The daily gazette., 1879-02-20
THE ROACH SUBSIDY-FREE
SHIPS.

The alert lobby which has been ali
winter Prowling about the national Capi-
tol in the interest of John Roach's ship
yard has not had any success to brag of
Still, 80 many prodigal things are com
| monty done during the hurried closing
days Of session that it is prudent to re-
serve our congratulations and mot hal
loo til we are out Of the woods" A
subsidy for Brazilian line of steamships
has been engratted on the Post Office
Appropriation bill in the Senate, aud II
is possible that the bill may pass the SEN
ate with that amendment. But when it
goes back TO the Hou-e for concurrence
we are confident that the amendmen mt
will be rejected. The result will be a
committee of conference, and the APP
pointment Of its members on the part uf
the House will be pretty severe test of
the political virtue of Speaker Randall.
We have no distrlisl of the Speaker, but
the facts that he has a Pennsy ylvania
constituency, that John Roach is Penn
sylvAhia citizen, that John Roach's ship
yard is "a Pennsylvania establishment,
viii make a firm discharge of his duty
by Speaker Randall an act of moral anu
political courage. All that can can be
reasonably asked of him is that be will
exhibit no pro--ubsidy bias, and consti-
tute the House part of the committee of
conference fairly-that IN to say, with a
due regard to the relative anti -su bsidy
and pro-ubsidy strength in the Honse
during the four years Of democratic C
control In the lower branch of Congress
II has been the professed, and we have
no doubt the sincere, aim OF the demo-
Gratis To lay, the foundation for an appeal
TO the country on the score of retrench-
ment and economy. In spite of mi es
on other points the democrats of the
rouse have been reasonably faithful to
thls ann, ana they caunOi afford now,
with Presidential election so near, To
belle and forfeit the bes. part of their
record No man in public lite has a truer
appreciation of the value of this record
than Speaker Randall, and we are con.
vlnced that he is the last man of HIS
party who could be induced by local In
iiuence TO throw away SO great an adj
vantage. We trust that the Senate
amendment " hich engraftS the Roach
subsidy on the Post Office Appropriation
bill has no chance of success in the House
Mr.. Roach will be sent back to his ship
yard with tieain his ear" to form plans
Tor renewal of his application in the
next Congress.
In the present Congress the contest
| between subsidies and free ships Is likely
| to prove drawn battle We think there
has been considerable growth of opin.
lon in favor of giving American regist-
| erS to foreign built ships of bona lid,
American ownerships. The battle will
be fought out IN the next Congress, with
at least partial victory on the side ol
free ships.
II is not improbable that we may con.
| tnue TO give Am rican shipbuiders a
monopoly of our vast coasting trado fol
quite a period after we allow the free
purchase or ships to be employed in for.
elgn commerce. The Parliament of Grea,
Britain pursued a similar course. For.
e'gn built ships Were admitted into IFS
foreign registry several years before they
were allowed participate in the British
coasting trade and it may aso be expe.
dient for us to make no changes in our
coasting trade for a long period to come