Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-30
XVI CONGRESS- : FlRsr SESSION.
Senare.

WAsHIxcfox. March ..
The Senate proceeded With the calendar
bill providing for an international exhibition
on the anniversary Of the recognition Of in
dependence.
Alter discussion, the morning hour expired
and the bill vent over.
Mr.. Eaton, from the Appropriation COM
mitfee, reported with amendments the def
cheney appropriation bill Placed OF the
calendar.
The Geneva award bill was taken up.
Mr.. Thurman moved TO amend by striking
out the clause providing that the court of
commissioners shall consider and allow rs
second-class claims payments of premi-
ums for war risks. He said the war premi-
ums were expressly excluded by the Genevs
tribunal. Further on in the discussion, Mr..
Thurman said he never had been able to see
how any man stood any better because he
had insured his property and paid an en-
HANGED rate, than does the man who was his
own insurer.
Mr.. Blaine-Where is there any conflict
between those two classes.
Mr.. Thurman-Every one of the proposed
amendments provides for payment of war
premiums.
Mr.. Blaine-But does any advocate of
paving war premiums say or imply that they
are better claims than those for loss of ships?
Mr.. Thurman-Why, when the vote comes
the senator will find that senators will vote
for war premiums and not vote for exculpated
cruiser claims. The owners charged pre-
miums on the price of goods and made profits
on them when they sold them to the people.
1t is the people who have paid war pre-
NUNS, and not the merchants.
Mr.. Blaine-Now to show how utterly fall
lacious that is, let me state an actual fact.
Here are two ships side by side at LIVERPOOL,
or any foreign port. One flies the British
flag and one the American nag. They are
competitors for freight to any port on the
surface of the globe. When an American
ship has to pay large premiums for insurance
does the honorable senator, as a practical
business man, say the merchant who has
freight to send will agree to pay that much
more than an English ship is charging? And
yet he tells us that all man had
to do was. to charge it, etc. The
American chip not only had to pay
that and get no extra for It, but even after it
paid the insurance it did. not. stand on par
with the British ships, as the latter was in no
danger of capture. He spoke of the patriot
ism of the men who had risked everything in
sending their ships to sea under the Ameri-
can flag. and said these men were bled to
death. He instanced a case where cargo
from Buenos Ayrcs to Portland was shipped
in an English vessel, instead of an American
ship, as the shipper was not sure the latter
would reach port, and said not only in this
case but in all cases the navigation inter-
est is one which received no protection from
the government of the United States. A
man who builds and sails United State vessels
in the foreign trade, and received no advan-
tage whatever in any direction, either in
peace or war, and in war he was literally
trampled out because Of his devotion to the
flag and his determination to uphold it. As
to those who will vote for war premiums and
refuse to vote for losses by exculpated cruis-
ers, have never met them.
Mr.. Blaine went on to give an opinion that
the amount of SIS, 50O.O 600 was fixed on the
principle of "split the difference"
Mr.. Thurman said nothing in the proceed
ings of the tribunal went to show that the
amount was fixed upon in such a way. As
matter Of fact. ella ms for consequential dam
ages were excluded. The senator from Maine
had not met the point to his satisfaction. lie
argued that if cruisers had not made profits
they never would have carried on business.
Mr.. Blaine inquired if he did not known
enough of navigation to know that ship own
ers will keep a vessel afioat rather than let it
rot in the harbor, if they do not make cent,
thus giving employment to sailors and
helping the commerce of the country. He
also called attention to the fact that 10000
tons of American shipping took refuge under
the British flag rather than run the risk and
paw high insurance premiums, which would
eat up their profits. There was not ship
master along the Atlantic coast that did not
believe in his heart that at the time he paid
premium that it would be made good to
him after the war was over. These
claims were Withdrawn before the
tribunal to secure advantages to other
claimants and should not be denied now be-
cause of this technical denial.
Mr.. Thurman said if ship owners preferred
to risk the loss of their ships rather than per-
nit them to rot at the wharves he did not see
where patriotism came in. They. made more
calculation of profit and loss and thought it
better to run risks of destruction on the sea
than await certvin destruction at the wharves.
If that is not taking patriotism out of an ar
gument do not know what it is. But what of
a man who had freighted his ship? He had
no goods to rot at the wharves. The Ameri-
can merchant that did that did it because
there was money in it, Now what better po-
sition is man in who has paid the war risk
to an insurance company, than a man who
owned his ship and took out nopoiicy at all?
Take the case of an uninsured ship that was
not captured. why should not her owners be
paid war premiums! He was his own insur-
er.
Mr.. BIaine--We are here to ideminty
somebody. The senator thinks it is idem-
uity to give money to an insurance company
that made profit. or to ship owners who
sailed their ships at profit. l
submit to the Senate that
when you come to idemnify man he must
show loss. You never heard of man ask
ing to be idemnified for profits. The old
rule was that man who had an interest in
fourteen ships in time Of peace could afford
to sail without insurance. but a man who
ow ned his all in one vessel was ruined if that
went down. The whole argument Of the
senator from Ohio applies only to owners Of
a large number Of ships, and not to the poor
owner of one or two.
The argument was continued at length. un-
til Mr. Thurman was attacked with rush OF
blood to the head and taken to the cloak
room.
Bill for a board of survey on double tur.
reted monitors, was passed.
After an executive session,
Adjourned.
Mr. Thurmans attack did not prove seri.