The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-25
The Ship Subsidy Grab

W '|Aa'PFh'S
to Raid the Treasury With
Assistance of President
Harding
Washington. Nov. 1s.-By gag
SinS the present Republican house
of representatives. which was in
cluded in the anathema of Novem-
ber {. President Harding plans to
press his ship sub bonus hill to
passage in the special session Of
this congress, that the sale of the
peoples, merchant marine at a loss
of $500. 900, 900 compared with its
original cost and the grating Of
s750.0O0.0o9 of the public funds to
it's purchasers may be sanctioned
before the next house and senate
shall have a chance to defeat it.
The ship bonus bill, along with
the Fordney- -McCumber Profiteers'
tayiff. the tax-shifting law and
Newberryis,n, was among the Re-
publican proposals and policies
condemned at the polls three
weeks ago. The people knew that
IT was a. part of the presidents
Legislative program, they under
stood its provisions. and they vot-
ed their disapproval of the meas
ure when they turned out Of office
nearly hundred Republican sena-
tors and Representatives and oust-
ed Republican governors IN thir-
teen states. Now the president is
in effect coercin.s a repudiated con-
gross into passing his repudiated
pet project"
President Harding and the Re
publican managers themselves made
lit plain that they regarded the
election as test Of Republican
legislation, past and prospective:
They had as much opportunity to
pass the ship bonus bill in the ses-
sion which. closed in September as
they have in the. special session.
But they feared the consequences
to their congressional and other
candidates at the recent election
and purpesely withheld the. meas
/, ure from consideration at that time.
/, It was announced by semi-offi-
cial organs of the administration
two months ago that President
! Harding preferred to await the
verdict of the voters on November
/ Z before urging congress to act ON
] the ship bonus bill.
The Washington Post gives an
outline Of the tactics upon which
the president depends to force the
! ship bonus bill through congress
and not only stifle opposition
among representatives and senator's
but also defy the popular antag-
onis1n expressed by the voters at
the recent election.
1T is confidently expected by
the administration that the house
will pass the ship subsidy bill -un-
!. der special rule by the end of next
week November 25) and that it
will become law before the adj
journment of congress- March d."
says the Post.
Under such a rule" continues
the Posts article. "no amendments
could be proposed on the floor and
no motion except that 10 recon-
nit would be in order. $ Vigor-
Gus pressure Will be brought to
bear in the senate, it is said. to
have that body pass the bill within
reasonable time"
All the defeated and discredited
Republican representatives are ex-
pected to support the bill and
thereby give token of their quali-
fication. for the federal appoint
ments for which they are hoping
and hustling Those who were re-
elected, it is felt by the Republican
bosses. Will be kept in line by
threats judicious1y mingled with
/ promises.
If President Harding is success
full in this attempt to exercise his
official and political supremacy in
behalf of the ship bonus bills en-
actment during the special session
he will thereby override the peo-
pies veto Of this legislation but at
the same time favor the interests
which have thus far. kept the Re-
publican administration steadfast
to its promise to make a practical
gift of the governments feet to
private corporations and superadd
S75,000.003 a year by way Of re-
wards for taking the vessels,
Opponents of the bill, in the
senate are confident it can not pass
in the special session, or at any
other session, in it's present form.
They regard most of its provisions
ias so raw" that they feel sure
Of winning to the side Of the op-
position even some OF the stand
pat Republicans. 1t begins to ap-
pear that President Harding is
about to suffer a defeat<so far as
his attempt to push this pet pro-
ject" to passage in the special ses-
sion is concerned.
DE VALERA
A1yV