Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-03-06
Commercial Interests of Maine

OOuIAlC1 OAdA 4OJcIcSUS Oh maine,
The letter 10 which we alluded last week.
under the above head, has received the at,en-
ton of the able editor of the Bangor Democrat,
who comments upon it in the following forc-
bic manner ::
i; gives us great pleasure 10 copy the an
neXed article from The Belfast Journal, by
which ii will be seen, that in some quarters
at least, political Ereludces are at lasl yield
ing 10 the force of truth. Mcssrs. HYDE and
Sewell are wings, ant. as such, have acted
with party whose doctrines, il carried nIo
practice, would ruin the great ship building
and ship owning interest ri Maine. In SO
acting, they have only done, unaccounlable
MS il may seem, what a large majority Of
those particularly concerned in those pur-
suits have done. So true il is, that in poll
iics, men are governed quite as much by their
passions rs by their interests.
In former times, there was little difference
ofopinion in Maine upon this subject
When the tariff of 1928 was passed, all the
shipping in Portland harbor carried their col
ors al halt mast. This was before political
'elusIons had crept in, and when men were
cool enough To see that commercial and
'~'"'N i''' cNti W iuSC
nothing 10 gain 10y II system of prohibitions
In the war with the I. :. Bank commenced
III 1882, Gen. jackson and the democratic
party pursued policy adverse 10 the opin-
IONS OF the mercantile classes. The result
was, that many OF them who as ship owners
had no aliinlies with high tariff policy,
Were carried along rs merchants, in 4 strong
current of hostility 10 the democratic parry,
und really gave their influence in favor Of the
pTohibiive system, by acting with the whig
party. Ii would seem, al length that some
Of them are getting out of that current, and
taking the positions which their true interest
demands. We hail these indications as the
BEGINNING Of The end. Aud it is really high
Time, that those who think together, should aet
together, in resisting common enemies. The
democracy have always been the best and
trueSt friends 10 the commercial interest, and
have nothing TO hope from abolItionists, or
restrlctionists, and should refuse, now and
forever, all political companIonship with
them.
Ii would seem from the estimates made by
MIR. Seweli. that 'lcnp and iron, in the rdriety
otJorD,s an ,chich they are employed in building
and eqmPpiHg our reSSels, constitute a fraction
0rer 20 per cent Of their cost Why then,
should anybody in Maine wish TO increase
the taxes on hemp and iron. which are AREA
dy IN The highest schedule of protective du-
tics, and which already receive protection
fifty per cent higher than is accorded 10 the
products of our own forests?
Let il be recollectcd, that as the laws now
stand, our ships are obliged 10 compete with
foreign SHIPS, without any favor or discrlmi-
nation at all, with the exception of the coast
ing trade. On all foreign voyages, our ships
are compelled to bid for freight against The
competition of the world. This is the race
which our ship owners have 10 run, and they
are ready for 1t, and will prove equal TO it
A fai- field and no favor; these are the terms
and by these terms they are content 10 abide
But let us give them really fair field. Let
us not load them down with augmented tax
cs and compel them TO leave the ocean which
now invites AmerIcan skill and American
enterprise TO their lofiiest displays and their
most splendid triumphs.
Let be recolected that Maine builds more
large ships than all the rest of tue Union,
md that resting on the Atlantic with n coast
OF three hundred miles, indanted with unri-
vailed harbors, her destiny is emphaiicalIy
commercial. Who then OF her sons will he
found to strike a recreaut blow at the great
source OF prosperity, for the sake OF pet and
patnpered interests III PENNSYLVANIA and Ken
tucky; States, which teeming with wealth
and absolutely wanton with prosperity, yet
dare TO assail congress and the country, with
feigned and hypocritical cries of ruin and
distress? To the law and TO the prophets
To the census and TO the valuations! If
these Pennsylvanians and kentuckians wish
TO know wha. hard work is, and what hard
fare is, let them come TO Maine, and see the
people face TO face, whose industry they seek
TO tax yet higher.
Here al the frozen North, confronting ma
ture in her sternest aspects, on one hand IN
vadlng a rugged forest. and on the other hand
trying the fortunes and hazards of stormy
oceans; Maine cny asks no, TO he robbed by
those TO whom has fallen the heritage of rich
fields aud bemignant skies
We commend the above 10 the particular at
tentlon of our 'oLng contemporary of the Tri- |
bune, and if 1t can find any ''inteHigem being. |
rational or irrGtioRaE' among its corps of edi- !
toral contributors, capable of refutiug the ar
guments contained therein, we trust we shall
hear from him.