Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-03-26
YHESUBSIDYSCHEME
WHY This HUGE GRAFT IS Being
PUSHED now.
Its Boosters Are Taking Advantage
of the Fact That the Public Mind
Is Now SO Occupied With Railroad
Rate Regulation That it will be
UnnOtiCed.

A reader OF The Commoner asks: "Can
you explain why republican leaders push
the ship subsidy scheme at this time,
when public sentiment has become
aroused against measures of that kind,
and is awakened to the importance O
anti-monopoly legislation? Why did
they not try to carry the ship subsidy
through at IA former session and before
the railway legislation agitation reached
its present stage?"
The very fact that public attention is
centered upon railway legislation had
something to do with the selection OF
this day for pushing the ship subsidy.
SO much attention has been given rail.
way rate legislation that the general pub
lie seemed to have lost interest in the
ship subsidy question. Many repubi.
cans have advocated and voted for rail.
way rate legislation whose hearts were
not in their speech and vote, and whose
actions were cont'o!led by the strong
popular sentiment in favor of that legis.
lation. Many OF these gentlemen are
foremost in advocating the ship subsidy,
and according to Washington dispatches
they have the support of Mr.. Roosevelt.
This is an opportune moment for ship
subsidy or any other scheme that has
not recently attracted public attention,
and the leading champions Of the ship
subsidy understand this fact. They have
already pushed their measure through
the senate and some Washington cores.
pondents say there is excellent prospect
for its passage through the house. Re-
publican leaders seem to be united on
the measure, although it has repeatedly
been denounced by republican news
papers and by republicans distinguished
in the service of their country and their
party. &
But now that the people are "not look
ing" particularly on the chip subsidy
scheme, now that their attention has
been attracted IN another direction, this
is the time for the ship subsidy schem ers
to strike blow, and they move hope
fully because they have the support of
Mr.. Roosevelt and most of the repbuican
leaders who have stood with MIR. Roose.
veC for railway rate legislation.
| In 1902 an effort was made to pass the
/ ship subsidy, but the people were "look.
ing" at that time and the Washington
correspondent for the st. Louis Globe.
( Democrat wired his paper that call hope
of ship subsidy legsl ,tion at the present
session Of congress as been practically
Abandoned" This correspondent said
that the farmers OF the west had sudden.
ly been aroused to deep concern in the
measure. and he added:
"farIners' alliances, grange organiza'
tions and individual farmers from all
over the western portion of the country
are sending letters and resolutions to
members OF congress in opposition to the
bill. So general has this movement be.
come, and so similar are the arguments
AMI resolutions presented, that friends
OF the subsidy legislation are convinced
that there is more than coincidence in
the simultaneous protests that are COM
ing from farmers OF twenty states. The
effect OF these protests is being manifest
ed in an anxiety on the part of the west
ern members to have the bill remain in
the committee during the rest of the
session."
Efforts to pass the bill at that session
were, therefore, abandoned. 1t is plain
that the ship subsidy schemers are de.
termined to make desperate effort to
pnsh the measure through the house at
this session, and men who, regardless of
political prejudice, have supported Mr..
Roosevelt in the matter Of railway rate
legislation will regret to learn that this
obnoxious measure has his unqualified
upport.-Bryan Commoner.