Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-15
CIRCULATION
ENTANGLED ON SHIPPING BILL

7
Representative Fitzgerald, the rank
ing democrat on the house merchant
marine and fisheries committee, has
promised to file his minority report on
the shipping bill today. The minority
seem unable to agree and it would
not be surprising if this afternoons
telegraph brings the news that sew
seral reports have been filed. Mr.. Fitz-
gerald set an example OF independence
at the last session that is giving him
trouble now. He then disagreed with
his party associates and filed an indi-
yidual minority report. in which he
said that $50 long as the protective
policy exists in this country as law
of the nation, he does not consider it
while protective duties are imposed
upon all other articles Of commerce
and consumption"
eddy and publicly said he favored sub
4 gether with republicans on the ship
subsidy bill, certain features of it to
which he was opposed being altered.
In that position he seemed to voice
the sentiment of most of his party
democrats having admitted their de-
( sire to see the. shipping bill enacted
il amended as they suggested.
Mr.. Fitzgerald appears to have aban-
doned his former stand and to now OPP
4 pose subsidies and to favor free ships.
He seems to be having difficulty in
convincing his party colleagues on the
committee that his latest advocacy
will be of political advantage to their
party. Southern members find a
strong sentiment among their con-
stituents for immediate shipping legis-
lation. This sentiment is intensified
by the possibility OF the early con-
struction OF the Nicaragua canal.
Southern commercial organizations in
I kuch conservative cities as Richmond
and Norfolk, Virginia, in New Orleans,
and in other cities, have adopted
strong resolutions in favor of this bill,
Nlilc many influential southern busl-
ness men are writing their represent
atiyes urging them to support it. The
idea OF taking a false position-a posi-
ton opposed to the wishes and inter
est OF their constituents repugnant
to such democrats as believe the me-
cessities of the nation should no long
er be sacrificed to secure what they
regard as very questionable party
advantage.
At the suggestion of the minority
themselves, April 81 was the date fixed
for the filing OF their report. Finding
them unable to agree, Mr.. Fitzgerald
was obliged to and did ask for and re-
ceived an extension until April %. AS
that date approached he begged for
another week, and obtained it. On
May 2 he appealed for and secured
a further extension until May IL. 1t
is rumored that several of the seven
minority members have united on a
report favoring subsidies as provided
in the pending bill, if it be amended
as they suggest, besides which a sep
arate individual report is looked for,
and Mr.. Fitzgerald is expected to op-
pose subsidies and to favor free ships.
These conflicting views have compelled
Mr.. Fitzgerald to make his successive
appeals for the majority's indulgence,
while he vainly tries to whip the mi
nority into unity. The republicans, on
the other hand, being united and ag-
gressive, are becoming FESTIVE under
the long delay.
The democrats are very much en-
tangled, and instead of eXtricating
h the mselyeS thru competent leadership
they seem to become more and more
enmeshed in the Inconsistencies Of
1 their supposed leader, Mr.. Fitzgerald.
Their only hope seems to lie in the
\ postponement OF the bills considera-
ton until the short session, a course
that would save them from an ex-
posure OF their conflicting views on
the shipping question, and which eS-
posure would prevent them from maxi
Ing the shipping question a campaign
4 issue, as some of them hope to be
able to do. These are the conditions
and complications that make the final
outcome SO conjectural, and yet so in
teresting.
ss5t SENDING THEM BACK.
The Chicago Times-Herald thinks
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