Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-02-06
ENEMIES ARE ACTIVE
SHIPPING BILLS OPPONENTS
HARD AT WORK.
Representatives of Foreign Ship-ov-a-
ers Iudustriously Distributing Free
LITERATURE" to Arouse Spirit OF
Opposition Among the People.
WASHINGTON .respondenee:

Washington -lrespondence:
From now until the end of the pres
ent session of Congress the people in the
interior Of the country may expect 10
see any amount of free literature" dis
tributed at the expense of the foreign
ship-owners who are represented here
in opposition to the shipping bill, in
order TO arouse a spirit Of opposition
among the people TO the passage OF the
measure in question. One of the main
arguments relied upon TO create hos
tility to the shipping bill Is the allega-
ton that wealthy people will get the
peoples hard-earned money" but there
will be nothing said about the wealthy
people who get this money being COM
PEELED to earn it.
This literature" against the shipping
bill that is paid for 10y the foreign ship
owners will contain such questions as
why should the peoples money be
used to further enrich millionaire ship
owners and ship-bullders?" And, hay-
ing put the matter in THIS way, the
literature contains argumEnts against
class legislation" and especially
against any scheme that will enrich
the few at the expense of the many"
These are merely samples II the class
hatreds which free traders. doing the
dirty work of the foreign ship-owners,
are obliged to resort to in Tue hope of
winning opponents to the slipping bill.
Nov, /. it were, for arguments sake
admitted" said an Indiana representa-
tive in Congress to the writer, that the
governments money would BE paid out
to wealthy people. under the provisions
of the shipping bill. my study of it has
shown me that these wealthy people
will be compelled to build new ships in
the United States before they get
dollar of Uncle Sans money. 1t some
times takes couple of years to build a
ship, especially of the largest and swift
est. During all of that time the wealthy
ship-owner is doing nothing but paying
money cat, fist for materials and then
for labor, and far one ship sometimes
as much as two millions of Collars will
be spent, before the owner he's received
one penny upon his investment. All OF
this time continued my Congressional
informant, labor will have been re-
ceiying. from the mining o. the iron
ore the coal, the quarrying Ct the lime
stone, the transportation unon inland
ships and railroads, the shaping OF The
steel In the mill, its carriage TO the
shipyard, and its final assemhlage into
q. am of b ia
two millions of dollars.
Labor has been paid, 1t ha5 taken no
chanC IS, as. from week to week the
wages have been forthcoming. Then
the troubles of the owner begins. Hc
must put her in trade. perhaps, in
new route, where there is little business
at first. where his ships must run. for a
while, perhaps, with only haiT eargoes
each way, until producers beg:a TO find
out that it is stable line, running its
ships frequently and regularly, and
which viii lead to ventures in exports
both ways, by which. eventually, re-
muneratiye trade may be built Up. And
from the time the first spadeful of earth
is turned to mine the materials which
enter into the ships construction, until
it has bccome paying venture to her
owner, he is steadily paying out his
money in one form or another to Ameri-
can labor. When this view of the real
operation of the measure rs forceful-
ly brought to my attention ty delcga-
ton of workingmen from my district
who came here for that sole purpose, F"
concluded the Indiana Congressman, Il
came to the conclusion that there was
much more of merit in the shipping bill
than | had believed, beforea concIu-
sion that has been confirmed the more
have examined the provisions of the
bill in detail, and a conclusion that has
induced me TO give the measure my
hearty support and warm advocacy"
From this single incident and this
graphic illustration it must be obvious
that the life of an American shipowner
is not that of gilded ease. even when
fortified with a government subsidy.
Do Something aud do 1t Quick!