The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-04

worth the while of the powerful corpora
tons so engaged to furnish strong lobby
for the purpose OF making the proposed
subsidy bills laws.
The effort OF the supporters of these
measures TO work on the national pride of
the people in favor of the bills will not
blind them TO tho fact that subsidy is a
gilt pure and simple-the giving by the
government OF a certain amount of money
for no service rendered, for no value re-
ceived. As bait, the bill provides that
these subsidized vessels shall carry U. S.
mails and be subject to purchase by the
government in time OF war for use as cruis-
ers, but in the vast majority of cases there
is little probability of their ever being
called on to render any governmental
service whatever, and the purchase OF
them would open the way for an enormous
amount of jobbery.
The committee which favOrably re-
ported the bill now before the house evil
IDENTITY realized the improper character of
the measure. The committees report is
weak, apologetic and shame-faced. WILL
IAN W. BATES, commissioner OF navigar
ton, occupies eight of the ten pages of the
report in spread eagle rhetoric, endeavor-
ing to convince the people that it is to
their interest to pay money as pure
gratuity TO wealthy corporations.
Another gift now asked from the gov
eminent is the guaranteeing of 100000
600 OF 3 per cent. thirty-year bonds of the
Nicara1ua canal compoDv tbia ar,oupt "a
is said being sufficient to finish the work.
But with total advance of Sl51 ,OOO,OOO on
the original issue of S64,O00,000 bonds in
the case OF the Pacific roads, OF which
only S24,1OO,0O0 has ever been repaid,
fresh in the minds of the people, they
will remember the prodigality OF every
man supporting the bill, and when the
time comes for them to WELD their powe-
these men will be relegated TO obscurity
in the same manner as so many of the
tariff barons' miuions were on Nov.
last.
These corporations have no more right
10 governmental support than any other
business concern. They were instituted
for the purpose OF making money, and the
marine commerce ia certainly doing that
now, while ii all the projectors say OF the
Nicaragua canal is true IL will be a very
remunerative investment So far, they
say, very little private capital has been
invested in the canal, and il would ap-
pear that very little effort had been made
to push the project forward with such
capital. But why this is so, II the scheme
is such good one, il not made manifest.
As we'll might the railroad and telegraph
companies and other corporations ask for
subsidies. And should the door be once
opened no doubt they will. The subsidy
bills are class legislation OF the rankest
kind. To pass them would be practically
saying to the millionaires Of this country:
Establish some business and We will
make the people pay your expenses and
buy your goods at high prices
n II subsidies are desirable i'm one place
Whey are in another, but the fact is that
they are undesirable in all places. This
government cannot be turned into an inn
mense eleemosynary institution which re-
verses the rule of CLAUDE DUvAL and takes
from tine poor 10 give TO the rich.