East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-01-13

marine mas uWlnuied away. Busy
getting rich behind tariff wall at
home or in exploiting our great natur-
al resources our captains OF industry
have neglected a rich field. But it
has not been their fault entirely be-
cause foreign governments have aid
ed in keeping up their merchant
ships.
The administration now proposes
TO meet the situation by doing the
, same thing and doing it better In
stead Of giving subsidies it is planned
to buy ships outright and operate
them as a government affair. In that
way no private concerns will be en-
} riehed at the expense of the general
public and shippers will be guaran-
teed freedom from hold up rates.
The nomination of Ewing c. Bland
for the Western District marshalship
was rejected by the
Senatorial United States SEN
SpOils DespOtism. ate, not because
he was unfit for
the office, but because Senator Reed
had not approved the appointment
The vote was an expression OF the
solidarity Of the senate on the privi-
lege OF senator's to dictate federal
appointments in their states.
Senators Reed and o'Gorman. who
have led the democratic opposition to
the president, led the fight for the
senatorial right to dictate appoint
ments. Appointment with the consent
of the senate now means appointment
under the direction of the senator in
whose preserves the office lies.
The senatorial courtesy which Sena-
tor Reed invoked always works one
way The president courteously yield
ed to Senator Reeds persistent soli-
tation for the appointment of his can
didate for the postmastership Of st.
Louis, which was under heavy pro-
test, but courtesy for the president or
consideration for his judgment is not
in the Reed -O'Gorman book of sena-
torial etiquette. Decency would in
terfere with that despotic control of
patronage which is the chief end OF
the patronage machine senator.
Democratic senators who block the
administration and rebuke the presi-
dent on account of patronage may
think there is political profit in the
game, but we doubt 1t. 1t has yet to
be demonstrated by the people to
whom senators are now answerable
at the polls.-St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
~SSSss-S-s-~
The following editorial advice to
the railroads. given by the San Fran
cisco Examiner. is of
Build up decided interest:
The Interior. Vice Pre- s dent I
Chambers Of the Santa i
Fe complains that the shippers of
are "obsessed" with a mania /,
for shipping by ocean going vessels. t
Mr.. Chambers is experienced en- t
ough in the ways of shippers to know
that there is no sentiment in sending
goods to market. They will always :
80 by the cheapest route. II
If the steamships are taking away h
The railroads transcontinental freight II
t is because the steamships make
over rates.
1t seems to us that there is only II
one reply to be made by the railroads. Il
That is the upbuilding Of interior cit a
les by the most favorable terminal q
-ates permitted. Thus the railroads s
would create new series Of hauis q
from either coast IL
The railroads have built up the sea- r
port terminals, by favorable trans g
rates, at the expense OF Il
Interior points. These rates were fix !,
ID in order to keep steamship compe- a
itiOn at a minimum. The Panama
ANAL has made possible steamship p
which cannot be under 8
lid by the railroads. and they now 1,
nave neither the volume OF transcon- ri
mental hauls they had nor the vol to
ime Of interior hauls they might =
lave had. =
Neither legislation nor tariff rates m
,an long make headway against eco al
ionic laws. The transcontinental "
lauls to seaports will decrease in spite .,
Il anything that can be done. And OF
he railroads. II would seem, might as p'
veil at once begin the work Of build ~
ng up a line of interior terminals se
md so create new business and new CO
,rofits in that direction. al
~sSSO$SSS II
Some OF our legislators who start ~