The Republican journal., 1869-11-11
CAPTAIN KIDD AMONG OUR SHIPS.

|
perity of the people is closely connected
with the welfare of the shipping interest,
should deliberately argue against any and
all plans for Congressional relief to this
pcrishng industry. 1t is still harder to be-
leve that such paper could be found in the
city of Belfast, where three-fourths of the
accumulated wealth Of the people is the re-
suit of building and sailing ships-whose
population is largely made up of shipowncrs,
ship-builders, ship-captains, sailors. carpen-
ters and other workmen whose labor goes
into shipping, Yet the Progressive Age of
this city says in substance that the shipping
interest is well enough, and that we ought to
be content. We make quotation from its
issue Of last week
"Our shipping interest is not vital interest.
Other interests are of as great, and even greater
Importance. Our annual products OF bread>tuf>
and cotton and wool and minerals are, every year.
equal to, and in the first named articles. in vast cN
cess of our own consumption. Were we to build
no sea-gong ships nor engage in the foreign carry
| ing trade, VIC should perceive the difference but
| little, so vast are our resources.
| Not Il vital interest, What kind Of vitality
does the Age suppose the sea-coast of Maine
would have, should its plan be carried OUT
her ships suffered to go to decay, her ship
yards become desolate. her skilled mechanics
scattered. and her sailors compelled to emf
gratco Let any man with a thimblc-full Of
brains contemplate such 4 state Of things for
Il moment, and sec what such 4 course would
do for Maine. The shallow argument Of the
Age cuts its own throat, like a pic overheard
If we have in excess the products it men,
tons, Of course we must send them abroad,
and what more fitting and proper than that
American, aye MAINE ships should carry
thcmo We raise here none Of those articles.
and if we do not &c, the carry inc trade we
get nothing.
The Age hits upon Il luminous illustration
of its argument in the following:
Were our sea-gong shipping all we had. we
might possibly afford to make it pet interest. but
when reflect that our internal shipping interest.
which navigates our internal seas and rivers. is
greater in amount than our ocean shipping interest
the question is, what is to be done in regard to that
INTEREST," Is it also to receive bountie~ and Sub>l
dies
II the Age knew anything of the subject it
is endcavoring to discuss, it would know
a footing Of cost that will enable it to com
pete with the foreign shipping that is its riv-
al in the carrying trade Of the world. The
Age seems not to understand that foreign
tonnage doesn't nav igate ''our vast internal
seas and rivers" and consequently American
steamers, flat-boat and canal boats have it
all their own way. But in the great marts
of the world, where ships seek their business
are the maratime nations with their low cost
Ships are competitors.
We are thankful that this foolish argument
against the interests of Maine is not universal
in the Republican party. Mr., McCuloch
late Secretary of the Treasury, made an able
argument in favor of sustaining the shipping
interest in one Of his annual reports, in which
he said
1t is an important truth that vessels can be built
very much cheaper in the British Provinces than in
Maine Nay, further, that timbercan be taken from
Virgins: to the provinces and from these provinces
to England, and there made into ships which can be
sold at profit; while the same kind of vessels can
only be built in New England ut a loss by the most
skfu and economical builders But the evil does
not stop here. If the only loss that which the
country silstains by the discontnuance of sh-build
ing, there would be less cause Of complaint. 1t is
Il we-established general fact that the people who
build ships navigate them, and that nation which
ceases to build ships ceases, OF consequence. to be
| a commercial and maritime nation. Unless, there
fore, the causes which prevent the building of ships
in the United States shall cease. the foreign carry
ing trade, even of its own productions. must be
Welded TO other nations. TO this humiliation and
loss the people of the United States ought not to be
subjected. II other branches Of industry to
prosper, if agriculture is to be profitable, and man
ufactures are to be extended, the commerce of the
country must be restored, sustained, and increased.
The United States will not be first class power
among the nations, nor will her other industrial in
erests continue long to prosper as they ought. if
| her commerce shall be permitted to anguish.
These are the words of wisdom and Justice
: :, and coming as they do from a western
man, we specially call to them the attention
of those who have read the foolish TRADE of
L the Progressive Age against the shipping in
! terest.
: Hon. +. A. Pike, while in Congress- made
interest, by Il drawback Of duties, which at
tempt failed. In support Of the proposition,
he said that the duties on imported articles
! entering into a ship of seven hundred tons,
= is nearly five thousand dollars in gold, and
remarked further
1t is apparent to the House that our ships cannot
compete with foreign ships when the difference OF
Z, cost is great, unless corresponding advantage
is in some way given to them in the way OF employ
1 mcnt But the House is aware that an American
, ship has no such advantages. She completes with
, her great rival on free-trade basis The St. John
ship comes into the port of New York and gets the
g same freight and is subject to the insurance
as the American ship. The only privilege the
American ship has is that of the coastwise trade
, and that is hardly appreciabe. From this state
ment of the committee the House will readily see
that the question is whether ships shall be drv
t en- from the ocean or not. They certainly cannot
compete at such odds. In the great race for COM
| mercal supremacy our old enemy has latterly made
f alarming strides in advance. Before the war we
had five and half million tons afoat. But or ships
were burned by British pirates, and our ship-own-
ers We're obliged to sell them for protection until
now we have not four million of American tonnage