Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-01-25
FAVOR THE SUBSIDY BILL
Democrats Who Will Support tho
Measure to Build Up Amer.
lean Shipping.
GROWING SENTIMENT IN TIE SOUTH
Improvement Of Rivers and Harbon
and the Construction OF Larger
Ships Viewed with Approval "
producers and Business Men.
rsnecial Correspondence.

Washington, Jan =
When the opponents Of the chipping bill
came to be finally counted, during the clos
ing days Of the debate on the army Dill IN
the senate, the fact was uncovered that .
few influential republicans were among
them. These men had certain notions that
the bill was inequitable in its provisions, and
they had been in the habit Of meeting and
comparing notes and assuring each other
that their suspicious were we'll grounded.
Finally, however, these objections were
brought to light, and, when that was accom-
plished, and the friends Of the bill were
giveu a chance to discuss these objections,
their apparent force melted away like snow
under a summer sun. The result has been
that a few amendments have been agreed to
in the bill that cover every possible point
of doubt on the republican side, and they
are now ali united in the senate in favor
OF the bill as it stands.
When q vote is reached on the shipping
bill there will be diSagreeable revelation
to the democrats of few Of their own
members who will support it. Not less than
hal dozen democrats have, one way and
another, indicated that they may be relied
upon to support and to vote for the bill, and
they explain, too, that this is, largely, in
obedience to urgent requests from their con-
stituerts. Nowhere in this country is this
more in evidence than in the south, where,
hitherto opposition has been so general to
all forms of government aid, at least on the
par. of the statesmen representing southern
constituencies, as to have caused feeling
Of despair at times among their more pro-
gressive and up-to-date colleagues from the
north and west.
The improvement of rivers and harbors in
the south, followed by the construction of
much larger ships for the carriage of south
ern export products, and the consequent re-
duction in freight rates and increase in d.
rect returns to the producers, have been OBJ
ject lessons of immense value to the south
ern business men, and the fact is slowly
dawning upon those whom they send to
congress to represent them. No longer Is
there opposition in the south to the i'm.
provement of rivers and harbors; indeed,
there is more money Likely to go into the
of the great seaports of the
south, and especially Of the gulf, and ito
tributary streams, than into the north. The
direct benefits from this have been felt in
every hamlet, village and city in the south,
whether located upon Z navigable stream
Or not.
So, too, it is beginning to be felt through.
out the south that the construction Of the
Nicaragua canal will be an undertaking of
the most far-reaching benefit to the south,
and the people of that section are begn-
ming to appreciate the wisdom Of Senator
Morgan's valiant fight for that great water.
way. The spending of $l5O,O0000O, or even
200, 000, 600, for the construction of the Nj
,aragua canal, it is beginning to be believed
throughout the south, will have a benefit
Zach year, upon the increased markets
abroad for their surplus products that will
'epay them, and the nation, too, each year
or the total sum of the expenditure.
And, with these thoughts crowding one
mother upon the southern mind. it is quite !
'asy and logical for southerners to appreci-
tie the value Of ships of our own, doing our
'wn foreign carrying, and keeping the whole
# the SITE, 100000 at home that is now spent
very year for ocean freights that are paid to
oreignship owners, and by them taken from
he country, to the loss of our national
wealth, to the deprivation of our own peo-
lie Of employment, and to the strengthen
ng Of the auxiliary naval resources of our
orein rivals. In these circumstan the
expenditure Of $4,000, 10000 year to save
rom SITS, 100000 to $3.50 00O, 600 4 year is not
proposition ether to brighten the average
American citizen or call forth his protest
In fact, the demand for just this kind of a
hing is becoming quite unanimous among
he business men Of the country, south,
vest, north and east.