Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-12-12
THE FREE SHIP BILL.
Mr.. BouteIIle Shows Why It Would
be Disastrous to Pass 1t.
Rumors Regarding Mr.. cIeyeIand's Health
Fight Over Income Tax Law.

Notwithstanding tho efforts which the
Democratic caucus has been making for
two or three days to reach an agreement
concerning the proposed change OF rules
In the senate 50 as to give the majority
the power to limit debate, 1t is said by
prominent senators on the inside OF what
IL going on that nothing will be done.
The Republicans would like to have the
rules changed, because they are COM
ing into power in the senate when
ever they care to take the responsibility
Of organization after March 4, but the
Democrats are not willing to gag them
selves now that they are to become
the minority party. Some Democrats
are willing to do this, because they
think a change Of the rules is inevitable,
and they wish TO gain the credit of 1t for
their party. But think it may be safely
considered that there will be no change.
Mr. BouteIIe on Free Ships.
The Presidents recommendation Of a
FREQ ship law la his message, which was
ono Of the few paragraphs in that docu
ulcnt that sounded like the Mr.. Cleveland
OF old, Is likely to bear fruit in passage OF
the FitbiaD or some other bill Of like ma
ture through the house. Tho Republican
fenators will see that it does not go through
at tlie other end OF the capitol. II admit, "
said Congressman Bouteilo Of Maine to-
day, that We can now build ships as
chcaply in ths country as they can be
Luilt in England. That Is not the trou-
bio. If we could run our ships as cheaply
with an American register as they can
with q foreign register perhaps no great
harm would be done by repeating the
American register laws. Sailors and other
employees cost more money in our mer-
chant marine than they do abroad, and
this 10 serious factor IN the merchant
marine problem 1T must be source Of
qualification TO every American to know
that through the liberal policy Of the
government ia constructing our naval YES
sells in American yards we have built up
the steel and iron plants which make it
possible 10 build all sorts Of steamers here
an cbcnply 9s they can do 1t on the Clyde.
III my opinion, this is just the time when
we should not havo free ships, but con-
tinuo cur registry laws and have our ships
built at homo"
The advocates Of free ships say tho time
has come to give American capital
chance to go into the ocean carrying trade
and buy their ships where they like. 1t
M their contention that once capital has
entered this field, our homo shipbuilding
lUuuStTlcS Will ItCNINo Blta1 lliipcbuS, ioi
il is admitted ships can DO built here I'm
competition with foreign yards, and any
American company, whether required so
TO do by law or not, would naturally pre-
fer to get its vessels at home. The discus
sion Of tho free ship bill, which Speaker
Crisp hopes TO get up after the holiday, is
likely To be very interesting.
a Serious Matter.
T., Fnrn,nr IiCpntoh I rpferrpI tn the
fact that about two weeks ago there was
anxiety in the cabinet concerning the
health of the president This has since
been denied by cabinet officers and others.
The healthof a high official like the prosi-
dent Of the United States is too serious n
matter to be treated lightly, but the facts
are precisely as stated. The trouble in tho
presidents case Is "a disorder of the blood,
and there Is danger that IN recurrence
OF an acute form OF the attack the disease
viii leave his eXtrcmitcs and go to his
heart. There Is no occasion for Immediate
alarm. The president may live great
many years, but thnt there is anxiety all
tho time, and recently was considerable
alarm, comes on the authority of the ply
sician who has been attending the presi-
dent, DIR. Reilly
Sentiment in congress concerning the
currency scheme presented by the presl-
dent in his message and more fully ex'
planned by Mr.. Carlisle in his annual re
port crystalIzes slowly. 1t takes the aver
ago congressman several days to carefully
study a complex problem like this, and
that it is complex every one admits. As
predicted in these dispatches, Mr.. carlisle
;,iade certain concessions to the Demo
cratic congressman who were supposed TO
be against the administration plan, ana
as IL now looks lie went rather too far in
this direction and has offended those who
were formerly the friends Of the-adminis-
traticn and its policy. There is tierce dis
cussiun over the state banl> tax removal.
Speaker Crisp, nm told on good author
ity, wants some action, bat it is doubtful
IL he faycrs the plan exactly ms it was
presented to congress by Mr.. Carlisle.
The Silver Issue.
In the discussion Of this question and
other financial problems here it is easy to
500 the truth and force of statements al
ready made in these dispatches that, in
the opiniun OF most of the statesmen here,
The coming great fight between the par
Ties is to be on silver, In the caucuses
which the Democratic senators have been
holding in the marble room many speeches
have been made to the effect that silver
Is 10 10 the battle Of the future. Senator
Voorhees,, for instance, who is chairman
cf Tho aaance committee and himself
free silver man, has said in speech to
the caucus that it Is useless TO try TO stay
the coming battle. 1t is, in his opinion,
inevitable \ senator whose Judgment
value highly said to me today: Both
parties are split on this question, and
neither knows what tho future IS to bring
forth. | should not be surprised If there
was a Neutrality-suspicious. of parties in this
country on the silver issue, the west and
south against the north. -
1t is apparent there is to be big hight
in congress on the income tax. The first
bill presented in the house was one to re-
neal the income tax law, and the matter
Is TO como up very soon in another form
1T will be necessary to have an appropria-
ton of $I01, 600 or $500, 600 TO collect the
tax under the present law, and the oppo-
nents of .he tax are now rallying their
forces In a hope TO defeat the appropria-
ton. II they should be successful the
new law Will die for lack of means on the
mart of the treasury to put it into effect.
The administration, lam told by men,
nov Of tba rniinat is much ANNOYED by the