Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-01-26
favor The SUBSIDY Bill.
Democrats Who viii Support the
Measure to Build Up Amer
lean Shipping.
CROWNS SENTIMENT IN the SOUTH
Improvement Of Rivers and HarbOE.
and the Construction Of Larger
Ships Viewed with Approval By
Producers and Business Men.
Especial corrsspondsnce.l

Washington, Jan q
When the opponents Of the chipping bill
came to be finally counted during the clos
ing days Of the debate on the army bill in
the senate, the fact was uncovered that
few influential republicans were among
them. These men had certain notions that
the bill was inequitable in it's provisions, and
they had been in the habit Of meeting and
comparing notes and assuring each other
that their suspicious were well grounded.
Finally, however, these objections were
brought to light, and, when that was accom-
plShed, and the friends Of the bill were
given chance to discuss these objections,
their apparent force melted away like snow
under q summer sun. The result has been
that few amendments have been agreed to
in the bill that cover every possible point
Of doubt On the republican side, and they
are now all united in the senate in favor
Of the bill a. it stands.
When q vote ID reached on the shipping
bill there will be disagreeable revelation
to the democrats of few of their own
members who will support it. Not less than
half 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-
stituents. Nowhere ia 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, 80 to have caused feeling
Of despair at times among their more pro-
s1sssive 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 returns to the producers, have been OBJ
ject lessons Of immense value to the south
6rn 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 it's
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 l. 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 begin. |
ming to appreciate the wisdom of Senator |
Morgan's valiant fight for that great water |
way. The spending of $3.50, Geo. 900, or even
500, 000, 900, for the construction Of the Nj |
caragna canal, it 10 beginning to be believed |
throughout the south, viii have q benefit |
each year, upon the increased markets !
abroad for their surplus products that viii
repay them, and the nation, too, each year
for the fetal 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 SITE, 000, 900 at home that is now spent
every year for ocean freights that are paid to
foreign ship 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 $0,O0OO 10000 a year to save
from $l75, 600 900 to $3.50, 600, 900 year is not
! proposition ether to brighten the average
American. citizen or call forth his protest.
In fact, the demand for just this kind Of a
thing is becoming quite unanimous among
The business men Of the country, south,
west, north and east. ,l.s8