The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1901-12-12
II SHOULD BE DROPPED.
The snip Sshsiay scheme should Not
Ne PermItted 60 oEeRd
Again.

While In no position to positively
assert that the ship subsidy scheme
will not be urged upon the next con.
gress we stand by the position taken
ever since the attempt at legalized
robbery was entered upon aud insist
that its abandonment is the only hon
orable course open TO iis promoters.
Reliance cannot be placed upon their
dropping II because its adoption
would inAict a great wrong upon the
people, says the Detroit Free Press.
They apprchcndcd the moral status
OF their case as clearly when they in.
itiated Il as they do now. II was con.
criycd 10 selfshnrss and pushed with
the single idea oi bcuehtlug certain
preferred interests that were exposed
during the long discussion of last
winter. The men behind the audf
taking have known from the outset
that they were merely planning a
great financial coup that, II executed
sucsssfully, would mulct the country
/ IN the sum of at least $50, ,OO0, 900. that
( Il would receive literally nothing by
way Of compensation and that the
sole hcnehciarips would be those
I working the colossal confidence game.
Yet. while conscience has worked
no change Of heart on the part Of the
men who started out to enrich them
I selves by the method which has
. grown rs familiar % II IS obnoxious
TO the people, popular opinion has
checked, IL IL has not halted them. II
will be surprising II their shrewdneHs
has not detected the handwriting
upon the wall The masses who pro-
vide the revenue Of the government
are IN no mood TO make an enforced
contribution at such diCtation or for
any such purpose as IL has been
sought to conceal under the cloak OF
building up our merchant marine,
keeping pace with our expanding
commerce. getting into the game
with our foreign competitor and ris'
ing 20 the dignity Of q world power.
These are winning slogans in the alb
stract and liable 20 ignite infamma'
ble patriotism. hut the promoters
are now ia the position Of man who
has shown his hand when nothing but
u bluff could have made IL ne
gotiablc possession. The country,
through the debates in congress and
exhaustive discussion in the ncwspa-
prrs. knows he true inwarducss OF
The suhe idy scheme and realizes that
n is without o material feature de-
serving commcUdHtiOu or support
In addition 20 being exposed as a
ring that g. out for the money when
We now have greater tonnage in for
cigu trade than can find employment
when private capital Is giving the
shipyards all that they can do and
stands ready 10 meet every demand
that commerce makes, there is q
grave political consideration. The
schemrrs nrc republicans and include
such party luminaries as Hanna, the
head und front Of the party manage
mcnt: Senators Frye, Aldrieh, Lodg,
and many other republican leaders IN
their respective sections of the coun
try They have been forced 10 under
stand that their subsidy plan is un
popular and that to give IL the fore,
~ congressional sanction would i'm
peril the future of the party
The president himself. although h,
has been quoted as an original sup
porter 81 the movement. sees how i'm
poItic II would be to urge the schem,
in his message and will probably pas
Il over. The rural congressman have
been hearing things at home and W.
are inclined to believe that the meas
urc will not figure in the records O
the next session. Political policy. 4
imprcsscs ~. blocks the Crabbcrs.