Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-01-18
SHIP SUBSIDY LOBBY.
IRIS CHARACTER AND ITS METHODS
EXPOSED.

Most Pcrsistcnt Lobby Since Pacific
Mail scnndnIs-BiIl Drawn by Its
Benenclnries Tho International
Navigation Company, Pennsylvania
Railroad and Standard Oil Compn-
ny Interested In the Deal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-The Hanna
Frye-Payne ship subsidy bill has been
and still is the most pcrslstcntly and
continuously lobbied bill that has been
before congress in many years. Indeed
1t is doubtful whether such lobby as
that back of this bill has been known
of in Washington since the scandals
unfolded by the Pacific Mail steal
shocked the country.
1t 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 beneficent services were
called into requisition for the announc-
ed purpose of framing a shipping bill
which was to build up the American
|
into the senatorial councils because OF
their interest in shipping and shipbrild-
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 it, as the
farmers would say, "hog tight and
mule high in protection to themselves,
and they have been on hand at Wash
lngton early and often, if 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 we'll known presence In
Washington during most Of the legisla-
tive days in which the bill has been
under consideration leave no doubt of
their purposes and of their entire ear
nestness to use all means within reach
to see these purposes accomplished.
Prominent among them are: General
Clement A. 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
III. Cramp, the great Philadelphia ship
builder; G. z. 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; H. P. Booth, presi-
dent of the New York and Cuba Mail
Steamship company; Samuel S. Sewall
and Edwin w. Hyde, representing the
shipbuilding interests of Bath, Me-;
Alexander R. Smith, former editor of
Seaa,ourd an04-lUisx-ssersts>s3 OF the
New York commerce commission, and
Theodore G. Search. president of the
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.
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 q measure; that 1t would be
hopeless to go into congress with these
people entirely divided us to what the
remedy should be. then concluded
that l would take the responsibility
myself of naming committee-neces-
sarily Of men who owned ships or
built them or ran them or were ia
miIiar with the conditions Of the mer
chant marine and it's necessities" He
then named the committee, from which
the names above taken are selected
After enlightening the uninitiated con-
corning these gentlemen, Senator Frye
added, II will say right here that the
committee has been indefatigable in
this business and has had innumerable
meetings in New York, Philadelphia
| and Washington" The humor Of this
statement will be appreciated in pro-
portion to the knowledge which the
reader hereof has Of the situation.
When the time came to exploit the
bill before the congressional committees
Of both house and senate, these gentle
men and others came to Washington
and took charge Of things. They filed
hn nd cd
the hearings. Ex-senator Edmunds,
who seemed to be considered smarter
| than anybody else, acted as grand
sachem. The committee "sat at his feet
and learned" When some doubling
Thomas Of the committee asked q
| question, the chairman of the commit
fee-Grosvenor on the house side and
him feel like 80 cents by the crushing
profundity of his reply or turned him
over to Edmunds, generally the lat
| ter. After the advocates of the bill
had used up all the time Of all the
hearings telling what great thing it
was, they were told by the respective
chalrmen that they could put in writ
ing, to be printed as part of the hear
ing, anything that they had forgotten
or omitted or had not had time to say.
This open privilege was added to by
special requests for further detailed
information wherever it was consider
ed possible that such information could
| be Of service. With this sort of in
dorsement by the committee, these gen.
tlemen of the third house sailed forth