The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-01-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IMPORTANT MATTERS TO BE DE-
clDeo BY CONGRESS AFTER RECESS.

IMPORTANT MATTERS TO BE De-
clDEo BY CONGRESS AFTER RECESS.
Deep Interest In Canal and Shipping
Bills-Feeiing That the Two Meas
ures Are Closely Relnted-Insidious
Efforts to Mislead the People.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.-Having prac-
tically disposed of the -Pauncefote
treaty and adjourned for the holidays,
the senate will resume consideration of
the shipping bill Immediately after the
recess. Pressure will be brought to Sc
cure the consideration of the Nicaragua
canal bill, and the army reorganization
bill will also come before the senate for
consideration early in the first week Of
the coming century. In the house rap
id progress has been made in disposing
of many important measures, and
when that branch of congress gets
down to work after the holidays it Is
likely to continue its good record Of
dispatch of meritorious legislation.
-
1ntIt 10 iO illthSulC DNlOlC NOhBlipo
that attracts, both here in Washington
and the country over, so much atten-
ton as does the merchant marine re-
vival bill. There is some insidious
force at work here that attempts to
poison the usual channels of news dis
tribution with all kinds OF statements,
more or less true, but nearly all twist
or nd D1 1neiUnnH tn nnnft1gn
and mislead the public concerning that
great national measure. If the general
run of dispatches that are sent out
could be believed, it would be fore
gone conclusion that the shipping bill
was already dead 1t may b. accepted
as a fact that none of these dairy ema-
nations is inspired by any Of the
friends of the bill either in or out of
congress.
One Of the most mendaclous and
despicable methods employed by the
enemies Of this measure to prejudice
the public against it Is the assertion,
already worn threadbare, that the old
err senators resent the attempt of Sena-
tor Hanna to assume the position of
leader in the senate. In the first place,
Senator Hanna has made no effort to
assume such position, and, secondly,
his relations with his colleagues on
each side of the senate are most cor
dial and pleasant. Everybody knows
that he is earnestly anxious to secure
the passage Of the merchant marine
bill, that it Is n measure to which he
has given more attention than to any
other single bill and that he hopes to
secure the assent of majority of the
senate to its enactment. So far as
using any coercive means by which to
secure support, he has done nothing of
the kind, and not one OF his colleagues
has breathed even N lntimation of
such an attempt.
-.
The construction Of the Nicaragua
canal is another topic that is much dis
cussed. That il will eventually be dug,
and by the United States, is generally
conceded and many people believe that
the legislation necessary to start the
project along will be passed this win
ter. There Is widespread and grow
ing feeling, however, that the work of
building up our shipping in the foreign
trade should go hand in hand with the
construction of an isthmian canal For
the United States TO construct such a
canal and to have it used only by for
eign vessels, IA Is the case with the
Suez, would be contrary to the wishes
of n majority of the peOplc-so it is be-
lieved here That the construction Of
such n canal will be a great aid TO COM
merce goes without saying, but people
are beginning TO realize that the de-
pendcncc of our exports upon foreign
ships for their transport places the
United States in a seriously weak and
almost dangerous position.
-
The value Of the exports OF the Unit
ed States this year will probably reach
one and n half billions of dollars, Il
sum twice as great as the value of our
exports in 1890. Such a growth, mar
velous as it has been, Is likely to be
greater during the next ten years,
more particularly in manufactur-
! ing, so rapidly mas lnlS pafuc
ular branch of our exports ex-
panded during the last two or
three years. 1t will be much different
in the future in securing and holding
foreign markets for our manufactures
than it has been in the past in secur-
ing and holding foreign markets FOR
our raw products. This truth must be
obvious to all who will reflect. When
our raw products were carried from
our shores to foreign countries in for
eign ships and there manufactured
for the worlds consumption and by
foreign ships carried TO the worlds
markets, there was nothing to arouse
the hostility Of foreign peoples.
But those nations which possess a
large export trade in manufactures
happen to also be the nations possess
ing the merchant shipping which does
the great bulk of the worlds foreign
carrying. The rapidity with which the
| ITnitad Stntas is increasing ifs nXnOrts