The Globe-republican., 1900-06-07

/ eign shipping lobby, means the bills
| defeat
A 5000, 900 900 a year business is the
stake If Democratic threats of fiji
clustering are effective enough to in
| duee Republicans to postpone the CON
sideration of the shipping bill the
foreign shipping lobby, their free
trade allies and Democratic dupes Will
each have carried their point
Democratic success up to this time is
the more amazing, as their own dis
organization on this question is dis
closed. It would be imagined that
they would be united in opposition to
paign issue of it Just the reverse is
the case They are about evenly
divided for and against it. This is
shown by the two minority reports
that have been filed by the Demo
cratic members of the House Mer-
chant Marine and Fisheries Commit
tee. The first report filed was signed
by Messrs. William Astor Chanler, of
New York; John H Small, of North
Carolina, and Joseph E. Ransdel, of
Louisiana Their report advocates
government aid and opposes free ships
Their suggested amendments to the
bill are not of character to seriously
minimize its effectiveness
The other four Democratic members
of the House Merchant Marine and
Fisheries Committee who signed the
other report, Messrs- John F. Fitz-
gerald, of Massachusetts; Marion De
Vries, of California; Thomas Speight,
of Mississippi, and VIM D. DAILY, or
New Jersey Their report opposes
subsidies and in effect advocates free
ships. Their report, said to have been
written by an attorney of the foreign
steamship lines, is largely an attack
upon the only American steamship
line engaged in the transatlantic
trade.
The odium attaching to the Demo
Gratis who are fighting the battle OF
the foreign shipping lobby in Con-
gress, and who advocate the purchase
of ships built abroad, instead of their
construction in the United States, pre-
sents them in very sorry figure
They will be Infinitely more busy In
defending their own attitude on this
question than they can be in assa1l-
ing that of the Republicans and
large contingent of their own party
associates. The Democratic leaders
had made desperate efforts to prevent
a public disclosure of their differences,
but the courage of nearly one-half of
the minority made further conceal
ment of their condition impossible
The Democratic members of the com
mittee who advocate government aid
by independently filing their report in
advance of the submission of the other
minority report, forced the signers OF
the latter to 1ame1y limp last into the
public eye. Their hopeless division
shows how utterly impossible it will
be for them to make successful cam
paign issue of the shipping question.
If Democrats attack a government
aided shipping, Democrats who have
the best of the argument may be
quoted in answer Republican anu
milton with which to refute Demo-
cratic attacks of this character need
not be used-it is furnished by the
more honest and coura geous of the
Democrats themselves
This is a situation which seems al
most providential for the united Re
publicans- They seem to be assured
of the votes of a large contingent
possibly one-half-of the Democrats in
the House in favor of the Ship Sub
sidy Bill, if it is brought up for pass
age now Such an opportunity has not
been presented in a generation, and
may never again occur SO favorable
The same situation exists in the
Senate The Democrats there are un-
able to prepare much less to pre-
sent, a minority report in opposition
TO the Ship Subsidy Bill. 1t is well
and publicly known that number of
Democrats will speak and vote for the
bill. What the Democratic leaders de-
sire to avoid, at all hazards, is the
effect 1t will have upon their party
followers that will surely result from
the discussion in the Senate of the
Ship Subsidy Bill at this session, to
disclose a substantial conting gent of
their own party associates in advo-
eacy and voting for that bill
If Republicans can be coerced, in
timidated cajoled into postponing
the consideration of the Ship Subsidy
Bill at the present session, the Demo
Gratis may be able to conceal heir own
weakness in divided opposition to the
Ship Subsidy Bill in the Senate A
little incident has clearly demon
strated this. and shown the despera-
ton of the Democratic leaders
The Chairman of the Democratic
National Committee, in his rage at
the filing of the Observation-Disclosures
dell report, sent for these gentlemen
and began to angrily upbraid them as
traitors to their party, so the report
10 %01I