, 1900-07-05

The two reports OF the shipping bill
filed by the democratic members of the
house merchant marine II fisheries
committee each failed to endorse the
ish) built ships, one report by ~squarely
repudiating the free ship proposition,
the other by an inferential endorse
ment of it in a statement that SEEM
ingly opposed it. 1t would be strange,
in view of this attitude, for the Kan
sas City convention to declare in its
platform in favor of the free American
registry of foreign built Chiefly Brit
ish) ships.
Democrats are trying 10 make the
farmers disconnected because they are
paving a little more money this year
for their wire nails and wire for fenc-
ing. OF course they never point out
to tho farmer that his extra profit this
will pay for any increase in the price
of n key OF nails, ard that his profits
on all his farm products in this year
alone will pay for many times the cost
of his barbed wire, besides leaving him
a handsome surplus to put in bank or
pay off his mortgage.
Four years ago the Chicago platform
said nothing concerning American
shipping. Chairman James X. ZONES
of the democratic national committee
declares that the Kansas City plat
form will squarely advocate the free
registry of foreign built ships, rather
than the construction of American
ships by American labor.
A few influential but unpatriotic
democrats are willing to disregard the
claims of American labor and advo-
cate at Kansas City the free American
registry of foreign built ships, instead
of the building of American ships. 1t
is believed. however, that the PROPOSE
ton this veal is doomed to the same
defeat it suffered four years ago at
Chicago, where the committee on
platform and resolutions tabled it.
A representative southerner, address
ing the cotton spinners of the south, at
their annual convention, at Char
lotte, N. c., lately declared that for
years preceding the civil war the SEN
timent of subsidizing American ship
ping was u growing one in the south,
and he quotes from democratic plat
form and southern convention utter
ances to prove his assertion. He said,
in addition, that the south is again
reaching the same conclusion in re-
gard to American shipping needs that
it reached a half century ago. There
will be a few bourbons to favor the
free registry of foreign built instead of
the construction of American ships, at
the Kansas City convention, but if pro-
gress is in control the proposition will
be killed
More contributions to our institu-
lions of learning have been made under
the present administration than at any
other period In the history of the
countr. Education is receiving its
full share of the profits of prosperity,
and education will contribute literally
to the sentiment for good government.
The cotton planters Of the south are
beginning to realize that their entire
dependence upon foreign shipping for
the foreign marketing Of their crops
keeps up the price Of ocean transpor-
tation. They will be likely to shy at
the democratic national platform,
therefore, if it has no better plan to
offer for the rehabilitation Of the
American merchant marine than the
free American registry Of foreign built
! ships-a proposition already discred-
tied and discarded by the more pro-
-A-