The Portland daily press., 1870-03-18

Mr. Fike's war ON the Shipping Intcrest.
Mr.. Pike has concluded that half an bour
is not long enough to spend in brushing awav
tne committee on navigation interests. and
mas taken whole week to prepare reply to
our reputation Of his first argument. So long
time elapsed that we supposed he had con-
Guided to let his case go by default, and ac-
cordingly we ceased to look for a reply, thus
losing the opportunity to strangle his second
painting at its birth. We infer, however,
from the feebleness of his rejoinder, that his
Time has been spent. not in research and
IN conscientious effort to inform himself on
subject with reference to which with GER
tain Interior purposes in view, he had arbl-
trarily determined to write, but in trying to
devise some excuse for not knowing on the
:. 4th of March that the report of the special
committee on navigation had been made two
weeks before! He finds no excuse and makes
none-leaving in curious conjunction with
his organs dogma of Pikal infallibility his
own confession that he alone of all the read
ing people of the United States was for a
fortnight unaware Of the most important
event that has ever happened in relation to
to the matter in which he claims TO be an ex-
pert
Such is the reckless spirit in which Mr..
Pike arrays himself against the revival of
branch of industry which in Maine is of para
mount Importance. We propose now to re-
iute his second article, point by point, and
tnen to explain the motives which have gov
erned him in taking his present extraordi-
nary course. Mr.. Pike says:
The proposition that 1 have no right to dis
cuss in print bills reported by Congressional
committee is novel, and it NAV be that the
editor believes it to be sound. II so he is to
pitied.
Proceed in your discussion, Mr.. Pike-we
have not the slightest objection. We only
claim the right to discuss your letters, over
which it is certain that no god or goddess
holds protecting agis. Our author con-
tinues:
Although the editor states that made
mistake" relative to the bills, he has failed
to point out what the "mistake" was, and
considering the temper he exhibits it is hard
ly unfair to say that he knew, when writing
the paragraph, that he had discovered no
such "mistake."
Now, Mr.. Pike, answer categorica.ly,i if you
please,-yes or no, did you or did you not in
your first letter represent that the tonnage
tax is to remain, if the recommendations of
the committee are adopted, precisely as it is
Is it not fact that it is readjusted so that
vessels engaged in the transatlantic trade
pay every time they "enter" while coasters
and some other classes of vessels paw but once
year, as now? If so did you not make
mistake?
But this time Mr. Pike makes as serious
mistakes as before. He again attacks the
tonnage tax, holding the ieply of the PRESS
that the tax was not devised by the commit
tee; second, that foreigners pay the same tax;
third, that removing it would cause loss of
revenue; and fourth, that it has been skill
fully readjusted to be insufficient. He
shows this insuficiency merely by re-
lterating the statements formerly made
that the uniform 30 cents a ton on all
vessels is inequitable, because the value of
vessels per ton takes very wide range; that
our coasters are taxed in this way to secure
fund for the payment of bounties to vessels
engaged in the foreign trade, and that thus
the interests of Maine are disregarded. We
particularly admire the broad, statesmanlike
method adopted by Mr.. Pike when he singles
out single prosperous line of steamers en-
gagged in the foreign trade-the International
L'ne-to show how the small coasting vessels
are to be taxed for the benefit of stronger and
Weather enterprises. Now we protest
against arguing question of national impor-
lance on SO narrow principles as this. Does
not the ex.Congressman and ex. Chairman of
the Naval committee know that though the
international Line may be prosperous, yet
that almost our entire foreign trade is carried
on in foreign bottoms? Does he not know that
1t is the foreign trade that has been
chiefly clamorous for relief and that it is alone
subject to competition? Does he not know
that in the coasting trade the principle of pro-
tectlon is carried to the full extent of prohi-
bition, and that our American vessels enjoy
complete monopoly in that business? Does
he not know that if an act of Congress could
secure to the foreign carrying trade such a
monopoly it would be considered an eqniva-
lent for many times the tonnage tax impos-
edP To fully appreciate the captiousness of
Mr.. Pixies objections it is only necessary to
state that tonnage tax was never imposed
in any other way by the United States or by
any other country; that so far as the coast
wise tonnage and that engaged in the West
India and South American trade is concern
ed it remains precisely where it was, while the
relief afforded by exempting all vessels from
the many and vexatiOus tonnage and other
local port charges is many times greater than
the tonnage tax which is allowed to remain.
Besides, our coasters share fully in the relief
afforded by the provision made in the bill for
a drawback on material used in the construc-
ton OF vessels. The attempt to create dis
satisfaction with one class of vessel owners,
who neither need relief nor have asked for it,
because they have not received so much as
another class of vessel owners who do need
and hare asked for relief, is something that we
might expect from demagogue who has al
ready attempted to make the people believe
Pendletonism is righteousness. His reply to
this will still be, we have no doubt, the GIN
ternational Line" and its prosperity. To
make this phrase at allrelevant he must show
that it negatives the proposition that the for
elgn carrying trade is now almost sohollu car
ried on by aliens!
MI. Pike ought to realize, that it is an i'm
possibility to adjust such measures as those
for the relief of the shipping interest so as ex-
actly to satisfy all parties interested. The
object had in view by the committee seems
to have been to recommend what, on the
whole, would be for the greatest good of the
country, and would at the same time insure
the support of enough members to make GER
tain its passage. To obtain the relief needed
1t is absolutely necessary that the support of
all branches of the ship-building and ship
owning interest should be obtained for the
measures proposed to oAoet this pvsv. Tire
ex-Congressman well knows the jealousy of
Western members-wel knows how they
sneer at our fishing bounties (which they
have finally abolished) at everything looking
like discrimination in favor of New Eng
land, and at our demand for readiustment
of the tariff so as to relieve the shipping in
terest, while adhering to the principle of pro-
lection in general. He knows what effect
upon their favorable disposition toward the
hills the apnearance of a discrimination in IA