The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-02-07
SHIP. SUBSIDY BILL.
IT IS INDEFENsIeLE FROM EVERY
POINT OF VIEW.

FUN OF VIEW.
Even the Protectionists Cannot De-
fend 1.-THE New York PresA Wig
orously Opposes the Measure-The
Bill Designed For the Personal Gain
of Few Big Shipowners.
A striking feature of the pending dis
eussion Of the Hanna Frye-Payne sub
sidy proposals Is the extent to which
political and economic theories are rel
egated to the rear. The reason for this
is plain, however, when the bill itself
is considered.
Politically our people are divided as
to the theory Of paternalism between
protection and free trade, and as to
each, while its opponents may not con-
cede its propriety, on the one hand they
are prompt to appreciate the weight of
certain considerations urged in it's be-
half and to recognize the sincerity
with which these are pressed, and on
the other, as to matters not involved
by their opposing theories, they are
apt to agree on first principles. Here,
for example, the general distrust of the
legislation proposed and the growing
opposition to it involve no political
theory.
From a free trade standpoint one
could defend bill to facilitate export
Of American products in ships owned
by American citizens by granting to
American capital that freedom to pur-
chase foreign ships which by our laws
is given American shipbuilders and
owners to purchase foreign materials
and supplies, including labor, and from
a protectionist standpoint one could
champion a measure which would try
to attain the same end by distributing
government aid either to exporters in
inducing shipments abroad or to vessel
owners in such. way as to prompt them
to carry export cargOes at lower rates.
The trouble with this bill, however, is
that on inspection it has become clear
to our citizens of all political beliefs
that as an economic measure it is
equally indefensible from either a "free
trade" or a. protection" standpoint;
that our export trade, our shipbuilding
industries, our ocean carrying business,
as such, are each equally far from the
aims Of the concern of the promoters
Of this bill-that is, it is in no proper
sense even protective or other public
measure at all, but simply steal, de-
Tended by hypocritical concern for in
terests which it is not intended to SUBJ
serve and worthy of support only by
those whose expected share in the pro-
ceeds shall be such as to justify the
loss, great OF little, of self respect and
In in, fh11c iuir ~
deadbeat the public for personalgain.
The present issue, therefore, is not
for or against any economic theory, but
on behalf Of the taxpaying public, that
earns it's own living. against tax eating
capitalists, to whom, for example, the
most representative protection" news
paper of the United States, the Repub-
lican New York Press, thus editorially
alludes in it's issue Of Dec. 10, 1900:
THE SHIP SUBSIDY. JONAHS
The 'nine gentlemen Of the American line are
engaged in an entirely legitimate business. They
are carrying American mails, and they ought tc
be paid so that they carry them in American
Deutschlands and Oceanics instead of sticking tc
little, slow, old Parises and New Yorks They
should not be let off again with the building
of st. Pauls and st. Louises, but compelled &c
the construction of vessels which the postoffict
to have to celebrity of service The increase of the
mail subsidy OF 81 knot vessels when % knots is the
typical speed of the fast maiboat of the day is
farce not to call it anything harsher upon it
face. But whatever it is, let the government dea
with it separately upon its merits and not mud
die it up with designed to freight thu
surplus products Of American FARMS mines, for
ests and factories which these vessels-having nj
cargo space for grain, coal, lumber and locomo
tives-never carry.
With this separation the bill would be withou
logical opposition in congress the country
and we fail to why it should lose the votes o
the many senators and representatives whom tn
American line has been carrying to Europe an
back every for the last ten years in antici
patton OF this particular roll call. 1t may b
true Of our government, as Hamilton said Of tn
English, that it cannot be worked without brih
cry, but there is no reason why the measures an
which require bribery should be mixed u
with those which do not.
Just before the late Christmas vaca
ton it was announced that arrange
ments had been made to take in" al
recalcitrant shipping interests, and /
may therefore be expected that witt
great flourish of trumpets there will
soon be announced amendments which
it will be claimed, will so broaden tn
scope Of the bill as to make it trul.
popular. In view, however, of thre
years experience with amendments t
this very bill, announced in just thi
way, we may be entirely confiden
that, SO far as concerns the lions shar
of the subsidy provided for, 1t will no
be diverted from the pockets of thos
who devise this bill.
1t may well be, indeed, that Dive
has quoted Lazarus with few coll
H. l. 11rr WITT, n &c
tribution Of bones, but that he has &C
tually reformed and has either give
his goods to the poor or stopped steal
ing their earnings for himself is to
much to believe. The Hanna-Griscon
coterie is most decidedly mot mad
that way" 1t will be easy at any me
ment by watching its attitude to know
the character Of the bill In whateve
shape it may be amended. If it
really made such as mainly to benefi