New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-02
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
CHANGE IN THE ATTITUDE OF THE Gov
EMINENT TOWARD AMERICAN
SHIPPING.
PERSONAL PoITIcs-THE EAGERNEss OF CUBA
FOR RECIPRocITy-THE NEW MINISTER
TO CHINA-AN ECCENTRIC SOUTH.
ERN SENATOR'S DRESS.


islation upon the subject. of this session The
friends of the shipping interests have net carried
all that they wish TO carry. But, in point OF
fact they have gained substantial victory, con-
sidering the tremendous opposition offered by the
Democrats body TO anything which would
permit the carrying out of the reciprocity policy
of the Administration. The most substantial
victory lies In the fact that the policy Of the
Government is changed from one of active hes
tlity TO the shipping interests TO one Of favor.
The first step taken is an important one aud will
undoubtedly lead to others. 1t is also believed
that the bill as amended in the House will be
changed and modified in the conference commit
tees so that the original Senate bill will he agreed
TO in the end. This bill provided for the pay
ment Of Sc mile for American ships having
sailing capacity Of twenty knots; 81 a mile for
ships sailing sixteen knots, and 81 mile for
those of the third class below this. There are no
American ships to-day that belong to the first class
The City of Paris. the City Of New-York and the
last two vessels of the White Star Line are the
only ships in the passenger trade Of twenty-knot
class. These, however. are not, under the law,
American ships, and, consequently, the Dement'S OF
the Ht-cass will be for ships that are TO be built.
The subsidy proposed is valuable one, and is
sufficient to lead TO the building of such ships.
For instance. the distance between New-YOrk and
Brazil is in the neighborhood of 5000 miles,
that vessels of the frst-cass would receive $4,000
for the journey. This will be an incentive sufti-
cient for the building of vessels of this class
The vessels of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company
belong 10 the third class. They would receive
compensation of So dollars a mile under the
original Senate bill The encouragement afforded
by the law may lead this company to add q
better class of ships to their line. II is further
believed that the good effects from encouraging
the shipping interests will be so clearly
demonstrated in the working of this bill that
further measures will be made possible. 1t is
hardly probable that the next House will do any,
thing. They may even attempt to repeal the ex-
isting law. This will be the only drawback in
the face Of building new lines, the fear that the
law will not be allowed to stand. So long as the
Republicans are in control in the Senate this will
be a groundleSs fear.
The opposition TO this measure has been of the
most violent character The Democrats appear
TO realize how much the Republicans would gain
from such policy. and they have used the usual
"bugaboo" scarcs TO stampede tinid Republicans
who are never so happy as when running away
from Democratic ieering or when thcy are trying
TO please Democratic critics. There has been the
usual talk about the lobby. Mr.. Holman charged
that over S75O,OO0 had been spent in Washington
in the interest of this measure. General Gros-
venor, of Ohio, asked him for proofs and no
proofs were offered. Corruption is the easiest
thing in the world to charge, and perhaps the
most difficult to prove. The fact that boards Of
trade, chambers of commerce. and all the great
business interests of the country. We're anxious
TO have this legislation in the interests Of the
new reciprocity policy was ignored by the Demo-
To fboxy,, Had ut Gov
ruptiOn." This has been the one cry against all
attempts TO aid American shipping. The fact
that the Pacific Mail Steamship Company might
possibly be one of the benefciaries under the act
afforded an opportunity for continued reference
10 the old Pacific Mail scandal of years ago. If
this steamship company had changed it's name at
that time, the friends of the Shipping bill would
have had less trouble at Washington this winter.
The phrase Pacific Mail was as good cry TO
brighten timid provincial members as any "buga-
boo" cry ever used to intimidate children. Some
of the interior members looked at it in narrow
way. One Of the shallowest arguments was, why
shall the interior be taxed for the benefit of the
seaboard? As if the seaboard not constantly
being taxed for the benefit of the interior and as
if one part of the country could be benefited with
out the benefit extending to the other part.
George G. Gorham, the former clerk of the
United States Senate, said the other day that he
took no interest in politics any more. He thought
National politics was dying out at Washington.
Personal politics. said he, has taken its place
It is rare TO find man in either branch of Con-
gress who engages in legislation with anything
but personal view. Where is the man to-day
who has great National issue in hand who is
looking entirely to the interests of the country
and not 10 his own?" Mr.. Gorham thinks that
this political degeneracy is most clearly shown in
the Senate. There, personal likes and dislikes
control everything. and personal jealousies are
most keen and bitter. Mr.. Gorham quotes Roscoe
Conklng in making the latter say that the trouble
with the United States Senate was that every
man in it was candidate for the Presidency, who
regarded every person who succeeded in arriving
at that high Office as q personal enemy.
Ex-Minister Foster, who has just returned from
Havana, says that city is packed with Americans
The heat there is already great, and the town is
anything but comfortable He says that Cuba
is in a bad way. Her business interests are
nearly paralyzed The island represents a loss
each wear to the Spanish Government in the form
Of deficiency. The taxes collected do not pay
the expenses Of her local Government. The great
est falling of has been in the sugar industry.
There are number of reasons for this. The
ngar-planters of Cuba have adopted none OF the
modern appliances for economy In the crushing Of
the cane and the manufacture of the sugar. The
beet-root sugar industry has been the object of all
the scientific study and skill of Europe. The re-
suit has been to produce sugar at much cheaper
rate than is possible in Cuba with the present ap
planes there. Mr.. Foster says that the people
in Cuba are anxious to be taken into the reel
prOcity policy under the Mckinley DILL so thai
they can get their sugar into the United States
This would help them much. In fact, Spain Wi
probably be obliged to come in TO save the Island
from ruin The increased tax on cigars ana Ouoai
tobacco has had marked effect upon that IN
dustry The result will be to keep out OF oui
markets all o. the cheaper grades OF cigars
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