Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1915-02-12
CAMDEN OPPOSES
SHIPPING BILL
Senator From Kentucky Is
Adverse To Taxing People
To Raise $4,000, 900
SAYS BILL is UNDEMOCRAT|C
Ship Purchase Bill An Economic Blum
der and Cannot be Defended as a
Business Proposition-Would Com
nit the Democratic Party to Pater.
nalism and State Socialism.


tor ]. n. Camden of Kentucky made
speech in the Senate upon the Ship
Purchase Bill that has attracted an
unusual amount of attention. Senator
Camden is opposed to taxing the peo-
pie of Kentucky $40,000,0O0 until they
have been heard, and defined his posi-
ton on this important legislation in
his speech before the United States
Senate, February 4, 1915, as follows:
like to state my reasons for voting to
recommit this bill. | consider it undi-
gested, half baked, and full of fallacies,
and thoroughly undemocratic in priD-
ciple and theory.
Object to Government Ownership.
To my mind there are several seri.
Gus objections to the enactment into
law of this bill, almost any one Of
which would be sufficient in itself to
compel me to cast my vote against it.
Viewed from the standpoint OF time
honored Democratic doctrine and prin-
ciple, it is most alarming, objectiona-
BILE, and dangerous. | feel that | do
not eXaggerate when | say that the
policy of true Democracy will be fun
damentally changed by the passage
OF this bill. If it becomes a law, the
Democratic Party Will be irrevocably
committed to the theory of paternal
form OF government, which, freely
translated, means state socialism.
This is the entering wedge for Gov
eminent control of other forms of
trades and industries. Personally
am far from convinced that the Demo
cratic Party of this Nation is prepared
for this great leap into the dark. And
! do not feel that this country should
be committed to this new and radical
policy without having it thoroughly
discussed before and digested by the
rank and file of the party and the peo-
pie and have their seal of approval or,
at least, their Endorsement of the un-
dertaking before they are irrevocably
committed to this doubtful govern
q
merchant marine.
President Wilson, in his message to
Congress on January % vetoing the
immigration bill, rece lily passed by
both Houses, and which passed the
Senate by vote of 80 to Z and the
House by vote of pa to IA, said:
IF the people of this country have
made up their minds 10 limit the mum
Der OF immigrants by arbitrary tests
ard so reverse the policy of all tn,
generations of Americans that hav,
gone before them, it is their right /.
do SO. ] am their servant, and hav
no license to stand in their way. Blu
| Go not believe that they have.
respectfully submit that no one ca
quote their mandate to that effec
Has any political party ever avowet
a policy of restriction in this fund;
mental matter, gone to the country @
it. and been commissioned to contrC
its legislation? Does this bill res
upon the conscious and universal a.
sent and desire Of the American pee
Pile? | doubt it. 1t is because | dout
il that | make bold to dissent from
| am willing to abide by the verdict
but not until it has been rendered
Let the platforms of parties speak GU
upon this policy and the people pre-
nounCe their wish. The matter is toe
fundamental to be settled otherwise
This terse and faci!e language of III
President expresses my views of tn
shipping bill SO much clearer AMI
more emphatic than could that | TAX
pleasure in adopting and applying j.
to this bill If it be true that the liter
acy test of the immigration bill would
$50 reverse the policy of all the gen
erations Of Americans that have gont
before" what reversal of policy do We
find in this shipping bill, which com
mitS the people unheard, conSequentl,
without an opportunity to make up
their minds or render their verdict Oh
an undertaking so revolutionary that
the business world must stand aghast
HAS any political party. ever avoweE
a policy on this fundamental matter
gone TO the country on it and beer
commissioned to control its legisla
ton? Does this bill rest upon the con.
scious and universal assent and desrg
OF the American people? | doubt it
II is because | doubt it that | make
bold TO dissent from it. am willing
10 abide by the verdict, but not unit
il has been rendered Let the pat
forms CT parties speak out upon this
policy and the people pronounce their
wish. The matter is too fundamental
to be settled offhaId or in any other
way" Mr.. President, / am willing to
be guided by the wish of the people
when expressed on this great funda-
mental question and even surrender
to the will of the majority my clear
conviction" but | am not willing to
surrender that conviction and my
sense of duty until the people have
spoken. For these reasons l partici-
pated in none of the so-called confer
ences, afterwards denominated eau
cuses, by which it was sought to bind
Democratic Senators to support this