The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-01-24
VEST VIGOROUSLY ATTACKS
THE SHIP-SUBSIDY MEASURE.
Advocates Free Ships and BIames Our
Navigation Laws for Merchant
Marines DeCadenCe.

| Washington Ian. Reconsideration OF thu
shipping bill was resumed this afternoon by
the Senate. AT the instance of Mr.. Frye o
Maine, who relinquisbed the chair tempo
rariiy to take charge o. the measure OF
the floor il was made the unfinished bust
ness of the Senate, thus restoring II 10 It's
privileged position.
Mr. Vest of Missouri took the floor imme-
diately in a characteristically brilliant,
forceful and interesting speech. lasting near
ly three hours. He advocated free ships.
and vigorously attacked the navigation laws
OF the United States. holding that they were
| responsible for the decadence OF the mer-
chant marine of America. He was accorded
close attention by his colleagues on both
sides of the chamber.
| Early in the session Mr. Rawlins Dem
! of Utah, participated in a lively colloquy by
| charging that deal had been entered into
! between the Republican members of the
| Utah Legislature and certain railroad in
| terests and the officials OF the Mormon
| Church to secure the election of Thomas l..
| Kearns TO the Senate from that State. He
/ aroused Mr. Hale Of Maine and Mr.. Chand-
| Ter Of New Hampshire. who contended that
the statements OF Mr.. Rawlins ought not to
he made in the Senate at this stage of the
proceedings in Utah. the Senate could
not consider the question In any phase in
advance OF action.
The legislative. executive and judicial ap-
| preparation bill was then passed.
Vest Opposes Subsidy Bill.
The shipping bill was taken up after Mr..
Jones Of Arkansas had directed attention TO
the fact that the Indian appropriation bill.
which would provoke considerable debate.
was on the calendar. II the Republicans
desired TO delay passage of appropriation
bil's ha had no objection.
Mr. Vest of Missouri addressed the Senate
ir o p st'on to tha Tnea -ure. and in favor
OF free ships. which he has advocated con-
sistently fer years. He said. the re7ding
measure came before the Senate ostensibly
from the Committee on Commerce. but
had come really from Committee OF Pro-
motion. composed OF twenty-five prominent
and intellige mt men appointed by the Junior
Senator from MCine Mr.. Frye.
''The chairman of this Committee 4 Pro-
motion" said the Missouri Senator. "is
Clement A. Griscom. president OF the In
ternational Navigation Company. a man OF
high character. Of great intelligence and OF
indefatigable energy. The company which
re represents Is by far the largest bene-
ficiary under this bill. 1 must express my
surprise and regret that no one menbe-
Of that Committee of Promition is in f8vor
of an American buying his ships where
he can buy them cheapest AMI thel sliling
them under the flag of his country. In other
words, TO use the language of the Senator
from Maine CMr- Frye, the members OF
that committee are unanimously in favor
Of the oSs late. infamous and outrageous
navigation laws Of the United States. which
are a stain on the statutes OF the United
States, and which, for fifty years, have
been riding to death the merchant u-arine
of this country as the o,d man of the sea
rode to exhaustion Sinbad. the sailo ="
Policy of Barbarie Exclusion.
Mr.. Vest sharply eli icised Mr. Cham
ferlain. the present Commissioner Of Navi-
cation, who was appointed first by Mr.
Cleveland a then favored free sh ps for
drifting with the Republ can current and
now advocating subsidies. He said that
when he visited Hamburg a few years
ago. he saw in The harbor 162 s1ips flying
the British flag. and not single one carry
ing the Stars and Stripes. England, he
said. had been wise enough to do what
this country, in its stolidity and stupidity
had failed 10 do. She had maintained her
supremacy on the ocean by purchasing her
fast clipper ships from the United States.
Mr.. Vest declared that the policy pro-
posed by the Ienaing bill was me of "bar-
baric exclusion" framed for New England
benefit. He thought the people al large
had done enough for the Nor, eastern
coast without IonIibatns $ls0.OOo,OJu more
TO buiid up its ship INDUSTRY.
Mr.. Vest rldculed the claim that the bill
is intended to provide auxiliary cruisers in
time Of war. He contended that bounties