Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-02-21
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL.
SPECIAL WASHINGTON LETTER.


Continued Retreat OF Subsidy Advo-
Gates - Further Amendment of a
"Perfect Bill" = The Ship Subsidy
Lobby--Defeat of the Bill Practical
ly Assured.
WASHINGTON, D. Cit is amusing to
watch the continued retreat of the sub
sidy bill advocates.
Senator Hanna commanded them to
meet on the opening day of the present
session and told his friends that the
bill would be put through during the
first week or so. Baffled a bit in this
consummation, he told the world
through the newspapers that the bill
would be passed before the Christmas
holidays. The senatorial satellites join
ed in this glad prediction, and the myr-
lad members of the subsidy bill lobby
re-echoed the cry from Dan to Beer.
sheba The time of passage has been
gradually postponed until it seems now
delightful possibility that the bill will
not be passed-at least not in such
shape that its syndicate fathers win
recognize it during the twentieth cen
fury. The gradual retreat in point of
time is perfectly obvious.
Equal retreat as to the provisions of
the measure is shown by the state
ments of Senator Frye to the effect
that the bill is now so little like it's
original self that the criticisms upon
the bill as first reported do not apply at
all to the bill as now advocated. This
statement is not at all fair, because
the underlying principles of the meas
ure have not changed particle, but
the doctrine of retreat is for that rea-
son the more clearly shown by these
statements of the senator from Maine
Another funny thing about Senator
Frye's admissions and his continued
acceptance of new amendments that
watching world has not failed to under
stand is that the bill as first presented
was ''as perfect as human brains could
make it." Even the gamins in the gal
lery have wondered how a perfected
bill could undergo such changes as to
be by the admissions of its author no
more like it's original self than he to
Hercules, and still retain it's perfection.
Indeed, the advocates of the bill have
been from day to day during it's con-
sideration INDUCING in series of legis-
lative gymnastics comical to behold.
Their backing and filling, their hem
ming and having, their pairing and
changing, their bluffing and retreating,
have placed them before an observant
public in an attitude much worse than
that which commonly makes the angels
weep.
During recent days the press bureau
of the subsidy bill people has been
working overtime. Having associated
with the old lobby managers the best
newspaper talent that could be secur-
ed, this bureau has been making most
heroic efforts to convince the skeptical
public not only that this bill is the
best bill that ever existed, but that it's
passage is as sure as the eternal yeri
ties. This bureau prepares daily state
ments of what it wishes to appear as
the real subsidy bill situation and care
fully monographs these statements
and places them upon the desk of every
newspaper man in Washington who
will in any probability use them. The
temptation to fellow even slightly in
clined to laziness is very great to send
out this well prepared matter. In this
way q great deal of misinformation
about the situation goes out as well to
the papers which are Indifferent re-
garding the subsidy bill as to those
which directly favor it. That, in spite
of these efforts and the innumerable
other efforts made to demonstrate that
this is virtuous bill on the sure road
to success, the great majority Of the
newspapers and of the people of the
country are opposed to the bill is GER
tainly a proof that intelligence and
honesty still predominant in this great
country
i During these crisp wintry mornings
the subsidy advocates both of the
senate and Of the ever present lobby
are getting up early and staying up
late. Nearly every morning two or
three knots of them can be seen around
the Arlington, the Cochran, the Shore
ham and the various corners of the
capitol, intent upon the discussion of
the situation. Hanna and Griscom,
Frye and f. B. Thurber, Grosvenor
and Alexander r. Smith, either of the
Clyde brothers and most anybody, are
among the pairs frequently seen to-
gether in earnest confab. At late
hours of the night these and numerous
others may be observed in the clubs OF
the hotels talking this ever new theme
of contemplated raid on the treasury.
The subsidy people continue to pre-
sent bold front in the declaration that
the bill will surely pass-the opposition
are equally bold in the declaration that
it shall not pass. And, in the language
of the country boy, the opposition have
the "all underholt" The session is
rapidly drawing to a close, and
dozen appropriation bills and num-
Der of other important measures must
be passed. In the face of these things
the "hold up of the senate on the ship
subsidy bill cannot last long.
1t has been seen that threats to de-
feat the river and harbor bill, threats
to force an extra session and threats of
all sorts of bogy men such as usually
brighten senatorial children have all
failed of effect as applied in the inter-
est of this bill. The fact is that the bill
is so bad and bald and bold a robbery
of the whole people for the benefit of
bakers dozen of multimillionaire ship
ping interests that the unpurchasable
opposition cannot afford to give in.
There are now Is or 20 long speeches
against the bill already prepared by
senatorial opponents who are waiting
to deliver them. The longest time that
the subsidy people can hope to keep
that measure in the place of preference
cannot possibly be time enough for the
delivery of all these speeches Under
the circumstances failure is the pit in
to which the bill must soon fall.
No Weakening Now.
The subsidy bill is in the hands of It's