Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-17
ALLISON SEES THE DANGER.

ALLISON SEES The DANGER.
Senator Allison with his usual wis
dom has suggested the greatest danger
contained in the ship subsidy measure,
2 it's political danger. In speech sug-
costing some amendments he said that
bill in the matter of amount of subsidy
to be paid he had no doubt that by next
October election time) the public
would be told that the amount would
reach 100000 Even if the subsidy
scheme should prove as great boon to
American shipbuilding interests as its
earnest advocates claim it will the
measure is legislation of a character
that can be used most advantageously
by the opposition in political cam
paign. Wise or unwise in statesman
ship the ship subsidy bill is dangerous
to the republican party politically and
seeing this danger Senator Allison
wants it safeguarded by limitations
Any subsidy law or protective tariff
is class legislation in its immediate eff
feet for it is purposely designed TO aid
some certain class of American indus
trial enterprise. But statesmen who
have supported protective tariffs and
who are supporting ship subsidies hope
and claim that in building up an Amer
Jean industry they are producing mar
ket for American labor and thereby
benefitting the entire nation. The coun
try has seen the correctness of their
theories in the aggregate results of pro-
tective tariffs and the only question
raised against the ship subsidy bill is,
will it do what is claimed for 1t? VIII
1t build up an American merchant ma
rine or simply multiply the fortunes of
a few American millionaires? The very
presence of this danger gives to artful
campaigners of the opposition the OPP
porttunity to strengthen their specious
arguments and to claim with some /
plausibility that the republican party |
has legislated millions from the public
treasury into the pockets of individuals
The Chicago Tribune. which has been
opposing the ship subsidy bill, appears
Sunday with a loud editorial branding
the measure as one in the interests of
the Pennsylvania Railway Company,
and follows with a rather weak argu-
ment intended to shcw that said rail-
way has been debating republican APP
pointments in the postoffice depart
ment. The Tribune may be right as to
the subsidy, altho it will hardly be be-
lieved as to the appointments. In any
event it's attitude demonstrates the po-
litical danger said subsidy measure
contains. The bills leading champion
and virtual author is Senator Frye. of
Maine. who is unquestionably working
I'm the interests of Maine and New Eng
land shipbuilding interests. He has
convinced an apparent majority of re-
publican senator's that his bill will build
UP an American merchant marine and
encourage the building of ships in this
country. In view of his success we must
admit that the bill has some merit, for
none but a demagogue will claim that
all United States senators, or even a
majority of them, are scalawags. How
ever, the Times Republican seriously
questions whether the shipbuilding in
dustry Of this country really needs the
subsidy, and can see great danger Of
the bill being manipulated in favor of
individual corporations as well as great
political danger to the republican par
ty in passing such measure. The poll
icy of encouraging beet sugar culture
by state bounties, American manufac- +,
turing by protective tariffs, railway ]
building by county taxes or ship build
ing by subsidies, is the same policy in
each case, but, while it is not wrong in
principle, it is at best a dangerous one ,
and should be adopted with extreme !
care. The pro bono publico element \
should be not only guaranteed as para I
mount but it should be so apparent on s
The face of the bill as to be unnistaka- I
Bile. I