Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1902-05-02
sHovELIHG OUT Public MONEY.

Millions oi dullara--just how many
millions nobody has been able. or will.
ing to confess lire Ia be handel over to
= few rich ship owners by the Rrpubli.
to the government.
This ship subsidy hill il denounced
10y some of its Democratic opponents in
the Senate MS class Legislation.
That il mild characterization. II is
worse than class Legislation, worse thmn
gndp Legislation. IL liz ring legislation
ia plain steal Of public muncy for the
benefit of handful Of men whose only
real Claim TO the loot il thut they want
1t.
This raid on the treasury III made by
Senator Hanna and his accom- plices
under the pretcnse that its purpose il To
build up the American merchant
marine
Experience in "ur own and other
countries goes 10 show that the mer.
chant marine cannot De built up hy the
bounty system.
But even il be true that, with the
United Stntea trensury to draw on with
out limit, chips can be multiplied. why
should these ships be owned by private
personsY
IL the public is to pay for the ships,
why shouldn't the put,lic own then?
Mr.. Hanna will be horriiied ut the
suggestion. To his enlightened and
conservative mind. government. ow ned
merchant ships would mean -socialism.-
But il IL not socialism, III Mr.. liunnas
view. to buy ships with the peoples
And he il right. That Ifs not socinl.
ism. Ii is robbery.
There is every indication that in spite
OF the thorough exposure made OF thus
ship subsidy outrage 10y the Democratic
Senators, it will be passed Ivy the Re.
publican Congress.
Every wage.carner IN the United
States will be taxed to supply the mil
lions be-tosed under the bril upon such
deserving objects Of charity as J. Pier
pont Morgan.
The wage caIners II the United States
number about iiiscer million men,
women aud boys and girls Of ten vars
Of aye and over. fhrir average earn.
ings are eitO u year. and on the average
each wage.earner supports two depend
ents. That IL Ia cay, three persons must
live Oh s33 :ES Il month. AbOut u quar-.
ter OF the wOrkingman wages goes for
rent and about half FOR food and fuel.
That leaves him about SO $50 Il month for
clothing. medicine. recrention and a sav.
ings bank account.
Professor Robert +. Ely. secretary of
the League Tor Political Eduction, in
considering these hgnrcs. taken from
the federal oensuP. justly says that -ihe
terms OF our economic problem cannot
be solved 10y thrift nluno"-mcnninH tbat
the poor in the mass cannot lift them.
selvcs out ~ poverty by saving, since on
tho average 'hcy don't earn enough to
cnanie them 10 save any thing.
Aud yet thia Republican Congress,
led by Mr.. Hanna, who lately has bOcn
aiming 10 figure as IA specinl friend ot
the work .nglnRn. proposes tO take the
ecarcc pennies from the pockets Of the
working mon, women and children and
put them, TO the amount oi many mil.
lions OF dullnra, into tho pockets of a
few meE who arc IN tho transportation
business s--mcn for the most part already
enormously rich.
II Ia q Rchsme of pillagc at which tho
whole country would rise in indignant
astoniBhment had not Tho whole country
become used under the protective ays
tenn to seoina eveI IythinR taxed in order
TO enrich somebody. New York journal.