Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1905 — SHIP SUBSIDY AGAIN. [ARTICLE]

SHIP SUBSIDY AGAIN.

Republican Leadera Determined to Advocate Corrupt Scheme. There Is pretty good evidence. that the grafters have not given up hope of passing a ship subsidy bill through the coming congress. Many Republican statesmen have been taking a trip to Europe during the summer, and sea breezes seem to have had the exhilarating effect of making some of them more than ever callous to public opinion, which is so utterly opposed to subsidies in any form and especially the particular subsidy sought by the steamship trust. One of the subsidy hunters is Senator Lodge, the warm personal friend and close political adviser of President Roosevelt. The secret conference at Sagamore Hill on political matters included Senator Lodge, and, though it is intimated that the principal topic discussed was restitution of that part of the Republican corruption fund wrung from the widows and orphans now or hereafter dependent upon the New York Life and other insurance companies, yet ship subsidy may have been talked over also.

It is known that the Republican machine in Massachusetts is beset with dangers this fall from foes within the organization and that- nothing but an ample campaign fund may save it from destruction. If the machine breaks down, the chauffeur. Senator Lodge, is in great danger. Perhaps the steamship trust has offered to supply the campaign fund to repay the senator for his support of a subsidy bill. It will be remembered that when the Republican party was in great straits in tlie congressional election of 1838 the subsidy hunters came to the rescue and saved tlie day. In return for this corruption fund the late Senator Hanna strove hard to pass a ship subsidy blll through congress and did succeed in passing it through tlie senate. There must be some overpowering influence that compels the resuscitation of the ship subsidy question at this time. What It is will probably develop later. Certain questions insistently suggest themselves, says the Providence Journal, “when Senator Lodge, turning from the live topics of the time, enters upon an elaborate advocacy of the discredited policy of ship subsidies. One searches In vain through his long speech before the Essex club for any new argument in support of tlie exploded subsidy theory, just as one would search in vain for any new argument on the other side. The whole question has been discussed over and over again in every possible aspect. The subject is as dry as thrice thrashed straw. Why should the Massachusetts senator, whose knowledge, of course, protects him from any personal delusion in this matter, attempt thus to resuscitate what has been supposed to be a dead Issue? It must be with political purpose rather than from economic conviction that he speaks. Can it be that the Republican party, with whose lenders he Is supposed to be in close touch, after having discreetly shelved subsidy propositions without uumlier, is now to attempt to pass a subsidy bill? That would be folly. Indeed, for a party that In the congressional elections of next fall Is likely to be handicapped enough by responsibility for things undone."