The Washington times., 1915-01-10
Snip PURCHASE BILL
I FACES HARD FIGHT
Senator vardaman Of Mississip.
: !, pi'Makes Statement DecIar.
ing Measure Dishonest.

Hard fighting Is ahead on the Admin
tstration ship purchase bill. The bill Is
opposed by some Senators who arc hos
tile to the principle Of Government
ownership. 1t Is opposed by others who
are for Government ownership. but ie-
gard the pending bill as full Of jokers
and making 1t possible to unload a lot
Of vessels OF private interests on Uncle
Sam. One fight, therefore, will be di-
rected toward killing the DILL and the
other toward amending 1t. =.
senator Vardaman, one Of the Demo.
Gratis who Is against the bill, has issued
. statement In which he calls 1t dishon-
est. His statement, in part, follows:
II am opposed to this bill because l
believe 1t 10 the most indefensiblc form
those peculiarly dishonest measures
which will keep the word Of promise
g the ear and break 1t to the hope,
IT ts vtolauve Of every tradition ana
platform declaration of the Democratic
party The scheme. as interpreted by
the President. Is mistake IN policy
wrong In morals. pernicious In principle.
and. therefore. will be disappointing In
its ultimate results.
, Is Without Excuse.
''if the Government ownership and
lines Is to become a permanent policy
there might be some little excuse or
justification for this measure; but when
We are told by the President that 1t 10
only q temporary makeshift-and who
will question the authority Of the Pres
1dent to speak In this matter?-it
leaves 1t without excuse OF justif!ca-
ton.
1T is a peculiar character of mind
which reasons to a conclusion and JUS
titles the appropriation and expenditure
Of funds contributed by all the people
to an enterprise Of this character.
and Improbable investment. from tho
start. Congress has just as much right
to donate funds from the public treas
ury to the cotton growers Of the South,
have lost by the. depreciation Of the
product of their farms something like
$45o.OoO. ooO this year: Congress has Just
srower. Of louisiana. the beet growers
Of the Northwest. and the manufactur.
ers Of the Northeast as 1t has to appro-
pirate money to buy ships to carry the
kets at the cost Of all the taxpayers.
The cotton growers Of the South pro-
POSED to give the Government unques-
toned security for the loan Of $2S0o00.-
a loss Of 500. .oSS, ss ,Sco, but the Congress.
headed by the President, turned q deaf
ear to their appeal.
If their. demand was without merits
this s measure re- is s right? / T am opposed
to this bill because 1t Is class legisla-
tion. pernicious in its conception, and
necessarily unjust In its execution.
On Sound Principles.
'Our merchant marine must be built
Up by the free exercise and operation Of
economic laws and sound business prin-
ciples. The Government Of the United
States has. the power to put ykhs forces
in motion which will build up q pros
porous and adequate merchant marine.
Of economics in governmental matters.
do not think 1t is fair to take the
money from the pocket Of the wealth
producers OF this country and donate It
cannot be justified by. any. other rule
than that Of the rule of might It can
not be defended upon any other theory
than that might Is right. The conten-
tion that the ships be bought under the
transportation of cotton grown In the
South to the foreign markets Is not the
proper substitute to fool anybody.
There Is no scarcity of ships. II the
seas shall be rid Of the mines. and the
obstacles brought about by the war
shall be removed, there are plenty OF
ships to carry all our products to the
foreign markets. The suggestion that
the Government Of the United States
will send its. s.ips to places where rri-
vately owned ships flying the American
flag will not go, Is absurd.
Would Make Ships Careful.
."As a matter Of fact, government
owned ships will be more careful not to
violate the laws of neutrality. They
will be more careful to avoid every pos.
sible complication with the belligerent
powers Of Europe than will ships owned
by private indlviduals.
"But there is one thing that would
happen. I am quite sure, A lot Of un.
floating idly in the ports of this country
in order to hide from the gunboats OF
hostile nations would be unfoaded upon
the Government of the United States Al
O good profit. And am sure that after
the war Is over. and especially after the
people of the United States shall have
had an opportunity 10 pass Judgment
upon this proposed bill that these same
ships will be resold to private owners
and the American people will pocket q
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