The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-12-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
CANAL AND SHIPPING BILLS HOLD
THE ATTENTION OF LEGISLATORS.
disappointed Members and How
They Get Even by Making Long
speeches-why the Senate Needs u
Cloture Rule.

of the holiday recess and the thought
of Santa Claus and Christmas gifts
and the festivities of the season, peo-
pie are bordering over the great meas
ures pending in congress. There are
diversions in the direction of prepare
tons for the reinauguration of Presi-
dent Mckinley and the social season
which will follow the reassembling of
congress the first week in the new
year. But the anxiety of the people to
have placed in law two or three great
measures under discussion and which
the predominant party promised to
have enacted constitutes the all con-
Stunning theme of discussion.
-.
1t is yet believed that the Nicaragua
canal treaty will in some satisfactory
form be ratified, and then will follow
the adoption Of the Nicaragua canal
bill. 1t is a question whether there
will be in the bill finally adopted an
outright appropriation providing for
the complete construction or whether
there will be pledge for the construc-
ton of the canal and small appropri-
alton for the requirement of all the
rights and the completion of the sur
vey and the appointment of commits
sion and the making ready of every
thing for the final contract when con-
gress meets again next December.
1t is generally felt that some provi-
sion must be made for the marketing
on the high seas to our new market
places of the surplus products of our
country. The unexampled growth of
our export markets must be not only
maintained, but continued. If the
merchant marine bill is passed and
provision made for the construction Of
the Nicaragua canal, a new impetus
will be given to the growth of our eX-
port markets, and it will not be neces-
sary to wait until each of these &C
complishments has been perfected to
make a very perceptible impress upon
the expansion of our markets and the
heightening of the prices for our prod.
ucts. The opposition that pertained in
some quarters to the adoption of the
merchant marine bill on account of the
odiouS name Subsidy" is disappearing.
In some quarters there was hesitation
on account of the proposition to admit
to American registry foreign built
ships because of a disposition to con-
fine the construction of all ships that
would profit under the proposed law to
those constructed in American ship
yards. But now that it is understood
that the only object to be attained by
the bill is the establishment of ships
under the control of American laws to
carry American products into foreign
markets and create the greatest posi-
BILE amount of rivalry, thus assuring
the lowest possible freight rates, this
prejudice and hesitation are disappear
ing. 1t is proposed that the foreign
built ships shall only profit to the ex-
tent of one-half of the amount of the
ships built within the United States,
but the foreign built ships are required
to furnish the same means of tranSpor-
tation and enter fully as much into the
rivalry for the reducing of freight
rates, so that the producer is only in
terested in getting good markets and
low freight rates, while American ship
builders and the producers of articles
which will enter into the construction
of ships are fully satisfied to know that
they are given double the advantage,
while only so per cent Of the bounty
istered under American laws and sub
ject to American discipline.
-
1t has just dawned upon many of
those who have adversely criticised the
shipping bill that but very small per-
centage of our goods are not marketed
in American ships; that more than
nine-tenths Of our produce goes abroad
in ships owned and controlled by for
eigners, and should any rivalry or jeal-
ousy occur our farmers and manufac-
turers would be the ones to suffer and
not the United States government. But
the only question now in dispute as to
this measure lies in the question Of
whether the bounty is to be paid on the
tonnage carried or on the capacity Of
the ships making regular sailings to
given ports, taking our exports without
respect to their cargoes, just so the lat
ter are made up entirely of American
products.
President Mckinley has snuffed out
the idea that he may have an extra ses-
sion of congress. A few disappointed
men in each branch of congressman
who were defeated for reelection and
must on the 4th of March retire to pri-
vate life-returned to their posts of
congressional duties with the idea that
they would be dogs in the manger and
prevent legislation. Some of them even
threatened to talk to death any meas
ure that might be proposed. In the
house there is a committee on rules
which may at any time report reso-
luton advancing as privileged meas
ure any bill to be discussed, and the
resolution may fix the time limit of de-
bate and an hour when a vote will be
taken. In the senate there is an old
code of rules which provide that so
long as any one wants to discuss a
proposition he may do so. and not until
all have talked as much as they want
to talk can vote be taken. For many
years there has been discussion as to
the feasibility of "cloture," which
means a provision in the rules which
will enable a majority of the senate to
fix an hour when debate shall cease
and vote be taken on given PROPOSE.
ton. ]. B. NJ.
supreme Court Justice Drops Dead.
NEW YnpK Doc 10 I11ation Ho.,.-u