National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1878-03-04
The Word Subsidy.


The Word Subsidy.
When the proposition was presented to
Congress for the first time some twenty
five years ago, for aid toward sustaining n
line of American steamers between the
United States and Europe in the form of
compensation for the carriage of the mails,
the word subsidy" was applied to the OPP
preparation. In the sense which WEBSTER
gives to this word, viz: a support, aid, or
cooperation, it was properly significant of
the measure to which it was applied, and it
excited no opposition whatever.
As applied to such aid to ocean-steamer
lines subsidy has acquired the specific sig
nificance of compensation exceeding in
amount the postage on the mails carried.
So now we say that line carrying the
mails for the amount of the sea-postage or
for less than the sea- postage, is not subsi
died, and that line receiving any amount
in excess Of the sca-postage is subsidized.
In this sense the railroads of every State
of the Union, except seven, are and always
have been subsidized. But q line may be
in fact subsidized according to WEBsTERs
definition, even if the amount of compcnsa-
lion received Tor the carriage oil the mans Is
much less than 'he amount Oh the postage.
For example, on the land or on the sea, if
the carriage of the mails were to be given TO
one oil several competas lines IN any par
ucuiar TRADE, the mere advertisement OF the
fact would ahord 10 such line cohcomitant
advantages In the pubhc ESTIMATION, which
would be IN the nature oil asupport, ala, OF
corporation ny the Government.
owing 10 lamentaDie circumstances In
the history oil the EXTENSION Oh Govern
mental hu 10 oceah-s'eamer lines, the worn
SUBSIDY mas, however, acquired an acct
dental signihcation entirely foreign to It's
normal meaning
: IN the procurement through congress Oh
suos'oes ior inc oiu 'ohLiNs line Oh steam-
ers' ana Tor TWO or three other lines II Is
notorious iact that most scahdaious means
were resorted TO-
by strange inversion OF inc ordinary
ana proper houe Oh conducting business
aiiaits' these lines were permitted 10 present
themselves ~ the doors Oh congress- anu 10
ask LOT a'd LOT their particular enterprises
mus shutting out al competition ny 10
, guarantees lot 'he iaithlul hpplicatioh Oh
the money aiterward appropriated.
Inc result oil nearly all oil these schemes
was that the people oil inc country came 10
regard subsidy asan Appropriation by
> congress IN FAVOR OIL some particular steam
snip company, with no reference Whatever
TO the puDllc interests, ana secured by ialse
representations the bribery oil a certain
member OF Congress and the seduction OF
= Others to the support OF the measure in va
rious disreputable ways In fact, the word
subsidy became synonym Tor fraud and
: oiiicial corruption.
The popular prejudice thus excited has
- ana does yet operate as an intimidation ia
: members OF Congress against any sort OF aid
= to American steam navigation. No such
false view OF the subject however, was ever
5 entertained inGreat Britain from the fact thai
y the people OF that country did not 90 about
: the business in the laundering sort OF way
! IN which we attempted to carry 1t on. The
- result has been that for twenty-five year
u England has bad the ocean steam nayiga
IS ton OF the world utmost entirely to herself
and as the result she has attained an aston
y ishing degree of success in maritime com
u mcrcc.
c But in country like this, where mel
o read and reason, We venture to say that
notwithstanding all the laundering and mis-
s apprehensions of the past, the people arr
t sincerely DESTROYS ofpromoting our commerce
II with foreign countries in American ships
e There is no public measure which nc
e than the establishment of one or more line
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