The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-02-14
SUPPORT FROM THE SOUTH
The Shipping Bill Is Winning
Friends Amen, Southern
business Men.
DEMOCRATS FAVOR SUBSIDY MEASURE.
Petitions in Behalf of the Bill from
Many Large Commercial AssOcia-
tiOns-Great Change in Public Sem
timent Has Recently Been
Wrought.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington, D. c., Feb. 8.
The south is raliying to the support Of
the shipping bill. This fact is likely to
prove the pivotal feature of the struggle over
the measure. During the debate on
Wednesday last news reached the capitol
that the Savannah board of trade had
unanimously adopted resolutions directing
its delegates to the coming Brunswick
Maritime conference to favor subsidies. 81.
multapeously with the spread of this intelli-
gence through the capitol, it was noticed
a. singular coincidence that Senator Clay
of Georgia rose and offered amendments to
the bill, limiting the period of the subsidy
to ten years, and confining it below
maximum of l6 knots speed, instead of Is,
as it stands at present in the amended form
of the bill. This, however, does not neces-
sarily indicate a change of heart on the
part of Senator Clay, who has been hereto
fore one of the. strongest and most active
and uncompromising opponents of the meas
ure.
This is not the first gun from the south,
by any means. Petitions in favor OF the
bill are on f,e from more than 90 iaIse
and important southern associations, in
cluding the New Orleans chamber Of Goa
merce, board of trade and produce o.chans,
the Richmond chamber of cornt.,e, the
Norfolk board OF trade, the Li,tlc Rock
board of trade, the Alabama state g;anat.
the Tarboro board OF trade. the st. Lou,
merchants exchange and the Southern J.
dustrai association ard the SoGtaecn GO.
ton Spinners association In fact. rjW:
every southern state has FURNISHED an H.
phatic Endorsement of the bill by lis .eaG
ing commercial bodies.
In view of this great and growing sent
ment in their own section. it Is no; SUI psi,
ing that the solid opposition OF the .ou..
ern senators has begun to weaken, as ii has
very perceptib.y and decidedly. At rs.
these senators -Mesers. Jones. Gay. Ba,oI
and others-declared that they wouiG ii
the bill by every means within their pow,;. .
and a disposition to tiiibuster was manifest
early in the week; hut tie news which they
have heard lately from their constituents
appears to have altered their minds as to
the advisability of tilibustering Their pres
NHl ulsJoslLlOH seeHs W De 10 utilNeT u
tain number of two-hours' speeches in the
negative, and then to let the republicans
go ahead and assume the full responsibility
for the legislation. The alternative policy
| involving fiiibustering, the failure of all
| other measures, and an extra session in
consequence-would be very serious re-
| sponsbility for the democrats to shoulder,
especially if not sustained by the citizens
of the southern states.
More than this, it has been ascertained
that the shipping bill will receive the votes
! of goodly number of democrats-at least
six and probably seven or eight in the sen
ate, and ten or dozen in the house. That
the examination and discussion of the meas
ure have effected great change in public
sentiment already is unquestionable, and the
change is still going on and spreading.
As soon as the bill passes the senate and
gets over to the house it is practically sure
to have plain sailing. Representative
Grosvenor, of Ohio, says that rule will be
reported whereby two days will be sci
apart for debate upon the measure, and that
at the end of that period a final vote vii
be ordered. In the house the rules of pro
,sdurs allow of such peremptory closure Of
dsbate-in fact, without such closure moth
ing could be accomplished in such large
and unruly body as the house-but in the
senate the liberty of debate is practically
much more difficult to force or to hurry
measure through the senate than through
the house.
The recent extra session gossip has beguI
to subside very materially. The senator
and representatives generally do not "se,
the point of remaining here all the sprinl
to legislate about the Philippines, when th
president, as they say, has ample powe
in the premises to do as he pleases. 1t il
possible that the Spooner measure in rela
tion to this subject may be tackled on as I
rider to some appropriation bill, and tina
congress may let it 60 at that for the pres
ent. As for the Cuban constitution, which
has furnished another reason for an extr;
session, many congressman are now ques
tionipg whether this country has any rigb
to meddle with that instrument. The wa
was undertaken to free Cuba, and it wa
expressly and officially declared by thi
kOVcTHlHcHt tEdi VIC WOulu dssu"c no IuI
ther control or supervision of the island afte
its pacifcation, Many now assert that tn
pacifcation has been accomplished, AM
that the United States therefore, in realit
and justice, has nothing to say or to do abou
the Cuban constitution. This idea ha
been canvassed in a lively manner in an
about the capitol during the last day 0
two, and it appears to be becoming popular
The president is rapidly regaining hi
wonted health and strength, after nearly
months tussle with the grip. Other dil
tinguished victims of the distemper are ais
recovering and the epidemic seems to hav
spent its force. This is fortunate for var
Gus reasons, but particularly SO in view O
the fast approaching Inauguration cere
monies There have been Inauguration
amid billiards. and zero gales, but an in
auguration in the midst of a grip epidemi
would be dismal event indeed. As it il
the preparations for the next 4th of Marc
are on an almost if not quite unprecedente
scale, and if the weather is only fairly dc
/ cent the spectacle will be one of the mos
brilliant in the history Of Washing IN.