West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-02-21
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL.
SPECIAL WASHINGTON lsrrea.

The Pruning 20 which the mn VA,
Been subjected = Letting oshrr.
into "thc piviGe"-rhc Attitude Oh
Dissatisfied Republicans.
WAsnINoToS, ID. C.-The advocates
OF the Hanna-Fr Frye-Payne ship subsidy
blii continue 10 retreat before the crit.
les OF that measure.
When II was lrst presented TO the
senate 10y Senator Hanna during the
first days Of the now expiring congress,
they said that Il was the result of
many months OF study by the shipping
experts and the best law constructors
OF the country, that It condensed into
a congressional bin lifetimes of study
upon the best means OF building up the
merchant marine and that IL was MS
perfect as human brains could make IL
and ready for passage without any
amateur legislative tinkering.
This was when 1t carried an unlin,it.
ed appropriation. What ii would have
done for tho country In its thus per-
fected state the Lord only knows. Very
soon q howl OF protest went up from
Dan TO Dsersheba against the "unllmit.
ed prov Ions of the measure. and an
smendn,ut was accepted limiting the
appropriation TO so00o.0o0 year.
Ever since this time the elasticity OF
the iiirs perfection has been drawn
upsn. Its advocates have yielded inch
bJ inch until the bill has quite dif.
feTcnt complexion from the unphoto.
fsgaphable countenance that II M first
presented. But with all this carving
and splicing and remoldlng II retains
its essential feature OF taking out OF
the pockets Of the whole people some
S2OO.OOO.cc0 for the benefit OF n favored
few composed mainly OF the lifetime
experts WHO drew the bill.
The critics TO whom it's original pro-
moters have heen yielding are all with.
In the Republican party and among
those whose support has been counted
on from the beginning. If the supposed
friends of the measure have brought
upon 1t the Disagreement that now ap-
pears, what would It look like II it's on
ponents drove their criticisms through
it? Verify 1t would only be useful for
waste paperl
This constant retreating OF the advo-
Gates or the bill does not indicate that
II is measure founded on principle,
but that IL Is desire to pilfer from the
treasury many millions for the benefit
OF private parties. None OF the changes
that have been made apply to the prin-
ciplcs or purposes OF the bill Those
originally provided for wanted TO trans
fer from the taxpayers money TO their
pockets S0,000000 year. Finding that
they had overreached themselves, they
have gradually let others into the "di
vide" Now all of those originally In
and those let In and their various pot
swabbers and bottle washers are de-
claring that the bill has been perfectly
adjusted 70 the needs OF the times and
that It's passage Is only matter OF n
few days. In sending out this bugle
note Of victory they have forgotten all
the Democrats and all the Populists
who oppose this sort OF grab on prlnci-
pie. They have also forgotten num-
ber OF Republicans who feel the same
sort OF opposition. They have forgot
ten likewise the miscellaneous but ever
active pie hunters who have not yet
been let into the divide" The result
Of this forgetfulness will he the failure
of the bill
There has been TO lobby In Washing
ton opposing the ship subsidy bill. hut
there have been some very strong men
who have worked hard against this
measure as matter or principle. Some
OF these men have been Republicans
and some OF them have had no conncc.
ton. directly or Indirectly. with the
shipping business. They have been in
tcnsely In earnest 1t Is largely due to
the fact that they have not worked
along the usual lobby lines that this
bill has not yet been passed and In all
probability will not he passed. They
have absolutely stripped IT OF its pre-.
tenses and shown TO the world that the
Standard Oil company. which controls
the Pennsylvania Railroad company.
the international Navigation company
and the National Transit company.
would receive not less than $50. .OOO.-
600 ont OF the $0O0OO.OOO provided for
within the next ten years and that II
would be very easy matter for q com.
blne TO be formed by which they would
receive practically the whole subsidy.
Those who were inclined 20 favor the
bill as party measure are becoming
alarmed and are not willing that the
Republican party should shoulder the
responsibility for such a scheme.
There are many Republicans who do
not oppose Boss Hanna I'm the caucuscs
or the steering committee meetings
who viii still lend the weight OF their
influence q the postponement Of the
bill. These Republicans are still not
satisfied with the methods Of division.
During the last days OF this rapidly
waning session they arc getting all the
concessions that they can get. They
know that they can now get many
more concessions than they could get
IN long session, where there would be
the greater probability OF their being
driven into line by sthc party whip.
Having made these concessions in this
congress, the favored few who at FIRST
started out to bag all tie game con
hardly revert TO their first purpose
when the next congress convenes. The
hope Of the reasonably good Republic
nns Is that In the next congress they
tan pass n ship subsidy bill having IN
II the elements Of fairness TO those en-.
gagged IN the shipbuiIdlng and the ship
sailing business The hope Of those op-
posed TO the subsidy principle Is that
the stencil this bill will leave In the