The Argus Democrat

The below characterization of the ship subsidy bill which passed the senate yesterday is the view of the Chicago Tribune, the greatest republican paper of the middle west:

The Tribune, not being under compulsion to obey the edict of a caucus nor to subscribe to the wisdom of any vote in the United States senate, even if it be unanimous on the republican side, abandons none of its opposition to this ship subsidy bill. It is framed in the interest of the Pennsylvania railroad and the International Steamship Navigation company. The insidious influence of that great railroad upon congress can scarcely be overestimated. It controls legislation on the republican side almost as completely as it formerly did in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey legislatures. Tradition tells us that one of the speakers in a Pennsylvania legislature said in his farewell speech: "If Tom Scott has no further legislation to bring before this body it will now stand adjourned sine me." Manifestly Messrs. Cassatt and Griscom are the lineal descendants of Tom Scott. They have extended his sphere of activity so as to include the nation as well as the state. It may truthfully be said that the United States senate doe not adjourn while Griscom and Cassatt have any further business to bring before it.

The ties that bind the Pennsylvania railroad to the republican national committee are of the most intimate description. No doubt the railroad is the most liberal subscriber to the campaign fund, and no doubt, also, it demands its quid pro quo when the party is successful. People who are accustomed to measure the significance of political events have not forgotten that immediately after the election of 1896 Mr. W.S. Shallenberger, an attorney of the Pennsylvania railroad, was appointed second assistant postmaster general, a position which he still holds. The position of first assistant postmaster general has been offered in vain to a number of western republicans. It has gone begging. Mr. Frank O. Lowden refused to accept it. Mr. Harry New has lately declined it. Graeme Stewart could have had it for the asking, but he regards it with contempt, if not with indifference.  It is not on record anywhere that a western republican has been offered the position of second assistant postmaster general. That officer controls the railway mail service, and the Pennsylvania railroad has a great interest in that branch of the public service. So the Pennsylvania railroad keeps its grip on the mail service at all points where it affects its own interests. Strange as it may appear, the postmaster general was until lately a Philadelphia man. The second assistant postmaster general is a Pennsylvanian, and one of the most influential members of the house committee on postal affairs is a Philadelphia man. All the interests of Pennsylvania, and of the great railroad which bears the name of the state, or for which the state was named, have been carefully conserved in the postal service.

The International Steamship Navigation company is really an extension of the Pennsylvania railroad across the water. It is notorious that this subsidy bill is pushed in the interest of the International Navigation company, Mr. Clement A. Griscom, its president, is unceasing in his exertions in behalf of the subsidy bill. He is ably seconded by Mr. A.J. Sassatt, president of the Pennsylvania railroad company. They are in and about Washington at divers times and seasons, and when they are not there their influence never fails to be felt and exerted in promoting measures in which they are interested. 

If this subsidy bill shall pass the republican party will stand committed before the country to the policy of passing measures which are conceived and advocated in the interests of a great railroad at the expense of the people. When the reaction shall come, as it inevitably will, and the railroads suffer, as they inevitably must, in consequence of the popular indignation that will be excited by measures of this description, we hope there will be no failure to place the responsibility for them where it justly belongs.  Railroads and other corporations have corrupted legislatures before now, but never have they done so without suffering in the end- without paying penalties for every measure of undue favoritism which they have got be deceit or bribery from the representatives of the people. There will be no exception in this case. The Pennsylvania and other railroads will suffer in consequence of the operations of the unrighteous lobby which is pressing this subsidy measure in Washington. The misfortune is that the just will suffer with the unjust. The great corporations which have no interest in the schemes of the Pennsylvania railroad will be punished on account of the unscrupulous methods employed by this corporation in advocating what it conceives to be its interests at the public expense. 

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The latest indications are that beet sugar men are destined to defeat eventually on the Cuban reciprocity question. They propose to die hard, however. Bitterness is running riot between the factions at present and all sorts of things are threatened, but all this is probably just a blowing off of steam. One Michigan congressman went so wild the other day as to say that the Peninsular state would give 50,000 democratic majority in case the proposed twenty per cent reduction of the sugar tariff is made. The Argus would be pleased to know what this statement is based on fact, but he is a very unsophisticated individual indeed who does not know that that prophecy is pure and unmitigated moonshine. To begin with the class is not large which demands that the pledges of the nation shall be repudiated to satisfy the greed of the beet sugar beneficiaries. And every one knows that the best way in the world for the sugar people to lose their case is to turn congress over to the democrats. With a democratic majority in congress President Roosevelt would find no trouble in getting the pledges made by President McKinley to the Cubans redeemed. The "insurgents" may continue to make faces over the dose they have to take but in the end they will undoubtedly take it and party harmony doubtedly take it and party harmony will be as complete as ever.  The loaves and fishes are much and party discipline for the sake of the loaves and fishes are much and party discipline for the sake of the loaves and fishes is likewise much, and the two will prevail. The completeness of their surrender will be made manifest when the rule is brought in which will forbid amendment of the bill granting concessions to Cuba. Forty "insurgent" republicans can defeat this rule, for the democrats will never vote for it and the bosses of the house will not submit the Cuban reciprocity bill without first having passed such a rule. When such a rule is passed, therefore, the country will know that the objecting republicans have been brought to the trough and made to drink.

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General Funston seems to have been developed into a thorough fire-eater by his service in the Philippines. According to Funston, those people in the United States whom he is pleased to designate as the "peace party" are traitors and consequently have of course committed treason and consequently should be hung. But if Funston thinks even he can stop discussion of the Philippine question by holding and giving expression to such views he makes a great mistake. The Filipinos may take encouragement from the discussion of the Philippine question by the American people, but this is the price we must pay for free speech. We will scarcely abandon democracy, however, for that reason. There is no shadow of doubt but that the "peace party" is every whit as patriotic as is the general himself and the people composing it will scarcely abandon their constitutional rights because they may be called traitors by so good a man as General Funston. The general will have to revise his language before he can expect to carry conviction with all. Probably he will not carry conviction even then. There seems to be a chance for honest difference of opinion on Philippine questions and the good general will have to permit it even though he thinks all are traitors who differ from him in the matter.

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The house is to be commended for its action in refusing its consent to the proposition to place free rural delivery under the contract system. There is really no more reason for placing free rural delivery under the thoroughly bad contract system than for putting free delivery in the cities under the contract scheme. The action of the house makes the rural delivery a part of the regular postal system of the country and thus fixes it on a permanent basis. All the carriers should be under direct employ by the government and they will be under the measure passed by the house. They will be under civil service regulations and thus will be insured a service of merit.

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In the death of A.C. Schumacher Ann Arbor loses a prominent, successful and honorable business man and citizen. He was born in Ann Arbor and his whole life had been spent there. He was in the very prime of life, being but forty-three years of age.  He was serving his second term as a member of the Michigan state board of pharmacy. He was a graduate of the University and very generally respected as a citizen and official. 

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The average wages of Indiana rural school teachers is $2.04 per day! If Michigan did as well we could keep our experienced teachers longer in the work. - Michigan Moderator.