The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-08
PRESIDENT HARRISON AND SHIP
SUBSIDIES.

In his speech in support of his ship sub
sidy bill Senator Frye quoted President
Harrison as favoring the policy. He said:
president Harrison, whom [ regard as one
of the ablest Presidents this country ever
had-and he came from the middle West
said" Then followed quotation of some
length from President Harrison's annual
message of 1889 Senator Frye is deeply
interested in the success of his present
measure. and as he is, doubtless, fully
convinced of it's merits he is justified III
using every legitimate means to secure it's
passage. 1t seems hardly fair, however,
to quote from President Harrison's mess
age OF more than a dozen years back in
favor of the present bill Although Pres
ident Harrison was an ardent advocate of
the protection and promotion of American
interests he far too cautious and
scientious to give his approval in advance
to any and every measure processing TO
have that object in view. He was not a
man that allowed any person to commit
him to opinions measures that he did
not personally approve. The gist of the
argument in his message of 1SS9-and it
was strongly put--was that something
ought to be done to restore the prosperity
and ascendancy of our merchant marine
The nearest approach to a specific recon-
mendation was the following:
I recommend that such appropriations be
made for ocean mail service in American
steamships between our ports and those
OF Central and South America, China
Japan and the important islands in both
of the great oceans, will be literally
remunerative for the service rendered and
as will encourage the establishment and
in some fair degree. equalze the chances
or American steamship lines in the COM
petition which they must meet. We should
also make provision for a naval reserve to
consist of such merchant ships of Amer
lean construction and of a specified ton
mage and speed as the owners will consent
to place the use of the government in
case of war as armOred cruisers.
This recommendation related only to pro-
noting American steamship lines and mail
communication between our ports and
those of Central and South America, and
on the Pacific ocean. In another para
graph President Harrison spoke of the i'm
pOrtance of having further and more
beneficial intercourse with nations that
are now our neighbors upon the lines of
latitude. but not upon the lines of estab-
lished commercial intercourse" His argu-
ment was not for a general subsidy in
favor of American shipbuilding. or even
of any particular class of shipbuilding
but for the establishment of steamship
lines between the United States and Ger
tain specified countries, especially those of
Central and South America The Frye Dill
proposes to subsidize transatlantic, trans
pacific and miscellaneous mail steamship
lines to the amount of 81, 700, 352 a year for a
period of fifteen years and in addition to
this postal subsidy it proposes to pay a
general subsidy of one cent per ton on
every hundred miles sailed by ships COM
plying with the provisions of the bill. In
general scope and details the present bill
differs radically from anything ever
recommended or approved by President
Harrison that it is not fair to quote him
as favoring it.