Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-12-27
THAT SHIP SUBSIDY
GOMPERS and BRYAN TAKE A
WHACK AT scheme
president of Labor Federation Makes
Serious Charges Against Coterie
Pushing the Measure. BRYAN Calls
Down Secretary Root, and Protests
Against Doctrine of Capitalization

WASHINGTON, -. w., Dec. 24-AImOst
coincident with the announcement that
President Roosevelt is preparing a mes
sage to congrese in advocacy of the ship
subsidy bill. comes the charge from
President Gompers. OF the American
Federation OF Labor, that the promoters
OF the ship subsidy legislation, "form a
corrupt gang" and that they have been
guilty OF forgery, deception and bribery
In making this declaration in the current
issue of the American Federationist,
President Gompers presents documents
from E. 7. Glynn, general organizer of
Ohio, to prove that a man from the
Rockefeller building in Cleveland con-
Quoted the operations that resulted in the
sending out to organized labor of letter
in the name OF the Marine Trades coun-
Gil OF New York endorsing the pending
measure and invoking influence to secure
its passage.
President Gompers explains that it
was true that the letter cent by persons
favoring this legislation was recently
presented to the house Of representatives
by Speaker Cannon, much to the open
amusement OF the members, who know
OF organized labor's charges that the
letterhead on which the appeal was
printed is a counterfeit, the name OF the
secretary forged, and the subject matter
was never authorized by the organization
"In all our country" continues Com
pers, ''there is not more corrupt gang
than the well-known coterie engaged in
the scheme to promote ship subsidy
legislation. tits their business to conduct
news bureaus 40 that every ingenious
argument which can be invented may
reach the public, to create a popular
sentiment in favor Of the scheme; to
hide its iniquitous features-iniquitous
not only as to the subsidy itself-but also
to hide the efforts to establish by false
pretense the un-American proposition
OF conscription in the navy service, as a
condition precedent to employment on
privately owned vessels. Trying to buy
men is their regular business nothing is
too mean or contemplate for the promo.
ters' to stoop to, if it only seems to give
their scheme the appearance OF success. :"
W. BRYAN
Commenting on Secretary Roots re-
cent speech, w. j. Bryan says: "Mr.
Root seems to rest his argument upon
the old idea OF destiny-the refuge of a
man who wants to do thing lie cannot
defend. The destiny argument carried
us into our expensive experiment in i'm
perialism, and now destiny is relied up.
on to obliterate the states and centralize
all government at Washington. The
constitution, while made more than a
century ago, is adequate for today. The
changes that are needed are changes OF
method, not of principle. The division
of the powers of government was found.
ed upon the doctrine OF self government
and the preservation OF the nation de-
pends upon the careful observance OF the
limitations between the things that are
local and the things that are national.
Those who do not recognize the doctrine
OF local self government can make an
argument in favor Of the transfer of all
power to the federal government, but
those who believe in the doctrine of SELF
government, recognize that the people
can be trusted best with that with which
they ATE best acquainted and that the
people are best acquainted with the
things which are near them and con :
cern them"