The independent-reporter., 1909-12-09
Republican Big Talk

It must be admitted that the Joy
Of opening the Panama canal Is go
ing to be dimmed unless fleet or
American and American
manned merchant ships can be sent
through 1t at the start.-Denver Re-
publican.
Now is the time to get 1t. Congress
meets within a few weeks and snip
subsidies will solve the problem
Kennebec Journal.
It would be more profitable to the
American people to fill up the Canal
and abandon 1t than to hire people TO
make use of it.-Lewiston Sun.
Encouraging the establishment OF
merchant marine which will contrib
nte to our prosperity in peace and to
the national defence in war, does not
constitute hiring people to make use
OF the Panama canal, even though
ships brought under American regis
try by means of the subsidies be
part OF the pageant incident to the
oficial opening of that great work
Ship subsidies are logically part
OF any protective system and their
adoption by this nation committed as
Il IL by repeated, overwhelming popu-
lar majorities to protective policy,
have been developed too long. Every
election of president of the United
States during the present generation
has been In effect, popular referen-
dunn az to the principle Of protection
We say that the results Of those cleo
tions were the affirmation of the peo-
ple Of their belief that the principle
OF protection is right. II 1t Is right
Mt all, 1t Is right as applied to the
transportation OF our products across
the seas.
Maine is not the only state to suf-
fer through the decline of our mer-
chant marine. Every state on the
Atlantic and Pacific seaboards Is di-
( rectly affected. Every other state in
the Union suffers indirectly. 1t is not
. case where one section Of the coun-
try contributes to the prosperity Of
another section to the detriment of
itself. 1t is a case where wise ex
penditure of money will rebound to
the prosperity of every citizen wher-
ever he lives.
Maine Joins hands with Oregon and
and all the states between should
Washington In demanding this reform
support them. Here and there will be
found men who cannot see the adyan-
tage Of spending dollar to get two
There have always been such men and
they will always be found industri'
ously opposing anything and every
thing that makes for the progress and
prosperity Of themselves, their neigh
bors and the community in which
they live-Kennebec Journal.
Oh. we'll. this sounds all right, but
can the Journal prove all that 1t
claims for the shipping subsidies? We
doubt It, This shipping subsidies
business is big proposition and 1t
will not be swallowed In the lump as
the organ of Congressman Burleigh
would have the American Congress
do. The advocates of subsidies have
much to prove for It before the Am
erican people are convinced that sub
sidixation is the only effective way to
build up our merchant marine.
Just what does the Journal have In
mind in the way of subsidy? What
system does 1t 30 glibberingly advo-
cate? Does Congressman Burleigh
maintain that the kind of subsidy ad-
vocated In the Journals editorial
would build up our shipping interests,
put men at employment in our ship
yards. and place the American flag on
ships carrying the trade Of the world?
II our Congressman does mean that
shipping subsidies will build up our
shipp.ng interests acre IN .ta.ne. Will
the Congressman undertake to say
Just how 1t Is to be done? Let the