The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-24
HOW TO RESTORE THE SHIPPING In
TEREsT.

And now. having closed every ship-yard in
the United States and driven the American
| merchant flag almost from every sea, the
eastern protectionists generously propose to
do something to revive the shipping interest
And they can think of no other remedy than
doses, inversely administered, of the same
medicine which has caused the sickness unto
death, not of ship-building industry alone,
but of the foreign commerce which provides
that industry with the very breath of life.
In other words, special legislation laid the
victim low, and now they propose, by special
legislation, to raise him up. These doctors
are of the Thessalian school, founded by the
celebrated oculist who first scratched out his
eyes by jumping into quickest hedge, and
then, seeing with grief that his eyes were out,
jumped into another hedge and scratched
this distinguished operator ever practiced on
any case beside his own. Mother Goose, and
Peter Farley, and Baron Munchausen, and
DR.. CULVER, and Monsieur du Chaillu, and
other learned authorities respecting classic
lands, peoples, institutions, customs and ira
ditions, are strangely undecided upon this in
teresting point, and consequently it is left
open to the surmises and speculations of the
curious. For our part. we have always been
of the opinion that his peculiar treatment for
sore eyes and defective vision did extend
beyond his own case; for quacks of his
bsroic- --dssoription will always md be
liyers, and clients, and patrons. And
we are, moreover, firmly persuaded that,
however abundant his success in his
preliminary operation of scratching out the
eyes of patients, not one of them was ever
restored to ocular health and Wilderness by
the final operation, or the scratching in pro-
cess, but that all of them remained as eyeless
as an oyster to the end of their days. And
still more profoundly, if anything, are we
convinced that the modern disciples of this
illustrious hilosopher-humbug, who have
carried the fundamental idea of his system
into the sphere of political economy, will
never succeed beyond accomplishing the
first stage of the Thessalian method of treat
ment. 1t is an admirable method, question
less, for eradicating the various organs, or for
paralyzing the various functions, of national
prosperity. But when it comes to restoring
to prosperous activity the elements of ruined
industry by the inverted application of the
same method, why no one can believe in the
efficacy of the remedy whose credulity is not
large enough to swallow the notion that all
the blind people in the country may have
good eyes scratched into their sightless
sockets by being dragged, naked and heels
foremost, through quickest hedges which even
the agile and sinuous lizard can scarcely ira
verse with impunity.
A special committee Of the Massachusetts
Legislature have followed up petition of the
Maine ship builders in asking from Congress
exceptional legislation in favor of the pros
trate shipping interest. They ask, in the first
place, subsidies from the government to
American trans-oceanic steamers to enable
them to compete with foreign steam naviga-
ton; in the next place, the remission to the
builder of the taxes on materials used in their
construction; in the third place, the privilege
for those engaged in sailing ships to obtain
tea, coffee, sugar and all articles required on
shipboard, duty free out of bonded ware
houses. In all this we see cropping out the
fallacy and the curse of protection, whose
other name is robbery Of the many for the
benefit of the few, and whose final effect is to |
dry up the sources of production and bring
on the catastrophe of industrial and CONNER
cial ruin. Other things equal, the special re-
lief and the special aid claimed for the ship |
ping interest, would cause a corresponding
IN
upon all the other interests of the country |
For, in the last analysis, every sttemptto pro. |
mote special interests by special legislation |
resolves itselfinto simple robbery. There is |
but one way to provide for the prosperity of
all interests, and for the general wealth and
welfare, and that is to tighten the burdens of
industry and to set free in all directions the
activities of commerce.
The New York Times, which, after its mild
fashion, leans to free trade, almost
comes up to the hight of this argument when
i says "It is mistake on the part of those
who would serve the shipping interest to sep
arate it from the general welfare, by making
i a subject of exceptional legislation. The
,auses which depress it are causes from which
he whole country suffers, and true relief must
De sought in direction fraught with benefit
% all. From some disadvantages occasioned
~ the war there is no immediate escape
But it is in the power of Congress, by ire
renchment and reduced taxation, by a
'autious policy on financial questions, and by
friendly relations between North
md South, to tighten the cost of living, and
o inspire trade and industry with degree of
health SADLY needed by both"