Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-12-31

E: MONDAY DEC. 81. 1900.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IMPORTANT MATTERS TO BE DE
ciDED BY CONGRESS AFTER RECESS:
Deep nterest In Cannl and shiprfng
Bnis-Feeling That h Two Meas-
IRE. Are Closets Observation-Disclosures
Efforts to Mfslend the People.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 27.-Having prae
ticallysdisposed OF the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty and adjourned for the holidays.
the, senate Will resume consideration Of
the shipping bill Immediately after the.
recess. Pressure will be brought to se-
cure the consideration OF the Nicaragua
canal bill. and the army reorganization
bill will also come before the senate for
consideration early in the first week Of
the coming century. In the house rap
id progress has been made in disposing
OF many important measures, and
when that branch of congress gets
down to work after the holidays 1t Is
likely t. continue Its good record OF
dispatch or meritorious legislation.
s
There is no measure before congress
that attracts. both here In Washington
and the country over. SO much atten-.
ton as does the merchant marine re-
vivai bill. Thera is some insidious
force at work here that attempts to
poison tie usual channels OF news dis
tribntion with all kinds of statements;
more or less true, but nearly all twist
ed aud perverted. designed to confuse.
and mislead the public concerning that.
great national measure. lie the general
run Of dispatches that are sent out
could he believed lit would be q fore
gone conclusion that the shipping bill
was already dead. 1T may be accepted
as a fact that none OF these daily ema-
nations is inspired by any of the
friends of the bill either in or out OF.
congress-.
One of the most mendaeious and
ldespicable methods employed by the
enemies OF this measure to prejudice
the public against it as the assertion
Ialreadysworn threadbare. that the old
er senators resent the attemptsof Sena-s
tor Hanna to assume the position of
leaderSins the senate. In the first place.
Senator Hanna has made no effort q
assume snch u position, and, secondly.
his relations with his colleagues on
each side of the senate are most COR
dial and pleasant: Everybody knows
that he is earnestly anxious to ecu
the passage OF the merchant marine
bill. that it is q measure to which he
has given more attention than to any
other single bill and that be hopes to
secure the assent Of a majority OF the
senate to its enactment. So far as.
using any eoercivesnleans by which to-
secure support. he has done nothing of;
the kind. aud not one or his colleagues
has breatied y e an intimation OF
snch an attempt.
The construction of the Nicaragua
canal is another topic that Is much dis
scnssed. Thatit will eventually be dug,
and BY the United States. Is generally
conceded, and many people believe that
legislation necessary to start the
project along will he passed this win
ter. There fs widespread and grow;
ing feeling. however that the work OF
building up our shipping In the foreign
trade should 6 hand In hand with the
construction OF an isthmian canal. For
the United States K construct such
canal and 10 fiave 1T used only BY for-
eign vessels, is is the a S with the
gSuaz. would be contrary To the wishes
OF q majority of the people---so it issssbe.
lieved here, That the construction OF
srcb canal will be d great aid to com
nerce goes without saying. but people
are beginning to- realize that the de-
3pendence of our exports upon foreign
ships for their transports places the
United States in seriously weak and
almost dangerous position. s
HSN4MA -
NE value Of the exports OF the Unit.
ed States this year viii probably reach
one and half billions Of dollars, q
sum twice as great as The value Of our
exports in1SoO. Such a growth, mar
yelons is II has been. IS likely to- be
greater during the mex ten years,
more particularly In manufactur-
Ing, so rapidly has this partic-
ular branch of our exports an
banded during the last two Or
three years 1T Will be much different
in the future Ia securing and holding
foreign markets FOR bur manufactures
than 1T has been ID the past In secur-
ing and holding foreign markets for
Qur raw products. This truth must be
obvious to all who will reflect When
our raw products were carried from
our shores to foreign countries in for
eign ships and there manufactured