Washington sentinel., 1901-01-26
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL.
IT IS INDEFENslBLE FROM EVERY
POINT OF VIEW.

Even the prOtectiOnIsts Cannot De-
fend 1.-THE New York Press Wig
Orously Opposes the Mensure-Ths
BIlI Designed For the Personal Gain
OF a Few Bis shipOwners.
A striking feature Of the pending dis
cusslon Of the Hanna Frye Payne sub
sidy proposals is the extent TO which
political and economic theories are rel
egated to the rear. The reason for this
is plain, however, when the bill itself
is considered.
Politically our people are divided as
20 the theory of paternalism between
protection and free trade, and as to
each, while its opponents may not con-
cede its propriety, on the one hand they
are prompt to appreciate the weight Of
certain considerations urged in it's be-
hale and to recognize the sincerity
with which these are pressed and on
the other, as to matters not involved
by their opposing theories, they are
apt to agree on first principles. Here,
for example, the general distrust Of the
legislation proposed and the growing
opposition to 1t involve no political
theory.
From a free trade standpoint one
could defend a bill to facilitate export
Of American products in ships owned
by American citizens by granting to
American capital that freedom to pur-
chase foreign ships which by our laws
is given American shipbulders and
owners to purchase foreign materials
and supplies, including labor, and from
a protectionist standpoint one could
champion q measure which would try
to attain the same end by distributing
government aid either to exporters In
Inducing shipments abroad or to vessel
owners In such way as to prompt them
to carry export cargoes at lower rates.
The trouble with this bill, however, is
that on inspection It has become clear
to our citizens OF all political beliefs
that as an economic measure Il Is
equally indefensible from either a free
trade" or a protection" standpoint;
that our export trade, our shipbuilding
Industries, our ocean carrying business,
as such, are each equally far from the
aims OF the concern OF the promoters
OF this blll-thaC Is, 1t is in no proper
sense even a protective or other public
measure at all, but simply a steal, de-
Tended by hypocFitical concern for in.
terests which IL Is not intended to sub
serve and worthy OF support only by
those whose expected share In the pro-
ceeds shall be such as to justify the
loss, great or little, OF self respect and
repute involved In thus conniving to
deadbeat the public for personal gain.
The present Issue, therefore, is not
for or against any economic theory, but
ON behalf Of the taxpaying public, that
earns its own living, against tax eating
capitalists, to whom, for example, the
most representative 'protection" news.
paper OF the United States, the Repub-
hean New York Press, thus edltoTia}ly-
alludes IN its issue OF Dec. 15, 1000:
THE SHIP SUBSIDY JoNAms.
The ''nlne gentlemen" Of the American line are
engaged IN an entirely legitimate business They
are carrying American mails, and they ought to
be paid 50 that they can carry them In American
Deutschlands and oceanics instead OF sticking to
little, slow, old Parises and New YoTks. They
should not be let Of again with the building
Of st. Pauls and 81. Louises, but compelled to
the construction OF vessels which the postofhca
would select with the sole eye whirh Il Is bound
Co have TO celebrity Of service. The increase Of the
mall subsidy Of 2l knot vessels when % znots ia the
typical speed Of the fast mailbost of'the day Is
farce, not 10 call IL anything harshnr, upon Its
face. But, whatever it is let the government deal
with IL separately upon It's merits and not mud
die II up with a measure designed to freight the
surplus products OF American EARNS, mines, for
ests and hctoriea' which these vesses--having no
cargo space for grain, coal, lumber and looomo-
uyes-neyer carry.
With this separation the bill would be- without
logical opposition In congress or the country,
and we fail to why tt should lose the votes Of
the many senators aud rspresentatly tlyes whom the
American line has been carrying 10 Europe and
back every for tina ast ten years In antici-
patton Of this particular ROLL call Il may be
true Of our government a. Hamilton said of the
English, that It cannot be worked without brib-
cry, but there is no reason why the measures and
men which require bribery should be mixed up
with those which Do not.
Just before the late Christmas vaca-
tion It was announced that arrange
ments had been made to take In all
recalcltrant shipping interests, and It
may therefore be expected that with
great flourish OF trumpets there viii
soon be announced amendments which,
It will be claimed, will so broaden the
scope of the bill as to make 1t truly
popular In views however, Of three
years experience with amendments to
this very bill. announced In just this
way, we may be entirely confident
that, so far as concerns the lions share
Of the subsidy provided for, 1t will not
be diverted from the pockets OF those
who devise this bill
1t may well be- indeed, that Dives
has Quleted Lazarus with a few cold
victuals and the n,tle dogs with q dis
tributlon Of bones, but that he has ac-
tually reformed and has either given
his goods TO the poor or stopped steal
ing their earnings Tor himself Is too
much to believe. The Hanna -Griscom
coteTie Is most decidedly mot made
that way" 1t will be easy at any mo-
ment by watching its attitude to know
the character OF the bill In whatever
shape 1t may be amended II II Is
really made such as mainly to benefit
the interests II processes to favor, II
will be practically without supporters,
except new ones. II the Hanna Girls
eom interests are still clamOrous In be-
half Of any amended bill, 1t will mean
that they who know best Just what viii
be its effect are still convinced that 1t is
IN the main for their personal benefit
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REPUBLICANS DENoUNcE SHIP SUB
SlOY BILL.
Senator Hanna seems TO be having