Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-14
MAIL SUBSIDY DEFEATED.
OPPONENTS OF THE SCHEME
MAKE \ GALLANT FIGHT.

ASOtH EOGndn'H service IN
the Cause-SeveraI Democrats Found
Marching with the Republicans in
Reaches FavOr-Mr. Nichols Fast
Mail appropriation Victory.
AsHINGTON, Feb. 13.-The clause in
the post office appropriation bill contain
ing the 5000, 900 ocean mail subsidy was
stricken out in committee Of the whole
in the House to-day by a majority of 8.
Tomorrow vote by yeas and nays in the
House is expected. Messrs. Randall and
Holman. who led the opponents of the
subsidy, think that they viii be able to
hold their own, if not to increase their
majority, under the formal yeas and nays
Their victory this afternoon was a re-
markable one, remarkable not only on ac-
count OF the difficulties overcome, but also
for the fact that in the fight which it ended
almost every Democrat in the House who
has been mentioned for President elect
Cleveland's Cabinet ranged himself with
the friend of the subsidy scheme to his
own hurt. The subsidy scheme was poDu-
lar in the House this morning. Support
ed by speciOus arguw ents, its friends
We're able b command a majority of s.,
when Mr.. Holman appealed from the Pc
culiar decision of Mr.. Springer as Chair
man OF the committee of the whole that
his point Of order against the clause was
not we'll taken.
MR.. HOLMAN'S POINT.
Mr.. Holman's point, which was per-
tectly good, was that the clause changed
the existing law and did not retrench ex-
penditures. Mr.. Springer decided, adopt
tho of % Cs7la 4
that while this clause did change the eX-
listing law without reducing expenditures,
that when the bill went into effect on
July l next it would not change the eX-
lstlng law, since the existing law, which
permits the POstma steT General to re-
quire vessels to carry foreign mails at
rates fixed by him, will be repealed on
April 1 under the Dingley act of the last
session. If Mr.. Springer had ever had
any Cabinet chances this would have dis
sipated them.
From this remarkable decision Mr.. HOl-
man appealed. lnasmuch as the House
was In committee of the whole the yeas
and nays could not be had, but on tellers
there were 130 in favor of Mr.. Springer
and the subsidy and 40 who went through
with Mr.. Holman and Mr.. Randall. The
majority OF the 130 were Republicans, but
there were many Democrats among the
DEMOCRATS ON THE SUBSIDY SIDE.
Messrs. Hewitt and Slocum of New
York, BrOadhead of Missouri, and Money
Of Mississippi, all of whom have
been at least "mentioned" for the
Cabinet, marched through with the
Mr.. Ellis, of Louisiana, of
course voted that way. He was the active
agent of the subsidy schemers on the
Democratic side of the House. The op-
pOnents of the subsidy scheme saw that
they must redOuble their efforts if they
would defeat it. They managed their case
admirably. Mr.. Randall was too hOarse
10 talk, but Messrs. BlOunt, of Georgia,
Holman and Mills, of Texas, on the
Democratic side, and Bayne, of Pennsyl-
yania, on the Republican side, did
yeoman service. Mr.. BlOunt led
of with a stirring speech, show
ing that this appropriation was $500, 900
more than was required to pay for this
ocean mail service, and that therefore
half million of it was a clear subsidy.
MT. Holman then moved to strike out
the paragraph and to insert an amend
ment appropriating 1925, 600 for the trans
pOrtatiOn' OF foreign mails, including
railway transit across the isthmus of
Panama, and re-enacting for one year,
from July next. sections 1876 and
1903 Of the Revised Statutes. The pro-
visions contained in the bill proposed
direct subsidy to vessels, whether they
carried mails or not. If the government
entered into a contract with the Pacific
Mail steamship Company that King gYiigstt this lis
measure with such industry, it would re-
ceive $143,000 where is now received $21,-
900, and it would receive that whether it
carried mails or not. 1t was naked
MIR. Holman pictured the wrecked ca
reers of those who in former Congresses
had vOt ID for the Pacific mail and like
subsidies. Mr.. Mills, of Texas said
plainly: The nigger IN this wOOd-pile is
John Roach. The corporation to be bene-
fited is the Pacific mall"
THE WAY TO EXTEND TRADE.
lie also reminded the House, and espe-
cIally the Democrats, that we could not
hope to extend our foreign trade by sub
sides. We must be able to sell
cheaper in order to sell more. Our
foreign commerce was clOgged by our
present tariff system. This would be
bad beginning for a Democratic admins
tratiOn. These speeches stirred up the
Democrats, but Mr.. Bayne reused them
TO action. He summed up all the argu-
ments. He was surprised to find the
Democrats indOrsing a subsidy just as
they crossed the threshold of power. This
was subsidy; it could not be disguised.
1t was as plain as any proposition could
be. 1t was very large gift
over and above the present cOmpensa-
ton paid for carrying the ocean mails.
1t was not for struggling American CON-
merce. 1t was for the Pacific Mail
steamship Company. 1t was for the
benefit of corporation of which Jay
Gould, Russell Sage, Sydney Dillon and
L. p. Huntington were directors, whose
net earnings last year were over 81, ,000,-
300. 1t would give that corporation $3l2,-
300 for services for which it was now paid
so, goo. He wanted to know whether the
House was ready to give that gift to that
corporation. He warned the men who
should vote for it that they would be
leld responsible for it by the people.
THE EFFECT OF THE SPEECHES.
The effect of these speeches was not
broken by those made on the other side.
William Walter Phelps made the best of
hese. They were all alike-pleas for
he extension of our foreign commerce.
Two Cabinet aspirants spOke-Messrs.
Money and Hewitt.
Mr.. HeWitts speech was roundabout
iefense OF the clause. Mr.. Moneys was
l bold argument in favor of it. He
wanted TO see it become a law and he did
lot think that it ought to be
stabbed to death with an epithet."
L was not subsidy. 1t was
| just and proper appropriation.
,lr. Money plunged on recklessly in
his fashion for five minutes.
Mr.. Hunt, OF Louisiana, defended the
appropriations Committee, and main
aimed that no subsidy was included in
he pending clause.
MR.. BLOUNT's OPPOSITION.
Mr. BlOunt, of Georgia, said that the
House was brought face to face
With the question of subsidies.
The argument made by the gentle
nen in support of the provision demon
trated that this was a subsidy. They
,alled the attention of the House to the
act that foreign governments paid large
subsidies to their steamship lines, and
hat these lines would 60 down if they
we're not subsidized.
Referring to Mr.. Holman's caution
against a recurrence of the disaster Of
OTmer years, Mr.. BlOunt said that Con-
yress had then granted large sums of
money to aid the Pacific Mail and what had
1een the result? 1t was a scandal
% the party in power. From that hour
lntil now public judgment had been
averse to subsidies, and he trusted that
n the presence of an incoming admins
ration, with the Democratic party on
'ecord here tor years, the party in the
House to-day and for all time would
stand against what he believed to be
neither more nor less than a subsidy.
Mr.. Holman had moved to strike out.
When the rising vote was had it was
seen that the vigorous speeches of the
opponents OF the subsidy and the active
work OF Messrs. Randall and
Holman had converted many minds. The
,lause was stricken out by vote of So to
-. Among the 70, who were mostly Re-
lublicans, were these Democrats:
Messrs. Money, Hewitt, Sunset Cox.
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