The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-01-31
FAVOR THE SUBSIDY Bill.
Democrat Who Will Support the
l--asure to Build Up Amer
lean Shipping.
.aacc::a.G stElIntET IN TIE SOUTH
. Improvement of Rivers and HarbOru
and the C0nstrudtion of Larger
ships viewed With Approval by
Producers ana Business Men.
Especial correspondence.l

Especial Correspondence
Washington, Jan %
Nten the opponents OF the shipping bill
,4mt TO be finally counted, during the clos
.ng Gays OF The debate on the army bill in
the s,:.ate, the fact was uncovered that a
lew influential republicans were among
them. These men had certain notions that
the bill was intqutabJe in its provisions, and
they had been in the habit of meeting and
comparing notes and assuring each other
,,at their su.pcions were well grounded.
finally, however, these objections were
,rought to light, and, when that was accom-
p.ished, and the friends of the bill were
wen a chance to discuss these objections,
.heir apparent force melted away like snow
under summer sun. The result has been
.iat few amendments have been agreed to
Ii the bill that cover every possible point
of doubt on the repub lean side, and they
are now ali united in the senate in favor
Of the bill as it stands.
When a vote is reached on the shipping
bill there viii. be disagreeahle revelation
to the democrats of a few Of their own
members who will support it, Not less than
ha.f dozen democrats have, one way and
another, indicated that they may be relied
upon to support and to vote for the bill, and
they explain, too, that this is, largely, in
obedience to urgent requests from their con-
:tituerts. Nowhere in this country is this
more in evidence than in the south, where,
hitherto, opposition has been SO general to
all forms ,of government aid, at least on the
part of the statesmen representing southern
constituencies, as to have caused feeling
of despair at times among their more pro-
gressive and up-to-date colleagues from the
north and west.
The improvement Of rivers and harbors in
the south, followed by the construction of
much larger ships for the carriage of south
ern export products, and the consequent re-
duction in freight rates and increase in di-
rect retuhns to the producers, have been OBJ
ject lessons of immense value to the south
ern business men, and the fact is slowly
dawning upon those whom they send to
congress to represent them. No longer is
there opposition in the south to the i'm
provement of rivers and harbors; indeed,
there is more money Likely to go into the
improvement of the great seaports of the
south. and especially of the gulf, and its
tributary streams, than into the north. The
direct benefits from this have been felt in
every hamlet, village and city in the south,
whether located upon navigable stream
or not.
So, too, it is beginning to be felt through
out the south that the construction of the
Nicaragua canal will be an undertaking Of
the most far-reaching benefit to the south,
and the people of that section are begn-
ming to appreciate the wisdom of Senator
Morgan's valiant fight for that great water
way. The spending of $l50,OOO,0OO, or even
200,0OO,OO0, for the construction of the Nj
caragua canal, it is beginning to be believed
throughout the south, will have a benefit
each year, upon the increased markets
abroad for their surplus products that will.
repay them, and the nation, too, each year
for the total sum of the expenditure.
And with these thoughts crowding one
another upon the southern mind, it is quite
easy and logical for southerners to appreci-
ate the value of ships of our own, doing our
own foreign carrying, and keeping the whole
of the Sl75, 1000, 900 at home that is now spent
every year for ocean freights that are paid to
foreignship owners, and by them taken from
the country, to the loss of our national
wealth, to the deprivation of our own peo-
pie of employment, and to the strengthen
ing of the auxiliary naval resources of our
foreign rivals. In these circumstances the
expenditure Of $9,0OO,OOOO year to save
from SIZE, 900 to $3.50, ,OOO, 900 year is not
proposition ether to frighten the average
American citizen or call forth his protest.
In fact, the demand for just this kind of
thing is becoming quite unanimous among
the business men of the country, south,
west, north and east.