Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-05-06
Hon. John S. Hyde on Canal Tolls.

j. McGillicuddy by the anti-Republiean
press, as part of which l regret to see
the Lewiston Journal SO conspicuous
My letter has been used in support OF
the repeal of the remission of Panama
Canal tolls to American vessels engaged
in the eoastwise trade. am quoted as
in favor of such repeal and it Is made to
appear that 1 am in controversy with the
chairman of the Republican State con-
vention and my own party.
l am at loss to understand why, for
my letter expresses only my views of the
effect ON our shipping and shipbuilding
and purposely omits expression on the
question itself. My letter distinctly
states that if tolls are not assessed
lower freight rates will obtain and this
obviously will be of great benefit to the
country as whole and to us in Maine.
My reason for writing Mr. McGillicuddy
is as follows:
1t has been stated in the papers that
the shipping trust would benefit by
toll remission and not the people. In fact
statements to that effect have been made
on the floor of Congress by iil-informed
and loose-speaking members. There is
no shipping trust, as there is no money
trust, except in the minds of the unin-
formed and unthinking. To such minds
possession of means and any attempt tic
do business on a considerable scale are
prima facie evidence of <crookedness
somewhere, and when any legislation at
fecting business is under discussion
someone must be pointed out and held
up to seorn as unduly profiting in some
mysterious way thereby. Such charges
are always made as a matter of course,
even if every law of economics has to be
set at naught in making the necessary
villainy plausible
My father and both my grandfathers
were identified with shipping. l have
heard it discussed all my life I know its
history-of its struggles to keep alive in
spite of Congressional neglect and a slow
and steady weakening. To this industry
l must look. as a shipbuilder, for my
orders. | was naturally incensed that il
was falsely picked as the goat" in the
search for the essential villain behind re-
mission of tolls. l felt that Mr.. McGilli-
cuddy had a proper interest in what af-
urally think that vessels would benefit
by free tolls. l knew that the President
having made repeal of the Free Tolls
Democratic Doctrine by his message, Mr..
McGillieuddy must necessarily follow his
party even though the party action be
contrary to the interests of his District
and State or have little influence with
his party. / felt it the fair thing to write
him frankly that the particular inter
est in which l am engaged. and shippi4g
is a very important industry in his dis.
trict, would not in my Judgment be af-
fected. This l would want any of my
constituents to do were | in Congress-
was careful to state none of my own
views on the general question. If we
send a gentleman to represent us in
Congress of a party whose doctrine Is
contrary to our best interests, we cannot
hold him responsible if he follows his
party leaders and party doctrine. The
blame, if blame there be, is ours for
sending him there, not his for being con
sistent, as / for one would certainly ex-
pect him to be.
One begins to wonder If the world in It's
treatment of this country is not trying
to put itself in the same position our owr
Government is taking towards business
There seems to me to be a parallel il
this. In the Government regulation of al
business, in the many national and state
laws regulating rates, in the many law.
both state and national expressing legiti
mate bushes, the Government practically
says to the business man and to the
thousands of stockholders in transporta.
ton and public service lines of endeavor
You have put your money into this
business. you take all the risk and re.
sponsibility, but ownership gives you nc
rights we are bound to respect You
must operate your business as we. the
people, tell you to-" Is not England say.
ing to us practically the same thing,
you, the United States. have put your
money into this canal. You take all the
risk and responsibility but ownership
gives you no rights we are bound to re.
speet and you must operate your cana
as we, the world. tell you to"
The remission of tolls was never de.
signed to be a real benefit to ships The
Democratic party was never guilty OF
such action. Properly conducted it ought
to make freight charges between easl
and west coast ports lower, to the bene.
fit of the consumer, and make it doubly
impossible for the railroads to compete
in transcontinental business. If oul
Democratic Congress had not, in it's de.
sire to please the railroad baiters, barred
the use of the canal absolutely to vessels
owned in whole or in part by railroads
the shipyards of this country would be-
ringing at this moment with industry, fol
what is more natural and proper as ar
economic proposition than that these al.
ready in the transportation business
should enter any new field of endeavor ii
their line of work, particularly as they
bear with others their share of the cost
of the canal
I cannot see why 1t is not just as much
class legislation to bar any class from
participation as it is to give any class
a disproportionate benefit.
Very truly yours,
- JOHN S. HYDE.