The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-28
THE PRESIDENTS VICTORY

T HE PRESIDENT is notorious T in the pre- liminary votes relating to the eonsid eraiion of the Panama tolls issue.
 He will probably be victorious when the vote is taken upon the main question.
 Upon one side is the ship trust
 Upon the other side is the progressive democracy. the president and the American The ship. trtlst was aided by Champ Clark Hearst and Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald means Tam many,
 Clark dug tip the hatchet which he buried at Baltimore He remembers the defeat he sustained there. when he was defeated by Vii son for the nomination for president Clark las injured himse If more than he has injured the Nresident and more than he has injured tue Democratic party
 All governments are founded upon the faith Of contract.
 This country has contracted to open the canal upon equal terms sall nations. The na tion is honor bound to keepaits contract.
 But, suppose there were no contraet Why should coastvise ships pass through the canal free2
 The ship trust has 10 more moral right to the canal free than # has to use the post office free
 There are certain services that are given free to all the American people.
 There are certain services for which the. American people must pay, each having the same right as the other.
 
 the American people are required to pay while. another part get itgfree. sszl
 John Smith sends letter for the same price as John Jones, and either sends his let ter for the same price per letter as somebody who sends hundreds of thousands of letters
 There are some things which nations grant to the citizens of every other nation upon the same terms as they grsnt-fo their own. The use Of the mails is case point.
 An Englishman can use the American mails upon the same terms as American. The nation has made q treaty, saying that the same shall be true of canals That treaty should be kept.
 But if there were no treaty it would be inexpedient to subsidize native ships to gain an advantage over foreign ships, It would be at least as injurious to the United States if every other nation owning canals should dis crinlinate against it, as it would to those other nations if the United States should discrim- mate against them.
 There never was but one argument in fa- yor Of free tolls for American ships, that was worthyof even passing attention This is the argument that ships would be better. able to compete with the railroads.
 If this Is something that should be brought about there is nothing whatever in MT. Will sorrs action that will prevent
 if it is WORTH WHILE to subsidize Amer jean ships to enable them to compete with DIRECT SUBSIDY.
 It is easy for the government to grant tIat ships equal fo the tolls they pay.
 But if competition by water is not worth direct subsidy. then if is not worth an ndiree subsidy, which free tolls would be.
 Why should the United States subsidzt ships to enable competition with railroad. that is not inherent in the ship business2
 The nation has it in it's power to fix tn. rates which railroads may charge. It is using that power. and It is all the power that is need ed to obtain equity for the people.
 An argument to SUBSIDIZE RAILROADS 10 enable them to compete more advantage ousy with ships has as much to recommen' it as an argument to SJJBSIDTZE SHIPS to en able them to compete more effectively witt railroads
 The Panama canal question, aside iron the duty of contract obligation, is not q frs class question It has been made to appea more important than it is by the efforts of clas newspapers, by the energy of the ship trus and by the hatreds that an honest presiden has stirred in the bosom of his enemies.
 PROGREssIvEs SLIP IN SOUTH DAKOTA.