Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-02-07

WASHINGTON, ~. C.-Ile auYOcaIeS
of the Hanna-Fr Payne ship subsidy
bill continue to retreat before the crit
les Of that measure.
When it was first presented to the
senate by Senator Hanna during the
first days of the now expiring congress,
they said that 1t was the result of
many months of study by the shipping
experts and the best law constructors
of the country, that it condensed into
n congressional bill lifetimes of study
upon the best means of building up the
merchant marine and that it was as
perfect as human brains could make it
and ready for passage without any
amateur legislative tlnkering.
This was when 1t carried an unlimlt.
ed appropriation. What it would have
done for the country in its thus per-
fected state the Lord only knows. Very
soon howl Of protest went up from
Dan to Beersheba against the "unlimit-
ed provisions" of The measure and an
amendment was accepted limiting the
appropriation to 100000 a year.
Ever since this time the elasticity Of
the bills perfection has been drawn
upon. Its advocates have yielded inch
by inch until the bill has quite a DIFF
ferent complexion from the unphoto-
graphable countenance that 1t at first
presented. But with all this carving
and splicing and remoldlng IT retains
its essential feature Of taking out Of
the pockets Of the whole people some
S200000,000 for the benefit Of a favored
few composed mainly Of the lifetime
experts who drew the bill.
The critics to whom its original pro-
motors have been yielding are all with
in the Republican party and among
those whose support has been counted
on from the beginning. If the supposed
friends Of the measure have brought
upon 1t the Disagreement that now np-
pears, what would it look like If i,s op-
ponents drove their criticisms through
it? Verify it would only be useful for
waste paper!
This constant rctrcatlgg Of the advo-
Gates Of the bin does not indicate that
ii Is measure founded on principle.
but that it - desire 10 pllfcr from the
treasury many millions for the benefit
Of private parties. None Of the changes
that have been made apply 60 the prIn-
ciplcs or purposes Of the bill, Those
originally provided for wanted TO trans
fer from the taxpayers money 20 their
pockets S0O0oOO0 year Finding that
they had oyCrreached themselves. they
have gradually let others into the I'd.
vide" Now all of those originally in
and those let IN and their various pot
swabbers ana bottle washers are de-
claring that the bill has been perfectly
adjusted to the needs Of the times and
that its passage IS only a matter Of
few days. In sending out this bugle
note Of victory they have forgotten Oh
the Democrats and all the Fopgllsts
who oppose this sort Of grab on prlnci-
pie. They hive also forgotten NUM-
Der Of Republicans who feel The anne
sort Of opposition They have forgot.
ten likewise the mi ralla1cous but over
active pie hunters who have not ~
been let into the divide" The result
OF this forgcttulnea win be the failure
Of the bill
There has been no lobby in Washing
ton opposing the ship subsidy bin but
there have been some very strong men
who have worked hard against this
measure as matter Of principle. Some
Of these men have been Rcpublf cans
and some Of them have had no counCc-
ytion, directly or indirectly with the
shipping business. They have been IN.
ltcnsely In ernest II Is largely due %
the fact that they have not worked
along the usual lobby lines that this
bill has not vet been passed ana IN all
probability VIII not be passed They
have absolutely stripped II Of its pre-
lenses and shown 10 the world that the
Standard on company, which controls
the Pennsylvania railroad company,
the International Navigation company
and the National Transit company.
would receive not less than $50 OOO.-
600 out Of the S9OC9OOOO provided for
within the next ten years and that It
would be very easy matter for com
bine to be formed by which they would
receive practically the whole subsidy.
Those who We're inclined TO favor the
bill as party measure are becoming
alarmed and are not willing that the
Republican party should shoulder the
responsibility for such a scheme.
There are many Republicans who do
not oppose Boss Hanna IN the caucuscs
or the steering committee meetings
who win still lend the weight Of their
influence to the postponement Of the
bill. These Republicans are still not
satisfied with the methods OF division
During the last days Of this rapidly
waning session they are getting all the
concessions that they can get They
know that they can now get many
more concessions than they could get
in long session. where there would be
the greater probability Of their being
driven into line by the party vhiD.
Having made these concessions IN this
congress, the favored few who at first
started out TO bag all the game con
hardly revert TO their first purpose
when the next congress conyenes. The
hope of the reasonably good Republic
ans is that in the next congress they
can pass a ship subsidy bin having In
It the elements of fairness to those en-
gagged in the shipbuidng and the ship