Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-06-16
Mr.. LH-ncll'- ISill.


WHY AND HOW IL WAS DEFEATED.
A Washington letter to the New York
Tribune gives the following explanation OF
the defeat of the Shipping Bill
Great credit is due to Mr.. Lynch for the
patient research and labor he gave to the
Subject. but nevertheless he proved him
self 70 be the wrong man for Chairman of
the Committee. 1t was clearly impossible
FOR him to see much beyond the limits OF a
Maine >hp-yard. To restore American
commerce meant TO him. to revive ship
building III his own State, and little more.
lic never comprehcnded the magnitude or
nature of the problem width the House
made II the duty OF his Committee To solve.
and the solution he presented was no >olu-
ton at all. His bill. when carried ont To-
1t, results, could not possibly have trans.
fcrrcd trans-occaniC commerce to Amcr-
can ships, aud the only cloar result that
could be cyphcred out Of il was an in
creased profit To ship-buildcrs for building
small vessels for the coasting trade. where
Nc foreign competition Is possible under
orr nav igaton laws, II j. probable that
Mr. Lynch hoped that his BIZ would do
more Than this. but he took care to make
the benefits to accrue TO his own con~titu-
cnt> certain. while any gain Of the ocean
. carrying trade To the nation AT large wa.
len extremely prohlcmsiical The bill
Therefore sank. chiefly because there was
not merit enough in it to foat IT, 1t pro-
pos cd to cure great national evil, but
presented remedies that few believed would
re adequate Mr.. Lynch failed to show
tina. even with all the drawbacks aud sub
Sdy provided for In his original bill. iron
steamships could be built In this Couatry to
compete with tue productions Of the ship
yards OF the Clyde and the longer the bill
was ui~cu> >cd the Couy lotion hat the aid
Il extended 10 vessels engaged In foreign
trade would be inadequate while the adj to
b. given 10 coa>t-wisc commerce was en-
trcly unnecessary. spread rapidly anon.
members who intcn led at drst to support
the hill aud would have voted for 1t n al a
vote been taken As early a. THE second DAY
or the debate
Another primary cause Of the death ~
the measure must be- looked fur In tin
growing opposition TO Government .ub~.-
dies of All kinds, aud 10 any legislation
fANoring class Interests TINS j. brrp.A-
Ia. daily more and more frlt IN Congress
True, this opposition has not yet become 4
settled political principle. with any large
number uf consistent advocates ana thus
far Il has manifested itself -pa-mudically
and without method. Eastern representa-
lives favoring banking monopoly and sub
sides 10 peculiar Eastern interests and OPP
po-n. land grants. and Western reprc-cu.
tativr> going tn for all schemes FOR Civ
ing away the public domain and Gghttug
projects for rcy.viug commerce by the aid
Ofpublc money Siill. this subsidy oppp-
+ ~itiou j. already very powerful, especially
among the Western members, and when II
plant. itSelfnpon the ground OF principle
IL cNcTt- an immense force. In The case ~
( VT lynch's hill. the nucleus ~ opposition
Wa furnished hy the Illinois delegation.
Logan Farn>worth. tullom, ami In-cr-oI
took strong ground against the whole pr!n.
cipal ~ granting Government aid To- shin
ping Interests, ami. gathering to their sup-
port great for be OF Western members
they fought the bill step oy step with .
rcrtinacity and effectiveness, that could not
he surpassed No bill introduced thi, .c>-
! Nion ha> had such a powerful and we'll
trained opposition 10 encounter The anti
SUBSIDY men were reinforced " such
strong men A. Schcnck, GARFIELD and other
members from all sections or the country
WI" w"r" favor ~ some legislation to RI.
viyc th" carryiug-tr4ldc Of the country hut
VINO believed Mr.. Lynch, plan wunld not
meet the ease. and declared that II was
conceived not primarily IN the Interests Of
American oceanic commerce. but chiefly In
When Mr.. Lynch saw that the sub
>iiy feature Of hi~ bill wa~ sure to Kill
ii, ANA introduced H. substitute, " hich
proposed 10 give drawbacks ouiy in
>hipbuilding material. it was too hate.
The opposition had become emoiucrrd:
m-iuualions 81 lobbying improper IN
furncc~ had been thrown back aud forth
chairincn of committees were dl>>ati--
lied At the bal parliamentary manage
mcut 81 the bill which had consumed 80
many morning hours tn the exclusion
VI other committees having important
business Ia present; every body was i'll
hAi temper. ANA the House finally
slaughtered the substitute, which would
have bc.n adopted by large majority
had ii been proposed AT the outset 81 the
debate
- the great scheme Tor rryiving
American commerce, upon winch
J Select Committee hI- been AT work for
a year and from which the country an
tlcipated great things, came TO al un-
timely death. IL died OF il, friends, and
OF the remarkably active and powerful
hostility of il enemies | do not be-
/ lievc. however. that the whole subject
oil restoring our commerce j. shelved
for this session. Ii i, understood that
senator Chandler. from the Senate Com
mlttee on Commerce, e poets To get
Oil through the senate nearly identical
with MIR. Lynch substitute, and if such
bill should come from the Senate. il i
believed that the House, in better tenn
per, would pass it,