Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-07-20
The Remedy,


Having placed our merchant marine
IN the process Of ultimate extinction
b. sxtortionate tariff taxes, they come
now and propose to cure the evil they
have done by voting an enormous ship
subsidy which will necessitate another
tax upon every man, woman and
child betwixt the two oceans. This
new tar is to be levied, suppose, on
ths principle that the hair Of the dog
- good for the bite. But because the
word Subsidy" has come to have a
sinister meaning to American ears the
proponents Of this measure now seek
to allay public fears and to sugar
coat this bitter pill by giving 1t the
more melliduous name Of "subyention."
shakespeare says:
What's in name? That which we call
rose
~ any other name would smell as sweet
So In this case 'subvention" smells
a. rank as subsidy" Whichever word
u used. It's bold proposition to tax
MI the people for the benefit Of spe-
cial interest.
Every patriotic person desires to see
our merchant marine rehabilitated. Let
Us inquire briefly then as to how it
was brought to its present woeful
plight and how to rescue 1t.
The first cause of Its decline is our
antiquated, unjust and unwise system
Of navigation laws, which prevent
Americans practically from buying for
eign built ships and sailing them I'M
der the American flag and which make
a seafaring life repulsive to the youth
Of our land.
Secondly, the exorbitant rates Of the
Dinglsy bill enable our manufacturers
to sell American structural steel and
iron used in construction Of ships so
much lower to foreign shipbuilders
than they sell to our own shipbuilders
that our shipbuilders cannot compete
successfully with foreign shipbuiiders.
There Is no sort Of sense in any man
denying that this 10 done, for the proof
u positive and overwhelming.
Therefore the remedy ID clear. Mod
~ the navigation laws 80 that Amer
leans eau on reasonable conditions buy
foreign ships, place them on the Amer
ican register and dy the American
Tag; modify them 30 that American
boys will once more take to the sea,
and modify the tariff schedules so that
American manufacturers can no longer
put American shipbuilders at great
disadvantage By selling structural steel
and lion lower to foreign shipbuilders
taAn to American shipbuilders.
Jeffsrson's Idea.
In addition to these, IL these should
fail TO resurrect our merchant marine
lev discriminating tariff duties II
their favor by providing that the tariff
on imports In American bottoms shall
b 10 or is per cent lower than the
full Dingley rates, which shall be levied
On Imports in foreign bottoms. This
y the old Jefferson practice which
made our merchant marine one of the
saories of the republic. What that pol
icy accomplished once 1t can accom-
plish again and that, too, without cost
ing the taxpayers Of America rel
cent. Why not do IT. Why not2 Tha
the ship subsidy or ship subvention bill
cannot be rammed through congress
seems to be reasonably certain. Som,
such bill has been before six Republic
an congresses. Sometimes 1t has pass
ID the senate, sometimes the house
but never house and senate In thu
same congress. In this congress Gen
eral Grosvenor, chairman, has not best
able to even secure report from hi,
e9mmittee. Indeed 1t is whispered
nat Mr.. Speaker Cannon does no
Intend that 1t shall be reported o.
passed. If hat IS true the JIG. tg vi