tracted by the high premiums exacted
by New York lenders. Two important
facts were thereby established. One
that the money st Ln?u3rj?s fljfrely
a loca.1 condition, the other ttitZt there
was no state of affairs existing in Wall
street to make outside capital afraid ot
Wall street collateral. What this
means by way of assurance to the
stock market for the next six weeks
ought not to be undervalued. The
truly wonderful buoyancy that the
share list has shown again this week
under very trying circumstances clear
ly points to this being no ordinary
market. So much even hostile critics
are forced to admit.
At the root of all diagnoses of the
situation is the question whether or
not it is speculation that has carried
prices of certain stocks up in defiance
of all customary rules of precedure
and whether or not it is speculation
that has precipitated the autumn
money difficulties. These articles have
maintained all along that what we
have been witnessing is not in the
ordinary sense a speculative move
ment. A few stocks having a par
ticularly strong claim to higher valua
tion and held at most exclusively by
powerful capitalists have risen vio
lently. This is the record of the last
few months in the stock market.
AT BAY AT LAST.
Greene and Gaynor Are Arraigned for
Various Crimes.
Savannah, Ga., Nov. 18. Greene and
Gaynor were indicted tonight by the
United States grand Jury on two addi
tional charges of embezzlement and re
ceiving money of the United States that
was known to have been embezzled by
Captain Oberlln M. Carter. Besides
Benjamin D. Greene and John F. Gay
nor, Ed H. Gaynor, William L. Gay
nor and Michael A. Connolly were also
indicted under the two additional
charges. They now stand charged as
follows:
First Conspiracy to defraud the Uni
ted States government.
Second Presenting false accounts.
Third Embezzlement.
Fourth Receiving money that be
longed to the government, knowing it
to have been embezzled.
During the afternoon Greene and
Gaynor were brought from the jail with
guard. With them were W. W. Mel-
drum and A. A. Lawrence, counsel for
defense.
After the jury had been charged by
Judge Emory Speer, Colonel Meldrum
said he did not wish it understood that
the defense waived the right to object
to poll and array. Erwin replied tne
time had passed wherein defense might
obiect and Judge Speer said it was a
matter that could be later determined.
No Savannah man was on the grand
iurV.
New indictments were not returned
against Carter. Those against him on
the first two charges still stand.
TOMMY MURPHY WINS.
His
Gamcness Won Over O'Brien
Last Night.
Philadelphia. Nov. 18. In a whirl
wind bout, voted by the sporting fra
ternity as the greatest ever witnessed
In this citv between little men, Tommy
Murphy, the New York featherweight,
just managed to outpoint O'Brien of
Boston tonight at the National Ath
letic club. O'Brien came within an
ace of putting Murphy out in the
opening round, and although the New
Yorker dropped O'Brien for the
count of seven, four different times
through the sixth round, he was un
able to turn the trick. O'Brien's dis
play of gameness stamped him a
great fighter.
tne jranama C anal. i
ON THEIR TRAILS.
Cattlemen Who Fenced Govern
ment Land in Danger.
Grand Jury Has Been Called to
Attend to Them.
FIFTEEN CASES READY.
There Are More in Process of
Preparation.
What A. B. Green Is Doing in
Kansas.
The special United States grand jury
ordered by attorney general of the
United States, to sit in Topeka on No
vember 27, will consider land frauds
committed In Kansas. The empanel
ing is for this special purpose.
There are fully 15 cases ready now
in the United States district attorney's
office. Some of them present flagrant
offences, principal among which are
land fencing and false entries.
These have been hanging fire for some
time. That cattlemen in western Kan
sas were unlawfully fencing up land for
grazing purposes has long been a com
monly acknowledged fact. Some ef
forts have been made to stop them, but
with uniform lack of success.
The time has come, however, that
the government is tired of being played
with. The attorney general himself
took the matter In hand. He sent a
noted land agent into this territory, A.
R. Green. This man had just come
fresh from his exploitations of fraud in
northwestern lands, where he had made
a great name for himself. He unearth
ed monumental schemes by which the
government was being cheated. His ef
forts went so far as to send a United
States senator to the penitentiary,
alongside of some other guilty persons.
He was the special envoy of the de
partment of the interior to the north
west the personal representative of
Secretary Hitchcock and President
Roosevelt. Incidentally he was also a
Kansas man.
This same A. R. Green was sent to
Kansas about a month ago to take up
the task of finding out to what extent
Kansas government land was being
illegally used. He has been hard at
work, but very quietly. He has given
out nothing to the newspapers but a
vague, "Wait until after awhile and I
may give you something."
After a conference with United States
Attorney Dean he left Topeka, presum
ably to investigate conditions for him
self. He was gone until the beginning
of this week, when he returned, but as
usual had nothing to say concerning
his findings. He locked himself up into
a room on the third floor of the federal
building and kept at his work.
It is supposed that with Mr. Dean
United States attorney, he made a re
port to the attorney general atWash
ington, who, realizing the gravity of
the situation, at once ordered a grand
jury to be summoned here yet this
month. It will be held in conjunction
with a special session of the district
court which begins on November 27.
Judge Pollock is at Lafferty, Belmont
county, O., on a visit. He is expected
back in Topeka by the end of this week,
but will probably make the formal order
for the jury before that time. The or
der for the venire had not been made
yesterday to the United States district
court.
JUDGMENT F0R$30,000
4
Rendered Against the Missouri Pacific
for Personal Injury.
Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 18
largest verdict ever rendered
-The
in a
damage case in a local court was given
today to the wife of Major J. M. T.
Partello, U. S. A., who was given judg
ment against the Missouri Pacifrc rail
way for $30,000 for injuries received
in a wreck.
Major and Mrs. Partello and their
two children were en route from Fort
Reno, Okla., to Fort Leavenworth,
Kan., October 9, 1904, when their
train was ditched in the Missouri Pa
cific yards here. All the members of
the family were Injured, Mrs. Partello
receiving internal injuries tnat kept
her in the hospital for a long time.
She sued alleging permanent injuries.
The case will be appealed. The other
members of the family have suits
pending.
TOPEKA, KANSAS. NOVEMBER 19, 190-
ARMY ISJVOBBLY.
Serious Mutinies Among Czar's
Soldiers Imminent.
Latest Manitesto Has Had No
Good Effect.
DISTRUST OF WITTE.
Pervades the Banks of the Rus
sian Proletariat.
The Flight of Foreigners and
Others Continues.
St. Petersburg, Nov. IS. The mani
festo issued yesterday has aggravated
the situation by disappointing the
hopes of millions of peasants. Reports
that Grand Duke Nicholas has been
appointed dictator have increased the
financial and industrial panic. T.he
banks are besieged by people who are
transferring their valuables abroad.
The flight of foreigners and others
continues.
That the czar's main support, the
peasantry, is more seriously aisaitect-
! ed than ever is indicated by the
i agrarian riots, which are widespread
UnH rtani-. rniis Thp belief is enter-
tained by well informed persons that
serious mutinies of the soldiers are
imminent. The latest manifesto has no
beneficial effect, because the freed
serfs assert that the land that they
received in 1861, was coming to them
for the wages they should have been
paid during previous yeafs of toil.
Therefore the peasants demanded at
this time the reimbursement of the
yearly payments made on that land or
an equivalent in other land. Now the
manifesto tells them that if they will
be good the czar will sell them land
at his own price. The peasant alli
ance wished to leave the matter to
the douma for settlement. It accuses
the grand dukes and other great land
lords of framing the manifesto in their
own interests. The leaders are threat
ening to bring on a strike of peasants
that will devastate the empire.
Even opponents of autonomy for Po
land assert the situation there does not
justify a state of siege and that Count
Witte's action in this respect proves
that he hopes gradually to recall all
the paper liberties lately granted.
Though at last night's meeting, the
Russian, Polish and Jewish labor dele
gates who are conducting the present
strike voted in favor of prolonging and
extending it, Witte asserts that the
backbone of the movement is broken.
The premier is receiving many threat
ening letters daily. The czar is testing
automobiles. ,
Strike Is in Good Shape.
Moscow, Nov. is. No evidence is
placed here upon the official confidence
of the St. Petersburg government that
the back of the strike has been broken.
The workers' organization were never
in better snape tnan tney are now. iney
have divided St. Petersburg and Mos
cow into regular administrative dis
tricts and retain absolute control over
more than one million people.
General Trepoff s restraint in St. Pe
tersburg and Moscow a fortnight ago,
when the rest of the empire was seeth
ing, was due to recognition of his help
lessness in favor of the organization
controlled by workers and liberals who
continue to possess the force and de
termination necessary to carry on their
campaign until victory has been defin
itely achieved.
ECKERSALL'S TRIUMPH.
Made World's Record With Five Drop
Kicks Against tlllinois-
Chicago, Nov. 18 Chicago overwhelm
ed Illinois in the most one-sided game
of the local season this afternoon, the
score at the end of the seventy minutes'
play being 44 to 0. Illinois had no
strength whatever on the defense and
made few gains when given the ball.
Eckersall, for Chicago, achieved the
most brilliant success of his career in
kicking field goals. Five times he drop
ped back to try for points tlyough this
method and five times he was successful
At another time Eckersall added five
more points to the Chicago total by
skimming . the Illinois lett end lor a
touchdown.
Chicago used only simple plays, out
playing Illinois at every point of the
game.
stabbeOisrancee.
And Then Shot Himself to Death With
a Revolver.
Phicasro. Nov. 18. Edward Road-
unt 30 years of age, stabbed to death
upt, csu jedis ui as . t-.,.i,0ii ii
his sweetheart, Lizzie asholl, "
years of age, tonight while sne was
on her way home from work in Bow
mnnville. 111., and then shot himself
through the head, dying instantly
They were engaged to De married,
but she changed her mind? and told
him she would not keep her engage
ment. This angered Roadupt and he
threatened her life. Miss Kasholl
then swore out a warrant against him
on the charge of making threats.
He disappeared for a time but to
night suddenly appeared as she was
alighting from a car and stabbed her
to death. He then drew- a revolver
and shot himself in the mouth, the
bullet passing through his brain and
killing him instantly.
DINEWURNED.
Frisco Train Wrecked at Deckerville,
Arkansas.
Deckerville, Ark., Nov.. 18. The
Frisco Southeastern limited, which
runs between Birmingham, Ala., and
Kansas City, was derailed near here.
Ten or more persons were injured.
The cause of the wreck was a broken
rail. One coach, a sleeper and dining
car were turned over and one chair
car was derailed. The diner took fire
and was Quickly enveloped in flames.
Several employes had narrow escapes
front burning to death. Citizens of
Deckerville saved the rest of the train
from destruction by fire.
Uncle Sam: "I guess by this that some college, university or sich Is go
ing to get a million or so for a Thanks giving or Christmas present."
RISE hNSILVER.
White Metal Is Again Disturb
ing the World's Currencies.
Government Thought It Had It
All Settled.
ON RATIO OF 32 TO 1.
All Calculations of Financiers
Have Been Upset.
Philippine Commission Forbids
Exportation of the Coin.
Washington, Nov. 18. The rise of sil
ver bullion which has been going on
steadily for a year, has now reached a
level that affects the currencies of the
world, based on a ratio of 32 to 1, like
the new peso in the Philippines cur
rency. The Pnilippine commissioners in
consternation over the prospect that the
currency of the pesos over there will be
turned into pots and melted into bul
lion has issued an order against the ex
portation of the coin.
This palliative can prove only tem
porary. The Philippine coin, worth just
50 cents in our money has a bullion
value of a trifle under 61 cents. Such
coins, history proves, can not be kejt
out of the melting pot. The whole plan
of the International exchange commis
sion which sought to make this ratio
prevalent in the orient, thus goes to
pieces. The question now is whether
the present rise is ,to be permanent.
Secretary Shaw had a brief conference
with the president today, but at its con
clusion did not indicate its nature. When
asked whether it was his intention to
put into operation any plan for th re
lief of the money market he replied he
could not say what he might do later
but had no present intention of making
additional deposits with national banks.
SENATOR L0NGBUSY.
Witnessed a Review of Troops and
Addressed the Veterans.
Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Nov. IS. Sen
ator Chester I. Long and a party of
friends visited Fort Leavenworth this
morning. Thev were received by Colonel
Charles B. Hall, post commander. They
were conducted to the cavalry parade
grounds for a review of troops In the sen
ator's honor. Senator Warner sent a
note expressing his regret because he
could "not be present. A full brigade
review of all five branches of the ser
vice, engineers, signal corps, cavalry, in
fantrv and artillery, was held, with near
ly 3,000 troops in line: Rain fell part of
the time, but all of the commands passed
the reviewing point, uipiain r uui mei ,
French military attache In Washington,
made an inspection of the troops. He
rode the lines with Colonel Hall. The
review as one of the largest ever held
'"lt'n nVlnek a recention was tendered
Senator Long at the Officers' club. This
was followed by a luncneon senator
Lond addressed the veterans In the Sol-
Sm. this .flernoon. He left here
diers home this afternoon. He left here
at 4 o'clock for Kansas City where he
expects to meet some' Kansas politicians
who want to have a final word with him
hofmo he. denarts for Washington to
night.
USED UP TEDDY Jfl.
President's Son Carried From
Field Early in the Game.
the
Cambridge, Nov. 18. Yale grit was
again demonstrated when the Tale fresh
men vanished Harvard freshmen in their
annual football struggle on Soldier's field
this afternoon to the tune of 10 to 1. It
was one of the hardest fought gridiron
battles ever played between freshmen of
these two colleges.
Naturally the center of all eyes was
on young Teddy Roosevelt. He played
left end for Harvard and it was his first
big game. aie maae a. vuvvv'g
of him but he would not admit that he
had enough. The man against him,
Burch was an inch taller and 23 pounds
heavier Against this handicap Roose
velt had no show, which did not make
him try any the less. But before the
end of the first half Roosevelt was in a
very bad wav and was carried from the
field struggling forcibly.
Those who especially watched the presi
dent's son from the sideline saw a boy
of 145 pounds with a large mouth, peer
ing eves and mussy light hair tearing
into the opposing line in every scrimmage
being tackled, and thrown and twisted
and occasionally getting in his own work
a tackling and throwing and twisting.
His work "was spectacular and he proved
the old adage, "'a chip of the old block,'
to be true.
SUNDAY MORNING.
HE BREAKS DOWN.
Dougherty Confesses to Robbing the
Peoria School Fund. .
Peoria, 111., Nov. 19. For the first
time since the day of his arrest New
ton C. Dougherty today practically ad
mitted his guilt, at the same time giv
ing an explanation of the causes that
led to his robbing the Peoria school
fund of a sum now estimated to be
more than $1,000,000.
The fact that he was interested in
too many business enterprises, that he
mixed his personal affairs with those
of the school board and that he was
allowed too much liberty in the hand
ling of the funds are given as the
prime causes for his downfall.
The interview in which he told of
his defalcations was given by
Dougherty in his cell at the county
jail today. As he discussed the case
the noted educator broke down and
wept bitterly. Crushed in spirit, he
still maintained that he had lived a
moral and upright life. He repeatedly
declared that he had no love for
money and that he was conscious of
no wrong-doing.
"I was in too mam- enterprises,
said Dougherty. "I had made mney
too rapidly. I was accustomed to
handle the school funds without any
oversight or supervision. I never
cared for money or what it purchased
I never desired wealth except to help
others. 1 have lived a moral and up
right life in this community and else
where.
"Heaven knows I have erred and
for those errors I am suffering today
what no mortal man ever before suf
fered. I have erred on the side of
generosity and public spirit and with
a desire to help my fellow men. I
have always subscribed liberally to
every public enterprise. I have aided
m upbuilding the city and in promot
ing enterprises that would give em
ployment to labor.
"Although face to face with dis
grace, I am morally conscious .that T
have done no wrong. If I could have
maintained my position as president
of the Peoria National bank I would
have gone to Chicago and obtained
sufficient funds.
"I deny there has been any fraud in
the school funds. The loss is in the
Peoria National bank. The money was
taken out of the bank, not from the
school fund. Whatever loss there may
ife should fall upon the stockholders
and depositors."
chaffeet6"retire.
Will Go In Time to Let Both Bates
and Corbin In.
Washington, Nov. 18. Lieutenant
General Chaffee, chief of staff, con
ferred with the president today rela
tively to his retirement, about Feb
ruary 1. He desires to take his fam
ily to California. This will enable the
fulfillment of the programme to per
mit Generals Corbin and Bates to be
heads of the army before their retire
ment for age.
GOLD IN VERMONT.
Discovery of a Rich Vein In Green
Mountains Is Reported.
if! nuiiana, v i., luv. ia, YTimi i ue
"leved to be a vein of rich gold ore has
been discovered in the Green mountains
near this place by Aldos Vondette of
West Rutland, an old and experienced
quarryman and prospector, who today
brought in several pieces of quartz con
taining heavy deposits of virgin ore.
Vondette, who has been in the moun
tains for some time, guards his secret
carefully, but he showed the specimens
to several business men here today and
declared he has uncovered a vein of gold
containing untold wealth.
The news circulated rapidly and has
caused considerable excitement in this
city. It is probable that sevtal parties
wlil be organized to make eu search of
the mountains. Those who examined the
specimens, pronounce them genuine and
of very great wealth.
Gold in small quantities has been dis
covered in the Green mountains at sev
eral points during the past few "years,
but no one as yet has cared to try the
experiment of installing machinery and
sinking a shaft.
"Farmer" Burns Wins.
Des Moines, la., Nov. 18. "Farmer"
Burns defeated M. J. Dwyer at Corn
ish wrestling here last night and won
a mixed match in straight falls. The
first bout was catch-as-catch-can and
Burns won in 29 minutes. The sec
ond was Cornish, and Burns won li
10 minutes.
Weather Indication
Chicago, Nov. 18. Forecast for
Jinsas: Fair Sunday and Monday.
' PRICE FIVE CENTS.
STRUGGLE IS ON.
The Senate Committee on Inter
state Commerce
Will Meet Monday to Take Cp a
Pail road Measure.
President Has Been Overrun
With Interested Yisitors.
HE IS STANDING PAT.
A Number of Committeemen
Ready to Back Him.
Tillman for First Time Is in
Accord With Roosevelt.
Opposition Ready to Made Any
Sacrifice to Save Rates.
Washington, Nov. 18. In the room
of the senate .committee on interstate
commerce next Monday morning the
struggle with the problem of legisla
tion affecting the railroads will begin.
The question has occupied public at
tention to the partial exclusion of oth
er matters of importance for a year,
but the committee meeting of day
after tomorrow will mark the real be
ginning of the contest which congress
will end before the close of the com
ing session.
The committee ot which Stephen B.
Elkins of West Virginia is chairman
has been directed explicitly to make a
report on the matter of railway legis
lation "by bill or otherwise," not later
than December 14. Nearly every
member of the committee is in Wash
ington and the few absentees are ex
pected to reach the city by tomorrow
night.
Chairman Elkins has intimated that
no bill can be prepared within the
time set by the senate for making the
report. Senator Dolliver of Iowa, on
the other hand, believes there is no
reason why a bill can not be present
ed to the senate within a week after
the convening of congress.
Members are divided on the ques
tion of the extent to which legislation
to be recommended should go in the
matter of giving authority to the in
terstate commerce commission to fix
rates. This is the mere statement of
a fact already well known, but there
are indications today that Chairman
Elkins may be able to obtain a ma
jority report by yielding much from
his own views and by gaining as much
from the members of the committee
who have been antagonistic or partly
antagonistic to the chairman.
The last week in Washington has
been one of final missionary work by
men representing the railroad interests
and by men who desire to see legisla
tion enacted that will go to the full
limit of that outlined in the Esch
Townsend bill of last winter. The
White House has had its scores of vis
itors daily from all sorts and condition
of official and business life and each
individual has had his word with the
president upon the railroad matter. The
president himself has made up his mind
on the subject and that part of his
message touching railroad legislation is
prepared. The statements of men who
have seen the chief executive and have
learned his views make it practically
certain that he is "standing pat."
In the senate committee the men
who believe that the granting of the
right to the interstate commerce com
mission to fix rates would be danger
ous, are preparing to yield on every
other point for which they have held
out in order to secure a majority report
on a measure that shall not include the
rate fixing authority.
The majority of the Republicans on
the senate committee which will meet
Monday are opposed to the president's
railroad legislation plan but there are
Democrats to be considered.
Senator Tillman, for the first time
in his life, finds himself in thorough
accord on a legislative proposition
with Theodore Roosevelt. Senator
McLaurin, of Mississippi, another
Democratic member of the commit
tee, is held to be favorable to a meas
ure that will meet the views of Sen
ator Elkins. Senators Carmack, Fos
ter and Newlands, Democrats all
three, are held to be In the class with
Tillman. Mr. Newlands was the
father of the bill introduced some
time ago that if it had been enacted
would have placed control of the rail
roads virtually in the hands of the
government.
Senators Dolliver of Iowa and Clapp
of Minnesota are the only Republican
members who are known to be im
movably in favor of going as far as
the president desires, but It may be
that they will be Joined by Senators
Cullom and Millard, and these four,
with the aid of the Democrats, can
control the committee. There Is a
strong feeling, however, that Cullom
and Millard may be willing to vote
with Chairman Elkins provided he
prepares a bill that grants everything
Mr. Roosevelt asks excepting that the
rate making power be vested abso
lutely in the interstate commerce
commission.
bigTke1nds.
Russian Workmen Vote to Call It Off
Tomorrow.
St. Petersburg, Nov. 19. 7:45 a. m.
The big strike of the workingmen's
organization will be called off tomor
row at noon, such action having been
decided at a meeting of the leaders of
the union of unions, which has Just
ended. The men claim they have
achieved their purpose in that they
have received assurances that all of
the sailors and soldiers condemned to
death at Cronstadt will have their
sentences commuted.
Held Up a Train.
Warsaw, Poland, Nov. 19. One
thousand workmen from the Stara
cheowice Iron works held up a freight
train on the Irscila railway line and
compelled the engineer to take the
train back to Skarzyska. The work
men then blew up a bridge on the
line with dynamite, cut the telegraph
wires and tore up the rails for a con
siderable distance.