The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-03-12
VEST ARRAGNs SHIP SUBSIDY
A Strong and Unanswerable Ar
gument Against the Scheme.

h@Oti Uuy @dbu OuolloNCidUtO4 IL
gument Against the Scheme.
Washington, March lO.-For nearly
two hours today Mr. Vest Of Missouri
addressed the senate in opposition to
the pending ship subsidy bill. No
member Of the body has been accorded
more hatteringly close attention than
he received. Despite his evident
feebleness he spoke with force and FIRE
and at times became brilliantly elo-
quent. He carefully analyzed the
pending measure and marshaled his
aguments against it with cogency and
effect.
Mr. Tillman Of South Carolina fol-
lowed with brief speech in opposi
tion to the bill. He denounced the
policy of giving subsidies to anybody,
particularly to individuals and cor
porations engaged in the formation Of
shipping trusts. :s
The Missouri senator declared that
73 per ent.sof the proposed subsidy
which would be received by Ships on
the Atlantic would 20 to a single line
the International Navigation com
pany-the American line. 1t was in
this respect open to the same objec-
tion as the bill presented to the last
congress. The vessels would get the
subsidies whether they carried q SIN
gle postal card or rot.
He declared that The pending bill
provided for. a pure, naked and un
adulterated subsidy and said it was
defended on the ground that with thea
subsidy, the American merchant
marine could compete with the sub
sidized ships Of European powers
He denied emphatic y and distinct
ly'' that such would be the result
Of the bill's operation. England, he
asserted, had So per cent. Of the ocean
carrying trade Of the world, but he
denied that England paid subsidies to-
her vessels. Most Of England's ocean
commerce was carried by her tramp
steamers. They were to be found IN
every port and came into competi tlon
with each other, but not penny Of
subsidy was paid to any Of them. Z
In adverting briefly to the operation
of the Dingley tariff law, Mr. Vest
spoke of the lumber schedule.
Mr.. Hanna interrupted to inquire
how many Democratic senator's had
voted for a tax of S25a thousand feet
upon lumber when the Dingley bill
was before the senate.
Mr. Vest replied that he coQld not
tell. He did not, he knew. The
fact that any Democratic senator did
vote for it indicated only the force Of.
tariff combinations.
Mr. Tiillman Of South Carolina IN. IN.
terjected the remark that he had
voted for the 50 tax on lumber, al
though he knew st was steal, and
had SO stated at the time. He had
voted for it, however, because he pro-
posed oget out of the tariff bill a..
share for his State and that was the
only way South Carolina could get
anything.
Mr.. Vest cri ticised the joriity Of
the commerce committee for eEml-
mating from this bill the provision
which required a subsidized ship to-.
carry at leasts5 per cent. OF her cargo
capacity upon any voyage upon Wnlch ~ !:
she waste receive subsidy.
Mr.. Vest urged that If the ship
ping trusts were to be subsidized
there was no reason why the farming
industry and the mining industry,
too, should not be subsidized.
MT. Vest maintained that ships
could be built in this country as
cheaply as they would be- built sny-
where. The shipyardssof the sln5ted b
States never#were more fully employeds
than they now were and had been for
several years.
He made an attack upon the navtga-
ton laws Of the United States, declar-
ing that they were responsible for the
decline Of the merchant marine. Ehes
remedy was to sabrogate theenavlgatlon
laws and permit citizens Of the United
States to buy their ships where they
could buy them cheapest:
Mr.. Vest said if this subsidy isss.
given it will be but the beginning Of.
the end and will result in q amonopoly
equal to that Of the Standard OH
company 5:s..s