thlessly within sixty days, which invites
the competition which is to demoralize business, will be far-reaching
in its injurious results. For one I prefer to stand by my judgment.
I will try to have the courage of my convictions; I will try to do
what I believe to be right, and I cannot consent to a bill which,
though I accept its other provisions, contains a provision which
I regard as positively vicious and wrong."

I was greatly provoked, almost outraged, at the manner in which
Senators opposed the adoption of the conference report. It became
almost a personal matter with me, and I finally concluded on the
very day the vote was to be taken, whether the adoption of the
report was to be beaten or not, that I would make a speech, and in
that speech I indicated just how I felt. I said in part:

"I have been sitting here to-day listening to the assaults upon
this bill, until I have become almost convinced that I am the most
vicious man toward the railroads of any man I know. I started in
upon the investigation of this subject two or three years ago with
no prejudices, no bias of sentiment or judgment, no disposition
whatever to do anything except that which my deliberate judgment
told me was the best thing to do. I have believed I have occupied
that position ever since, until within the last twenty-four hours,
when the attacks upon this bill have become such that I have become
a little doubtful whether I have not been inspired from the beginning,
so far as my action has been concerned, with a determination to
destroy the railroads of this country. To listen to the Senator
from Alabama [Mr. Morgan] descanting upon the provisions of the
bill, one can scarcely resist the conclusion that it is a bill to
destroy the commerce of the country, and especially to break down
all the railroads.

"So far as I am concerned, I repeat that I have no disposition of
that kind, and I am unaware that either of the Senators on the
conference committee have had any such disposition. We tried to
do the best we could with the bill the Senate passed during the
last session, to keep the bill as near to what the Senate had it
as we could do, and to arrive at an agreement between the House
and Senate conferees.

"I submit that the majority of the assaults have been against
provisions that were in the bill when the Senate voted for it during
the last session of Congress. I am of the opinion that if this
discussion lasted another day Sen