The representative., 1901-02-28
OUR FORUl1
ti
A PoineSd Letter.

Saltwater, MIMI, Feb. S. 1901
Mr.. Editor: In yoafa issue of Jan. 81
| saw an article frOm the pen of j. C.
/ Hanley, entitled. sAmerican Shipping
and Its influence ond Agriculture"
. He starts out bycsaying that the rep
resentatives Of ,number Of national
agricultural associations have agreed
upon certain demands that they deem Of
vital importance to agriculture, the
basis of all permanent prosperity.
OF course we don't know just who
these representatives are, but in all
probability they are of the same class
as Mr.. Hanley-city farmers-who are
trying to farm the farmers.
Be that as it may, from the general
tone of his remarks, he appears to be
very anxious to extend our markets to
foreign countries, and the proper way to
extend them, according to his ideas is to
subsidize certain rich corporations that
are already surfeited with wealth by
putting our hands into our pockets to
pay them about $4,000, 900 per annum in
addition to all they can squeeze out of
the trade.
For that beggarly sum of So, 900 900 he
thinks they will make an effort to ex-
tend our markets for us. Time will
tell whether he is right or not. The
subsidy bill is sure to become a law, as
soon as it is fixed so that certain corpor-
ations will be the sole beneficiaries.
If there is any man short of multi
millionaire who thinks he has any in
f1uence upon that august body, the
United States congress, he is suitable
candidate for the insane asylum.
From the tone of the article it don't
appear as if he was trying to influence
congress but to create public sentiment
in favor of class law that would rob
the taxpayers of $9,OOO,OOO per annum
Mr.. Hanley, we don't agree with you,
government subsidy is wrong in
theory and in principle, because human
nature is too selfish, it will take all it
can get without rendering an equiva-
lent.
1t would be we'll for you to remember
that the selfishness of individuals first
and nations afterwards have cursed and
drenched the earth in blood a thousand
times or more, and it will ever be so
until the people of this, the foremost
nation of earth in point of intelligence,
rise up and take unto themselves the
power to ratify or reject all important
laws II q
The people of the United States have
not forgotten the magnificent subsidy
this government gave to the railroad
corporations in the form of land grants
to assist them in building and equiping
their roads, that all might be benefited
alike. oi X
No, they will never forget, because
those generous donations were used to
fasten new disabilities upon our peo-
pie in the form ora foreign debt.
IT is true the railroads were built and
equipped, then they were stocked and
bonded at three times their actual cost
Of construction, the watered stock was
put on the market and sold-most of it
to foreigners
And the railroad corporations have,
for the last 25 years, collected about
$3.50 100000 per annum on the watered
stock and turned it over to foreigners.
With the above facts staring us in
the face, it would be folly, yes, madness,
to grant further subsidies-if the people
of this nation have the power to pre-
vent it,
Mr.. Hanley, you have put forth the
claim to being reformer Then in the
name of common sense try and be con-
sistent and not be in favor of taking
over one transportation monopoly to the
government and at the same time build
another to exasperate our people.
In your concluding remarks you say
there was found but one way to get
around the many obstacles thrown in
the way of a steamship subsidy bill.
and that was to draw bill for speed
capacity.
Now, Mr.. Hanley, don't you know that
it will cost nearly twice as much to send
cargo Of say 5000 tons of grain. across
the Atlantic in ship that is obliged to
make the run in days, as it would to
send the same cargo in ship that
would make the run in 10 days?
Wherein will your speed capacity bill
be of any benefit to the slow boats of
American register, suitable for carry
ing freight? Slow ships of foreign reg
lister will continue to carry our produce
just as they have done for the last 81
years.
A class law drove American ships
from the ocean, a high protective tariff
on the material that entered into the
construction of ocean ships
Now, Mr. Hanleys.if if you can see no
way around the, obstacle spoken Of in
your article, let me- show one that is
marked with commop sense and justice;
a very proficient one that is high and
dry away above the financial quagmire
our people fell intq in 1868. and have
since paid over 4,0O4 millions in interest
trying to extract, themselves and are
deeper in the mire today than ever be-
fore. .ust.
My way round Jsir, is for the govern
ment to issue full legal tender United
States treasury notes. redeemable in the
Of i