The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-03
Preparing for the Subsidy Fight.

There is a refreshingly sturdy Anglo
Saxon directness about the methods and
movements of Senator Hanna that never
fails to excite our admiration. no matter
how little We may be pleased with the OBJ
jects of his activity. Planning his winter
descent upon the Capital for yesterday. he
took pains to have the other transporta-
tion magnates interested with him in the
ship subsidy job, or their representatives.
here to meet him. They were on hand and
ready to go into secret session as soon as
the proprietor of Congress reached the
hotel common to the party.
The seance was long and important, and
developed the point that Mr.. Hanna is de-
termined to jam the Subsidy bill through
this winter, to the. exclusion Of any other
business interfering with his purpose. II
opponents of the measure in the House
had been wise they would have kept quiet
until after the assembling OF that body.
Frank expressions of an intention to an
tagonize 1t by Burton and other Western
Republicans have given Mr.. Hanna his
cue. and he will not give them chance at
his cherished job until he has carried it
safely through the Senate.
Should Pettigrew attempt obstruction
and succeed in making it effective. then
Mr.. Hanna is quoted as saying that re-
sort to a cloture rule might be had. In
one way or another the idea is to hurry
the bill through the upper house and then
present it at the other end of the Capitol
as a party measure, opposition to which
would be violation of party regularity.
The interesting statement is made that,
as the matter is of great moment to :'our
mercantile marine" the magnates who
are to participate in the loot will be amp
ly represented in Washington until the
victory has been won.
Owing to the decision to begin the fight
in the Senate, there was widespread de-
precision yesterday among Representatives
who had just arrived and had therefore
been without opportunity to listen to ar
guments in favor of the Hanna scheme.
The sporting end Of the proposition disap-
neared from sight as far as the House
Is concerned. and the Senate odds went
correspondence. There are several
remedy prosperous and brilliant gen.
men in town, who are SO thoroughly
nvinced that Subsidy bill will not be
assed at the coming session that any
enator who thinks differently might easily
get bet on at about one dollar to fifteen
thousand, or possibly even better. This is
mentioned only by way of illustration.
The high moral tone which pervades our
House Of Lords precludes the idea that
any Of its members would wager. or even
fall before the temptations advances of
the stock ticker
Just what course the Democrats in Con-
gress will adopt with reference to the job
does not yet appear. Probably opposition
on their part will not be carried beyond
the perfunctory stage. 1t is true that
many people. without regard TO party, re-
gard the measure as in contravention of
public policy and altogether nefarious in
design. A law relieving vessels of foreign
origin of the present inhibition against
their American registry would produce all
the relief needed by our merchant ma
rine. and II would be effected without cost
TO the nation. The Hanna scheme. on the
viii result in taxing the public
ri-atv million drlil.s Lsf To- te-nft of