Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1914-12-08

of liberty as the source as we'll at
the expression OF. life, how bette
could we demontrate our own self
possession and steadfastness in tht
course of justice and disintereste1
ness than by thus going calmly for
ward to fulfill our promises to de,
pendent people, who will now lool
more anxiously than ever to see
whether we have indeed the liberalty
the unselhshness. the courage, the
faith we have boasted and professed
/ cannot believe that the senate will
let this great measure of constructive
Justice await the action of another
congress. Its passage would nobly
crown the record of these two years
Of memorable labors.
But | think you will agree with
me that this does not complete the
| toll of our duty How are we to car
ry Our goods to the empty markets of
which | have spoken if we have not
the ships? How are we to build up
great trade if we have not the con-
stant means of transportation On
which all profitable and useful con-
merce depends. And how are we to
get the ships if we wait for trade to
develop without them. To cover the
many mistakes by which we have all
but destroyed the merchant marine
Of the country, to trace the steps by
which we have. it seems almost lie
liberately, withdrawn our flag from
the seas. except where, here and
there, a ship of war is hidden carry
it or some wandering yacht displays
it, would take long time and involve
many detailed items of legislation
And the trade which we ought imme-
diately to handle would disappear o.
find other channels while we debated
the items
The case is not unlike that which
confronted us when our own CONT
nent was to be opened up to settle
ment and industry, and we needed
long lines of railways, exteded means
Of transportation prepared before
hand in which development was not
to lag intolerably and wait intermin-
ably. We lavishly subsidized the
building of trans-continental rail
roads. We look back upon that with
regret now. because the subsidies lei
to many scandals of which we are
ashamed; but we know that the rail-
roads had to be built, and if we had
1t to do over again we should If
way. Therefore, I propose another
way of providing the means of trans
portation which must precede, not
tardily follow, the development of
our trade with our neighbor states of
America. 1t may seem a reversal Of
the natural order of things, but it X
true, that the routes of trade must
actually be opened-by many ships
and regular sailings and moderate
streams of merchan-
disc will flow freely and proftably
through them
Hence the pending shipping bill,
discussed at the last session, but as
yet passed by neither house. In my
Judgment such legislation is impera-
lively needed and cannot wisely De
postponed. The government must
open these gates of trade and open
them wide; open them before it is
altogether profitable to open them,
or altogether reasonable to ask pri-
vate capital to open them at a ven
ture. 1t is not a question of the gov
ernment monopolizing the field. It
should take action to make it certain
that transportation at reasonable
rates will be promptly provided. even
where the carriage has become suffi-
ciently profitable to attract and en-
gage private capital, and engage il
in abundance, the government ought
to withdraw. | very earnestly hone
that the congress will be of this opin-
ion, and that both houses will adopt
this exceedingly important bill.
The great subject Of rural credits
still remains to be dealt with and I
is matter OF deep regret that the
difficulties of the subject have seem
ed to render it impossible to COM
plete a bill for passage at this ses-
sion. But it cannot be perfected yet,
and therefore there are no other con
structIve measures the necessity for
which | will at this time call your az
tention to; but | would be negligent
Of very manifest duty were | not To
call the attention of the senate to the
fact that the proposed convention for
safety at sea awaits its confirmation
and that the limit fixed in the conven-
ton for its continuance is the last
day of the present month. The con-
ference in which this convention orig
mated was called by the United
States; the representatives of the
United States played very inhue1-
tial part, indeed. in framing the pro-
visions of the proposed convention;
and these provisions are in them
selves for the most part admirable.
1t would hardly be consistent with
the part we have PLAYED in the whole