The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-02-18

I 100000 of credit in order to saw
themselves loss of $500, 100000, bu
the Congress, headed by the Presi
dent turned a deaf ear to their ap
peal.
"lf their demand was without mer
its or wrong in principle, who viii
say this measure is right? ] am op
posed to this bill because IL is class
legislation, pernicious in its concep
ton, and necessarily unjust IN IL!
execution.
Sees Waste Of Money
1T will be remembered that the
bill provides for ships to engage in
the foreign trade exclusively. lie
cast irol, rock ribbed, government
favored coustwise monopoly is treat.
ed as a sacred thing-too sacred to
I be touched. The government owned
boats are to be meie pioneers or bus
mess missionaries, as 1t were. he
| gardlesS Of the expense, they are OK
pected to go to the waste places and
work up the business to be turned
over later to private individuals, who
are to reap the profits of business
which has been built up at the ex-
pense of all the people. The whole
scheme, to my mind, involves an I'M
warranted, illegal, and immoral pro.
digality of money coined by the
sweat and blood Of the masses OF
this country and extorted fom tt EN-
by unjust and immoral laws.
1T is a dangerous departure, an
innovation upon our time honOred
system, violative of the spirit of our,
government, and, fear, the issue
will be trouble to the party that pro-
poses 1t and chagrin for the men who
conceive it. am in favor of an Am.
erican merchant marine. l sha vote
for such measures as may be ne.es
sary to put our ships on the dead
level of opportunity with the SHIPS
of all other countries that come INTO
our ports. If We shall by law, which
we have a right to do, improve the
standard Of living for the sailors, we
will at the same time elevate the
standard Of character and manhood of
the men who operate the ships.
Opposes dollhouse Economics
81 am opposed to the dollhouse me-
thods Of economics in governmental
matters. | do not think 1t is fair
to take the money from the pocket
of the wealth producers of this ,un-
try and donate 1t to the owners Of
ships. Such policy can not he
justified by any other rule than that
of the rule of might. 1t can not be
defended upon any other theory than
that might is right. The contention
that the ships be bought under the
terms Of this bill will facilitate the
transportation OF cotton grown In
the South to the foreign markets Is
not the proper substitute to fool any
body. The suggestion that the gov
eminent of the United States viii
send its ships to places where pri'
vately owned ships flying the Am
erican flag will not go Is absurd. AS
n matter Of fact, government owned
ships will be more careful not to
VIC ate the laws Of neutrality. They
will be more careful to avoid every
possible complication with the bel
ligerent powers of Europe than VIII
ships owned by private individuals
But there is one thing that would
happen, / am quite sure. A lot OF
Improbable property in ships that
are floating idly in the ports OF this
country in order to hide from the
gunboats of hostile nations would be
unloaded upon the government OF
the United States at good proht'
And | am sure that after the war Is
over, and especially after the people
Of the United States shall have had
an opportunity to pass judgment on
this proposed bill that these same
ships will be resold to private own
ers. and the American people VIII
pocket a loss of $75,OOO,OOO to $780,
100000. No; to my mind, the bill
ls n legislative evil without miti'
eating incident, and, from the depths
of my heart, l sincerely hope 1t may
be defeated"
Mr.. Vardman. This statement was
published. Little thought l at the
time that the pressure from the |
White House would ever lead the |
Democratic Senators to undertake to
make this indefensible measure, as
| regard It. a party question; mea-
sure which is fragrant violation of
the letter and the spirit of the party
platform. When the caucus was
called to consider 1t told the chair.
man of the caucus, the honorable