The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-15
TWO MINORITY REPORTS.

ping subsidy bill which have been pub
lished within the past few days repre-
sent very complete statement of the pc
sition of those who favor a reasonable
extent of governmental support for the
reconstruction Of our merchant marine as
well as of those who, under all circum-
! stances. are opposed to naval subsidies.
! COnceding to the report signed by Messrs.
! Fitzgerald, Devries, Daily and Spreight all
| the force and Importance an able pre-
sentation of a given public contention IS
| always entitled to receive. it must be rec
ognized, even by their own party asso-
ciates. either that these gentlemen have
failed to represent truly Democratic doc
trine and policy on this subject, or that
they have represented that policy as prac-
tically out of touch with the needs and
demands of the present hour
The report, on the other hand, signed
by Messrs Chanler, Small and Ransdell
is an equally able statement of what tae
Glo E has always regarded as the views
of the bulk of the intelligent Democrats
Of the country. According to the
Globes understanding of the underly-
ing principles of the party it should be
accepted as representing more completely
Democratic principle and policy tran does
the document signed by the other Demo
Gratis of the house committee.
Few men of any party will agree with
| oi4l,or .l,, ,,.o,,,i-o on tho ooroIucior am
bodied In the following paragraph of the
report prepared by Representative Fitz-
gerald. of Massachusetts:
"Our foreign trade. then, is increasing
! with wonderful rapfdity and our ship
! building industry is remarkably pros
porous without subsidy. Why, then,
| should the whole country be taxed to pro-
vide gratuities for industries which are
| now prosperous and which nave every
prospect Of continuing to be more and
| more prosperous?
All intelligent students of public events
know that the prosperity which is re-
ferred to in this paragraph is the fruit
of the protection which our federal laws
extend to our coast shipping trade. If
it is their belief that the prosperity to
which they refer applies to our foreign
shipping trade they may be said to stand
| alone in their belief.
| 1t IS generally understood that it is
much easier to maintain negative po-
sition upon any given line of public policy
than it is to formulate affirmative reasons
why the given policy should be main
! tanned. In other words it is infinitely
! easier to throw down than it is TO build
up. If Democracy has no more than
mere negation to offer in connection with
the Overwhelming demand which exists
for the rehabilitation of our merchant
marine the circumstance simply places
that party out of the running. The country
demands that we shall do our own foreign
carrying 1t will not do for the Demo-
| cratic party to commit itself to any such
proposition as that laid down in Mr.. Fitz-
| gerald's report. which is in effect that cur
| foreign shipping is now IN such an ad-
vanced state that it needs no aid in
! any direction.
1t is gratifying 10 observe that the two
! sets of gentlemen representing the Demo
| cratic minority OF the house committee
| in their respective reports apparently dis
card the contention which so long passed
as Democratic doctrine that the upbuild-
ing of cur merchant marine can be best
| accomplished through free trade in ships
| Under beth of Mr.. Cleveland's admins
trations, especially during the earlier of
| the two, the Democratic party of the
! country was placed in the position of op-
posing the extension of any aid whatever
to American ship-bpilders or ship-owners
even for the carrying of the American
mails to foreign ports.
The attitude then assumed did not re-
ceive and has never received the sanction
CT the American people From the enact
ment of Jefferson's embargo law down
through the several Democratic admin
istrations antecedent TO The war, the prin-
ciple was accepted and acted upon by the
PARTY that ali that-by legislation could
be done should be done for the develop
ment of our merchant marine. The
| GIL o e has repeatedly In these columns
quoted the declarations of the founder of
the Democratic party in favor of such
policy 1t is needless to reproduce any of
them here.
Few Democrats will be found willing
to accept the Payne-Hanna subsidy bill
as embodying Democratic requirements
in this regard. Aside from the origin of
that measure, which naturally presup-
poses a determinations to favor special in
terests, the report signed by Representa-
tive Chanler on behalf both of himself
and the other OF his Democratic asso-
ciates ON the committee sets forth very
clearly the objections that may be raised
to the Hanna bill. 1t is doubtful whether
that measure will lind enactment into law
during the present session of congress,
but if it does thought to be said that IFS
| enactment would be much more con
sistent with the needs and requirements
of the situation than would be the policy
which the Fitzgerald report fornulates.
The American people demand measures
for the re-establishment of the merchant
marine. The Democracy cannot and will
not be placed in the position IN which the
report of Mr.. Fitzgerald would place it.
If we can only receive the necessary aid
in this direction tb-o,,eb fba Ranublica, ;,