Washington sentinel., 1901-01-26
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL.
IT IS INDISPENSABLE FROM EVERY
POINT OF VIEW.

Hend 1.-THE New York Press Wig
OrOusly Opposes the Mensure-rhe
Bill Designed For the Personal Gain
of a Few big shipOwners.
A striking feature of the pending dis
cusslon of the Hanna Frye-Payne sub
sidy proposals is the extent to which
political and economic theories are rel
egated to the rear. The reason for this
Is plain, however, when the bill itself
Is considered.
Politically our people are divided as
TO the theory Of paternalism between
protection and free trade, and as to
EACH while its opponents may not con-
cede its propriety, on the one hand they
are prompt to appreciate the weight Of
certain considerations urged in it's be-
half and to recognize the sincerity
with which these are pressed, and on
the other. as to matters not involved
by their opposing theories, they are
apt to agree on first principles. Here,
for example, the general dlstrust of the
legislation proposed and the growing
opposition to 1t involve no political
theory.
From a free trade standpoint one
could defend a bill to facilitate export
Of American products In ships owned
by American citizens by granting to
American capital that freedom to pur-
chase foreign ships which by our laws
Is given American shipbullders and
owners to purchase foreign materials
and supplies, including labor, and from
a prOtectionist standpoint one could
champion a measure which would try
TO attain the same end by distributing
government aid either to exporters in
inducing shipments abroad or to vessel
owners in such way as to prompt them
to carry export cargoes at lower rates.
The trouble with this bill, however, is
that on inspection It has become clear
to our citizens OF all political beliefs
that as an economic measure 1t is
equally indefensible from either a Stree
trade" or a protection" standpoint;
that our export trade, our shipbuilding
industries, our ocean carrying business,
as such, are each equally far from the
aims Of the concern OF the promoters
Of this bill-that is, 1t Is in no proper
sense even a protective or other public
measure at all, but simply steal, de-
Tended by hypocritical concern for IN
terests which 1t Is not intended to sub
serve and worthy Of support only by
those whose expected share In the pro-
ceeds shall be such as to justify the
loss great or little, OF self respect and
repute involved in thus conniving to
deadbeat the public for personal gain.
The present issue, therefore, is not
Tor or against any economic theory, but
hahnNf nF hn NO arnrr
earns les own living, against tax eating
capitalists, to whom, for example, the
most representative 'protection" news
paper OK the United States the Repub-
lican New York Press. thus edlkoria5lsss
aIludes in Its issue OF Dec. 10, 1900;
THE SHIP SUBSIDY JoNAMs.
The ''nine gentlemen Of the American line are
engaged In an entirely legitimate business. They
are carrying American nails and they ought to
be paid 90 that they can carry them In American
Deutschlands and Oceanics instead Of sticking to
little slow, old Parises and New Yorks. They
should not be let od again with the building
Of St. Pauls and st. Louisss, but compelled to
the construction Of vessels which the postofica
would select with the sole eye whirh it Is bound
to have TO celebrity Of service The increase Of the
mail subsidy Of 2l knot vessels when % knots Is the
typical speed Of the fast mailboat Of the day Is
farce, not TO call Il anything harshar, upon Its
face But, whatever It Is, let the government deal
with IL separately upon its merits aud not mud
die It up with measure designed to freight the
surplus products Of American farms, mines, for
ests and factories" which these vessels-having no
cargo space Tor grain, coal. lumber and ioeomo'
tiyeS-neyer carry.
With this separation the bIlI would be- without
logical opposition In congress or the country,
and we fail to why it should lose the votes Of
the many senators and representatives whom the
American line has beQn carrying to Europe and
back every summer for the last ten years In antici
NF % fHaHHnr HsH.H call pa
true Of our government as Hamilton said Of thd
English, that it cannot be worked without brtb-
cry, but there IS no reason why the measures and
men which require bribery should be mixed up
with those which DO not.
Just before the late Christmas vaca-
ton 1t was announced that arrange
ments had been made to take In all
recalcltrant shipping interests, and 1t
may therefore be expected that with
great flourish OF trumpets there viii
soon be announced amendments which,
It will be claimed, viii so broaden the
scope Of the bill as TO make 1t truly
popular. In view, however, of three
years experience with amendments to
this very bill, announced In Just this
way, we may be entirely confident
that, so far as concerns the lions share
Of the subsidy provided for, it will not
be diverted from the pockets OF those
who devise this bill
1t may well be, indeed, that Dives
has quieted Lazarus with a few cold
victuals and the llItle dogs with a dis
tribution Of bones, but that he has &C.
tually reformed and has either given
his goods TO the poor or stopped steal
ing their earnings for himself is too
much to believe. The HANNAH Griscom
coterIe Is most decidedly mot made
that way" II Will be easy at any mo-
ment by watching its attitude to know
the character Of the bill In whatever
shape 1t may be amended. II it Is
really made such as mainly to benefit
the interests 1t processes to favor, II
will be practically without supporters,
except new ones. II the Hanna-Gris-
eom interests are still clamorOus In be-
half OF any amended bill, 1t will mean
that they who know best Just what Will
be its effect are still convinced that It Ia
In the main for their personal benefit