The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-02-07
SHIP SUBSIDY LOBBY.

SHIP SUBSIDY LOBBY.
IT'S CHARACTER AND ITS METHODS
EXPOSED.
Most Persistent Lobby Since Pacific
Mail scandals-Bill Drawn by. It's
Benenciaries = The international
Navigation Company, Pennsylvania
Railroad and Standard OIL COmpa-5
NY Interested In the Deal.
WARRINGTON, Jan. 14.-The. Hanna
Frye Payne ship subsidy bill has been
and still is the most persistently and
continuously lobbied bill that has been
before congress in many years. Indeed
lit is doubtful whether such lobby as
that back Of this bill has heen known
Of in Washington since the scandals
unfolded by the Pacific Mail steal
shocked the country.
It is not in any sense a secret that
the pending ship subsidy bill was
drawn by its chief beneficiaries. Under
the Kindness Of Senators Frye and
Hanna their bene6cent services were
called into requisition for the announce
ed purpose of framing a shipping bill
which was to build up the American
merchant marine. They were called
into the senatorial councils because OF
their interest in shipping and shipbuild-
ing, and it is not natural to suppose
that in taking care Of the subject in
general they were going to neglect
their own pockets. They helped to
draw the bill, they made 1t, as the
farmers would say, .'hog tight and
mule high" in protection to themselves,
and they have been on hand at Wash.
ington early and often, il not always,
engaged in consistent, persistent and
continuous effort to bring to legislative
fruition the results Of their advisory
labors.
Selections from this committee who
drafted the bill taken in connection
with their well known presence in
washington during most Of the legisla-
tive days In which the bill has been
under consid Iteration leave no doubt Of
their purposes and OF their entire ear
InestHess to use all mems within reach
TO see these purposes accomplished.
EProminent among them are General
Clement IA. Griscom, president of the
International Navigation company and
chairman Of this committee; ex-Sena-
tor George f. Edmunds Of Vermont,
the most capable and the highest priced
lobbyist in the United States, who is
likewise leading counsel Of the Inter
national Navigation company; Charles
| Fl. Cramp, the great Philadelphia ship
builder; G. p. Huntington, whose pow
er with congress is fit subject for ro-
nance and whose interests since his
death are capably represented; William
P. Clyde, president, and Thomas Clyde.
secretary, Of the Clyde line; Aaron Van
derbilt, secretary Of the American
Shipping league; II. 2. Booth, presi-
dent Of the New York and Cuba Mail
Steamship company; Samuel 8. Sewall
and Edwin w. Hyde, representing the
shipbuilding interests Of Bath, Me-;
Alexander r. Smith, former editor OF
Seaboard and later secretary OF the
New York commerce commission, and
1 Theodore @. Search, president Of the
j National Association Of Manufacturers.
"All, all honorable men," Of course
but none Of them, SO far as the records
show, ever accused Of neglecting his
own interests. t
In opening the senate hearings sena.
tor Frye, chairman of the senate com.
merce committee, naively said: II was
aware that to succeed In enacting any
bill into law there must be an agree
ment Of sentiment among the friends
Of such a measure; that 1t would be
hopeless to go into congress with these
people entirely divided as to what the
remedy should be. then concluded
that I would take the responsibility
myself of naming a committee-neces
sarily Of men who owned ships o.
built them or ran them or were IA
miliar with the conditions Of the mer
4 chant marine and its necessities" HI
l,then named the committee. from which
the names above taken are selected
a After enlightening the uninitiated con
cerning these gentlemen, Senator Fry
added, 81 will say right here that th'
committee has been indefatigable II
this business and has had innumerabl'
meetings in New York. Philadelphi,
and Washington { The humor Of thi
& statement will be appreciated in pro
lportion to the knowledge which tn
/ reader hereof has of the situation.
When the time came to exploit tn
Z 1bill before the congressio ional committee
Of both house and senate, these gentle
{ men and others came to washington
and took charge Of things. They flle'
the committee rooms and controlle
the hearings. Ex-senator Edmunds
who seemed to be considered smarte
than anybody else, acted as gran
sachem. The committee "sat at his fee
and learned" When some doubtin
Thomas Of the committee asked
f. question, the chairman Of the commit
tee -Grosyenor on the house side an
Frye on the senate side either mad
him feel like 80 0cents by the crushin
profundity Of his reply or turned hir
|! over to Edmunds, generally the lai
ter. After the advocates of the bi
had used up all the time Of all th
hearings telling what great thing
- was, they were told by the respectiy