The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-13

cuuai earncstn.ss opposed the bounty
sN"n indirectly through a protec,iy,
,, mas denounced as unconstitu-
tionai the voting OF the peoples money
INTO the pockets Of a few who can secur,
tne ear or the legislator. Having grounded
user upon q principle. II could follow tina,
principle wherever II applied and by its
steadfastness to that principle IL has
converted nation.
Question Of Precedent.
suppose IL now turns It's back UNION
tnat principle and embarks upon tho sinh
sidizinS OF few vessels where can I,
oraw tNe line? VIII not the precedent once
established make II difficult for the party
70 oppose each new application of the
principle which will be demanded
III we are to give bounties to coast.
wise vessels for one reason, we will hs
asked TO give bounties to some other
corporations FOR reasons equally as good
ana the party's power 10 protect the public
treasury Will be paraiyzed.
IT must be remembered. too. tina. our
soastwise vessels are largely controlled
by a monopoly"
Here Secretary Bryan quoted from IN.
alexander report on this subject in sup.
port of his contention
The Secretary continues:
me law prohibits the use Of the cana,
oy vessels when owned by railroads with
which the vessels would compete, bur the
.eport SHOWS now these vessel owners
nave dealt with the public in the past
THE advocates OF free tolls argue tho,
the subsidies voted to ships I'm the coast
wise trade will come back to the puhIi,
through decreased freight rates on the
transcontinental lines.
This is the same old protectionist ar
sumeht. rms reduction il improbable be-
cause me water rate is so much below
thc freight rate that the reduction M
*l2b a ton subtracted from the water
rate viii not compel a reduction. a. a
matter OF fact. in the transcontinen,al
rate.
But even II II could be shown that
free tolls would reduce transcoutinen,,l
rates II should be remembered that those
rates. IL excessive. can be reduced nv
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Why should We disturb our foreign rela-
lions In order to do at the Isthmus what
we can do directly by regulation?
When the student of this subject un-
derstands that the Republican party is
the friend OF bounties and that the Demo-
cratic party Is the inyeterate foe of
boun les. he will understand why four
ffths Of the Republicans in Congress
voted against the repeal OF the bounties.
while four-ffths OF the Democrats in
Congress Joined the President in favor
ing the repeal OF the law granting boun-
ties
support of the President.
The Presidents right to expect the
support OF Congress when he deals with
foreign nations is SO strongly presented
In Congressman Palmer's speech (which
appears on another page) that the subject
need not be elaborated here.
The Chief Executive speaks FOR the
nation in international affairs and II is
only fair 10 assume that he speaks ad-
visedly when he declares that intercourse
with other nations is seriously embar-
raised by the free tolls law which he
seeks to repeal.
THE Democrats and Republicans who
responded TO his appeal will md II easy
to defend their course; the burden OF
proof will be on those OF either party who
rejected his advice.
Even II the Democratic party were
willing TO he guilty OF apostacy TO its
principles, even n IL were convinced tina,
the Republicans had been right in favor
ing subsidies and the Democratic party
wrong In opposing them, how much would
II he willing to pay In national prestige
and In world influence for the privilege
of following At the tail end OF the Repub-
lean procession on this subject
I'VE occupy to-day proud position
among the nations; we are the foremost
advocate or peace and arbitration We
are becoming more and more a moral fac
tor throughout the world. Can We afford
to surrender this POSITION Can We afford
10 belittle the great enterprise which has
reached Its contamination at the Isthmus ="
"If our nation desires to he measured by
Intellectual and ethical standa rds how un-
worthy to brag of our strength and to
threaten to use that strength. We are
ready to fight does not arouse the en-
thuslasm now that II did a few centuries
ago.
"Brnte force ~ not the level upon which
this nation settles Its controversies to-
day, the question II not hat We can do,
but what we ought TO do.
The path Of history Is strewn with the
wreck of nations that boosted that they
were all powerful they went down under
Jehovah's inexorable law and the God
who ruled over Babylon is the God who IL
ruling yet
This question must he decided on
moral principles and not by the counting
OF our regiments and hattleships. What
shall 1t profit a nation II II cunduers the
whole world and loses its faith in the
doctrine that righteousness cxalteth n
nation ="