Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-06-12
TILLMAN ON TOLLS REPEAL
Senior Senator vigorously CFltlCizGS
the President.
SAYS WILSON MAY DISRUPT PARTY.

SAYS WlLSUN MAI Dl0hUfl rAhll
Remarkable Speech Characteristic o'
the Man, Talking One Way and Vot'
ing Another-Admits Jobs Put Up Or
McLaurin, and Confesses That This
Same Job Has Tied His Own Hands
But Still Declines to Admit His
Fault.
Senator Tillman made a great speech
i'm the senate last Wednesday, against
the repeal of the Panama Tolls EXemp
ton Law, and declared in that speech
that he would vote for repeal because
Of the recent declaration of the Demo
cratic convention. He is still unable to
see how McLaurin could have been
honest in 1902: but Gf course has no
doubt Of his own honesty now. The
full text of the characteristic speech
is as follows:
Mr.. President: In considering the
question of tolls, there are many as
poets. some of them startling and al
most ludicrous. The Democratic
platform declares, We favor eXemp-
ton from tolls Of American shlps'
etc. This is plain, explicit, and easily
understood. The act for opening,
maintenance, protection and operation
of the Panama canal. and sanitation
and government of the canal zone,
approved August "a, 1912, has this
provision: No tolls shall be levied
upon ships engaged in the coastwise
trade of the United States
This enactment simply makes in
to law what the party had demanded
ot Baltimore and the Democrats who
voted for it thought they were fol-
lowing the platform OF the party
The bill we are considering repeats
this provision absolutely, ana the
president asks US to pass II on the
ground that it is Il subsidy, and there
fore contrary to timc-honored Demo
cratic principles. He said that II
constitutes a mistaken economic pol
icy from every point of view the
party has grown old in opposing sub
sides. From its very origin II mas
been against such a policy. In q
speech in New Jersey, which has been
often quoted and thrown in our teeth,
the president explained the OBJECT OF
this plank and endorsed 1t fully-not
only endorsed it, but praised it Tor
the. service it would render the farm
ers of the country In that same
speech, the president also SAID: 'out
platform is not molasses to eaten
be hard to make the average voter
understand the contradiction ano
seeming betrayal of the people in not
carrying out our pledges. Democrat
ic candidates in the next election Will
be kept busy exr' lining and apologlz-
ing, which is very uncomfortable tC
have to do.
As to Merchant Marine.
1.-The plank in the platform about
merchant marine reads as follows:
1--WE believe in fostering, by con-
stitutional regulation of commerce,
the growth of a merchant marine.
which shall develop and strengthen
the commercial ties which bind us to
our sister republics of the south, but
without imposing additional burdens
upon the people, and without boun-
ties or subsidies from the pubic
treasury
This language, too, is plain and
explicit; but to some minds, why the
ideas are inconsistent and destroy
each other is hard to see. We alone
built the canal and have spent four
hundred millions of dollars in its con-
struction. and many people feel that
our country ought to get all the ben
eft possible from it for its citizens
We have spent hundreds of millions
on other improvements to canals, rlV-
ers and harbors for the public well
fare, and they are free to all the
world. Why should we levy tolls on
this one only? The canal, broadly
speaking. is merely an extension of
our cuastline by joining the two
oceans together Why exact tolls
from our citizens for passing through
it then? The only argument why
American ships going through the
canal should pay tolls like ships OF
other nations, is either because of our
treaty obligations or because all the
people cannot enjoy the benefit alike.
In the very nature of things. all the
people in the United States cannot
enjoy the same privileges in regard
to the canal as those owning ships do.
1t was Il natural enterprise under
taken primarily on account OF the
United States navy. The lesson pre-
scnted by the long and dangerous
voyage of the Oregon from our west
ern coast around Cape Horn during
the Spanish American war, only ar
riVing Just in time to participate in
the battle of Santiago, had much to
do with hurrying up the construction
of the canal. 1t required the united
efforts of all the people of our coun-
try to furnish the money to carry TINS
gigantic work to q success. But for
its national Importance. it would not
have been undertaken by the govern
ment alone. The upkeep of the canal
will require Il deal of money, to say
nothing of guarding it. 1t will be
many years before money received
from tolls will come near equaling
the EXPENSES to maintain the canal
and provide II sinking fund. Whether
the remission of tolls would be Il
subsidy or not is not worth while to
argue. If we remit the toll entirely
to our coastwiSc ships. those owning
them would get the benefit of the ma
tiun's bounty and have the enjoyment
of special favOrS. which in the very
nature of things all the people can
not have. This is the policy of Re-
publican protection. and the Democ-