The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-05-29
TO KEEP
UP WAGES

WASHINGTON, MAY 2S-(SpeciaD. -
the House Merchant Marine and Fisher
es Committee, was today looking for a
democratic congressman who was recent
ly interviewd on the shipping bill by
New York daily free trade democratic
newspaper. Gen. GrosvenOr would.
judging from his remarks, give "a great
deal to find the democrat quoted
"1'he article said Gen. Grosvenor,
holding the clipping in his hand, lis full
of interest to American workngmen.
'One democrat it reads, who would not
be quoted because he represents a dis
trict that expects him to vote for the
shipping bill, said, What we want, If
we need anything in the way Of ships,
is simply the liberty to buy ships where
we like, and after that we must make
up our minds to run them as cheaply as
other nations run their vessels-at least
as cheapy as Great Britain runs her
merchant marine"
THAT democratic congressman advo-
Gates the British standard of wages for
ommerce and yet he doubts our need OF
ships If we do need them he would havc
purchased from foreigners. lie don't
want American workingmen to build
them. No wonder he was anxious to
conceal his identity! No wonder, TOO,
that his constituents expect HIM Ito vote
for the shipping bill that will give the
building Of the ships we need to Amer
ican workingmen. There are many 9TH
er constituencies Of the same kind mis-
represented in congress by the same kind
of democrats. OF all the money spent
in the building of ships, from the mining
Of the ore to the weaving of the flags,
95 per cent goes to labor We now pay
$500, 900 each year to foreign ship own
ers for carrying our foreign commerce.
These foreigners take our money out Of
the country and employ fore gn materi-
ais and foreign labor in foreign countries
to build the ships we need. The shipping
bill that my democratic colleagues con-
stituents expect him to vote for proposes
to reverse this condition. But let me fur
ther from his anonymous utterances:
"'We will not buy ships where we can
get them cheapest. Our shipbuilders Will
not build them as cheap as others. our
seamen want more wages than the Brit
ish What we are trying to grant subsi-
dies for is to give the shipworkers and
builders something to make good to them
the difference between the wages of Am
erica and the rest of the world
Now that man." said Gen. Grosvenor,
states the essence of republican doc
trine. He puts it with accuracy, clear
ness and brevity. The subsidiz ng of Am
erican ships is intended for precisely the
reason he states: To give the shipown-
ers and builders something to make good
to them the difference between the wages
in American and the rets of the world
| would like TO discuss that proposition
before an audience of American work
ingmen and with my unknown friend
He wants them to be compelled to accept
foreign free trade wages Republicans
insist that they shall have the highest
American wages. Cleveland gave us four
years of foreign free trade, wages, and
Mckinley has given us three years Of
higher American wages and the work.
ingmen keenly appreciate the difference
Republicans want to extend the Amer
lean standard of wages to American ship
yards and on board American ships The
democrats want to establish the foreign
standard of wages instead The issue is
sharply and clearly drawn. But let me
quote once more from my New York
democratic free trade newspaper, the
concluding statement of this unknown
democratic congressman:
"'For my part, l do not see why that
policy (of subsidies for American ships)
should be tried, for it promises nothing
even i'm the very distant and dim future
by way Of relief. w eshall have to go
on making good the difference between
American and British wages until the
crack of DOOM