The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-14
ADVOCATEDBY Mr.. HANNA
A Lengthy Argument in the Senate
on the Ship Subsidy Bill.
He Asserts ..at His Motives in Sup.
porting the RiII Are Above Re-
Pronch-Intimates That the Fate of
the Nicaragua Canal Depends on
the Success of His Measure.

For nearly three hours yesterday Mr..
/ llama occupied the floor of the Senate and
| spoke in defence of the Snip Subsidy bill.
He began his address at 1l:l5 o'clock and
! closed at 2:05.
| Four Senators were in the chamber when
Mr.. Hanna arose 10 speak. Not more than
. score were present at any time during
the address. There was no applause. The
Democrats received the statements with
smiles-the, Republicans in silence. AT
times the Ohio Senator suddenly grew
eloquent and spoke of the time when the
Stars and Stripes would fly from the mast
head of every vessel in every American
port. But these flights dropped as sudden
iy to the commonplace.
There is no patriotism in merchant
| marine" he said. 1T is plain business
proposition. There can be no patriotism
without business
He opened his remarks with cold CAL
culating assurance He closed with vio-
lent effort-a glass was broken-papers on
his desk scattered-a clerk brushed ASH
and the Senator sat down exhausted and
visibly disappointed by the effect of his
effort On his hearers
His Motives Pure.
In opening his speech Mr.. Hanna stat
ed that he arose to speak on the bill be-
cause many objections had been raised
and many criticisms made.
.-The remarks of the Senator from
Georgia tMr. Clay the other day rehett-
ed the plans of those who oppose this
BILL" said he. His remarks clearly in
sinuated that the motives of the men who
desired to PASS the bill were impure.
For my part" exclaimed Mr.. Hanna, Il
resent even an insinuation that my mo-
tives are ether than the highest-those
, of public servant desiring to serve his
country in The best way"
Il desire to say that | did not question
the motives Of any Senator" said MIR.
Clay.
i am glad of that replied Mr.. Hanna,
..but understood the remarks otherwise.
Now. when / came into the Senate three
years sso. was fully copversart with the
needs of the merchant marine. and | was
placed on the Maritime Committee as
compliment to my knowledge This COM
mittee WAS corrected with all interests in
the merchant marine-shipbuild!ng and
tTanspor:ation-an and it was a committee of
experts
Now this knowledge was applied TO
the creation of this bill. We heard all
manner of experts. but when we at
tempted to give immediate relief. the con-
fiicting interests of the members made it
impossible. We effected a compromise
ard as We were all aiming at the same
result, We produced and perfected bill
This bill was not absolutely perfect. and
many amendments were later accepted.
had tn t,it- t,, fn ss,n oil is,fo
ests represented by shipowners. But to-
day the bill is perfect.
In my great experience with the mar
itime business on the Lakes / have fer
thirty years watched II grow.
This industry has been developed by
the direct aid given in its infancy by the
United States. Our navigation laws help
ed the shippers and we had the lakes to
ourselves. Even with this protection the
present condition of the transportation is
largely due TO our good harbors on the
lakes. Yet the cost o. transportation has
been cut until today there is little money
in the merchant marine
THE Senator from Colorado CIR. Teller
asked question the other day as to the
cause of the decline of the merchant ma
rine since the civil war. This is a peril
pent question. 1t is known that it has
fallen
Questioned by Mr.. Vest.
"It is not fact that the de-
cline of the merchant marine
began at the close of the civil
war; said ar. Vest. THE decline began
in 1855, according.to Treasury Depar tment
statistics, and this was before the civil
war;
II am speaking of foreign commerce."
snapped MIR. Hanna.
II. too, am speaking of foreign COM
merce,' replied Mr.. Vest.
81 will read my investigations in this
matter" continued Mr.. Hanna. When
the First Congress met We had ships in
many harbors and until the civil war our
merchant marine increased over 500 per
cent"
Mr.. Hanna then read long column OF
statistics showing the growth of Ameri-
can shipping in the early century
Our total tonnage today is 100, 900 less
than it was in 1s10,' he resumed. To-day
American vessels carry only 8 per cent OF
the commerce of the United States. In
1S4S Con.ress passed subsidy bill under
which tie Collins line was built and these
outsailed every ship on the Allan
tic and proudly carried the American flag
over the seas. There is no man here who
does not know that foreign competition is |
killing our merchant marine. The Ameri- |
can flag is hardly known on the seas and |
England has been debating the rates !
which we shall pay for transportation of |
goods. Every infant industry ever given |
birth in the United States has had to |
struggle with the British competition.
THE highest point ever reached in |
ownership of American built vessels was
in 1861. l call the attention of the Sem
ator from Missouri lMr. VesD TO this.
Now the merchant marine was disorgan-
lied by the civil war. The enemy cap
tured the vessels: foreigners bought
them, and the Government chartered
them. The people gave up shipowning
and would not invest again, as the risk
was too great. Steam displaced sails and
iron displaced wood. and the war tax
was too heavy to make it wise to build
or TO operate ships. Absolute free trade
prevailed. and Americans could not COM
pete with foreigners.
This bill seeks to rehablitate us on
1