Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-05-13
dens Or commerce, have greatly exceeded my

-dens of commerce, have greatly exceeded my
most sanguine expectation.
Z" shall begin with the tonnage, as more
Immediately connected with naval power and
in order TO show the relative effects of high
duties and lowon our navigation, shall COM
pare the period from 1924, when the inst great
increase of protective duties took place, 10
1880, inclusive, when the hrt reductionof do
ties commenced. During these seven year,.
which inclnde the operation Of the two protec-
tive tariffs Of 1924 and l026-that is, the reign
of the high protective tariff system-our for
eign tonnage fell off from 639, 972 tons to SIG,
AIS equal to 81 ,497; our coastirg tonnage,
from 7l9, 100 to 6l5,3l0, equal TO sl03, $50
tons; making the falling offin both equal To
l65, $40 tons. Yes, to that extent (lO3, 880)
did our coasting tonnage decline-the very in
crease of which, it was confidently predicted
by the protective party, would make up for
every possible loss in our foreign tonnage from
their miserable quack system. Instead OF that,
the falling off in the coasting trade is even
greater than in the foreign; proving clearly
that high duties are not less injurious to the
home, than 10 the foreign trade ,ie ss d,..-
Now, what followed this assertion of Mr..
Calhoun! 1t will be remembered, this Ian
guage was uttered at the extra session OF Con-
gress following the election of General Harrl-
son, at which session the bankrupt law was
passed. AT the next regular session of Con-
gress, August Both, 1912, was passed the cele-
brated whig tariff for protection, as It was mis-
named. What was the effect of this tariff on
the commercial and ship building interests Of
Maine? I annex the following table, taken
from the annual reports Of commerce and nav
igation: sa' - ,'.e y'.1s 20 1853
From 1912 to 1916, inclusive--fve years
Maine built tons of navigation as follows:l
1912 tons 3s,O4O ls45 tons s3l,ol5
1913 a.u. do Is I5, dao 1916 do ct 5s'47
5zagab - BAD 6, 4f's Total, ls &c 154 ,9I2
making an average per year, Of 80 1882 tons. D.
Under the democratic revenue tariff Of 1916,
for five years, ending June 80, ISL, Maine
built 400 ,243 tons of navigation, as follows:
l847 tons 63,54s 1850 tons 9l,2ll
Is4s do 1924 1851 do s2,255
ls49 do s2,255 eg soy as ,rat - =
....,.,... 80 =. Total, 409, 243
making an average, per year, Of 81 ,s4s tons.
Thus stands the comparison Of protective
whig tariff, with democratic revenue tariff I;
and making, in the aggregate, total Of $685.
100 IONS lol shipping, built In maine, alone, IN
ten years-over one seventh of the entire COM
mercial marine of the United States at the
present time, and showing difference of So
s66 tons per year between high and low tar
if, and this. too, for period of five years UNI
der each system-making an aggregate differ
ence, for The two periods of five years each, in
Maine alone, of 355 1891 tons
The logic based upon these figures is irrefu-
table. There is but one course for Maine 10
take in relation to the question of a high tariff,
and notwithstanding the periodical re-vamping
of the stale and hackneyed arguments Of whig-
gerry, in its favor, it has become an obsolete
idea in Maine. AS a State, we are prompted
by self-interest, therefore, to oppose a high
tariff. or any change that has tendency to
create an apparent necessity for one. What
ever may be said of our motiue, then, our poll
cy is unquestioned- consequently, any legisla-
ton by the general government calculated to
promote particular interests at the expense Of
our own, should be resisted as uni 1st to us, as
State, and in violation of those principles of
government, to which our success and perpetu-
ity, as nation, is ascribable.