The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-05
THE SUBSIDY POLICY.

tendant missionary wise men from the East
denounced the Republican party in con-
gress for its support of the government
subsidies to the American ocean steamer
lines. The success of the British subsidy
policy ought to be instructive to those
Democrats who with singular perversity
wish to transplant England's free trade
policy to this country, which we do not
want, but reject Engiand's policy OF pro-
lection to her great ocean transportation
lines; policy worthy of imitation. BY
the subsidized Canadian route the mails are
carried from Japan to London in twenty
days, distance of over 10000 miles,
while the time between London and Yoko-
hama via Suez is forty-three days. With
the exception of the run of $50 miles over
the New York Central from Ogdensburg
TO New York city these mails are carried
entirely by subsidized British lines.
These Canadian Pacific steamers which
have diverted mails and business from San
Francisco receive subsidy from the Brit
ish navy and from the Canadian govern.
ment amounting in all to about $4,000
year, depending somewhat on the number
OF trips. The Canadian Pacific railway
was built by subsidy and by government
loans aggregating $2io,o00.0Oo. And the
mails were carried from New York across
the ocean in steamship alone receiving q
British naval subsidy of 900 year ex-
elusive of mail pay.
The Canadian government pays special
nj fH~ - e., <ha
Pacific railway for extending its line to
Halifax. It has voted subsidy of $500, 900
year to line of fast steamships from Hal
flax to Liverpool. A part of this money
1t will get back from the British exchequer
in the shape of a naval subsidy. The total
of this subsidy for the line to Japan will
be 81, 1s6, 900 year, exclusive of the gifts
to the Canadian Pacific railway.
This British subsidy policy has almost
obliterated the tea trade of San Francisco,
and diverted the cotton export and other
business from that port. By this policy,
which the Democratic tramp demagogues
and wandering millionaires denounce, the
English government has built up and
maintained an ocean transportation which
returns her from this country alone over
s15O, oo0, 900 year to British ship owners.
Republicans naturally ask, "Why not SUBJ
sidize American ocean transportation lines
rather than pay out this vast sum an
nually to British ship owners2" But
your wooden-headed Democratic dema-
gogue, while solemnly begging Us to adopt
England's free trade policy, opposes any
imitation of her policy of protection by
subsidy to her ocean transportation. The
subsidy to the one transportation line re-
presented by the Canadian Pacific railway
and ocean steamers is larger than the en-.
tire amount appropriated by the last con-
gress for the foreign mail service of the
United States under the new subsidy law.
The Democratic policy il today what
1t always has been-the purely
obstructive attitude and policy
Of political hedgehog; creature that il
neither food-producing nor fur-bsaring
animal; creature that produces nothing
but quilts; and whose fretful back is
always erected in angry protest against
human progress. Truthfully has the DEM
ocratic party been described as never
standing for any thing but the policy of
negation. 1t never has any policy of its
own; it is never constructive and con-
servative, but always destructive and dis
eolute.
1t Is stupid and as reckless as party OF
savages, who, having captured an ocean
steamer, are helpless to navigate their
prize, and are compelled to choose between
robbing, the ship and taking to their
canoes or surrendering 1t to its original
crew and begging them to bring it safe into
port with all on board. The Democracy
have sometimes captured the ship of state
by sudden savage rush and surprise, but
they have never yet navigated it into any
civilized port; have either run Ii on the
rocks or beached it on barren island.