New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-18
THE SUBSIDY BEGGARS
DANGERS or THE SYSTEM.
fPROM AN OccAsrogAL CORRESPONDENCE

bill in support Of a line of steamers from Newb,
leans TO Mexico The forces which ought 20 supuirt
defend, and push forward the just claims Of our shin
ping interests in Congress, are in as demorazed q
state az the French armies under the crnshingbov.
of the Prussans. They at odds among them
selves they have no clear-sighted leader, or at
least, recognize none. In striking, they ar.
"a apt to smte friends enemies. 1t is this demon
alization that discourages and confounds manyof
those who have long and patiently aimed 10 revive
our PROSTATE foreign commerce. The great public
interest which is at stake is smothered under thu
rival claims and controversies Of contendng private
parties, who seek only their selfish ends These
private objects swell mountain high in Congress be-
fore which body they advocated by every speci-
GUS reason and social blandishment. Yet their sup
porters brazen beggars all, who should be sent
packing about honest business.
Why should commission and shipping merchtnts
and steamship agents, and maship comparing 10
thronging the halls and corridors Of Congress, be
setting members Of the Senate and House for gifts
and gratuites out Of the public chest, for their pr-
vate adyantagei All the money in the Treasury is
taken out of the pockets Of the people by onerous
taxation. Yet it is by certain classes and characters
regarded as so much public plumber, 10 be dis
tributed among those who have the liveiest facul-
ties for theft or the most audacty in robbery. |
to these impudent demands, so much AZ do with a
leaden inertness of perception, in not seeing
their objects, and driving the whole crowd
| of robbers from their presence without
| the gift of pcayune But instead of this, we find
the sophistca clamors of this weldressed and we'll
fed crowd, living in luxury on the wealth Of their
| distant hackers, imposing upon supplemented and
well-disposed congressman. who yield their votes.
thinking they are doing the State good service
Even an experienced Senator, of generally sound
instincts and unquestionable integrity whose naIns
is found among the majority in favor OF this Inst
subsidy BILL could lind better reason for his vote
than that he was tired Of seeing only foreign steam
ships enter our ports.
The reason, ut least indicated patriotic spirit.
but it assuredly finds no support IN the motives
which ought to actuate an intelligent legislator For
there is no proposition clearer than this. that If tho
! merchants of the United States cannot keep their
ships upon the ocean without having their expenses
paid out of the National Treasury, then they should
| abandon tho attempt. The proposition that wa
| ought to maintain mercantile marine 10
| this way is 80 transparently preposterous that
| an idiot would boot at it, And yet
| this is substantially the very thingt which the
subsidy beggars after. 1t is the very proposition
that underiies all their arguments iii behalf of their
precious schemes. But there is no more reason why
|
| taxation than private sailing-ships in the cotton
trade or in the whaling business. \ Stonngton
South Sea sealer has, in fact more claim to a gra-
tuity from the Government for embarking on his
hazardous enterprise than any steamship that
ever ran Aud any reason that is conclusive against
the one is conclusive against tbs other.
There is one word which stamps wifi condemns
ton every transaction of this nature. monopoly
Wherever Government subsidies shiIl OF line OF
ships il creates an odiOus monopoly, anil IN 80 dong
il strikes fatal blow at competition d all private
enterprise. What Congress needs to do Is To ascer-
TAIN not what tho steamship companies want nor
the shipping commits ion merchant wants, nor what
the ship builder wants but what will revive The en-
tire maritime industry of the country, and what is
required to replace it in the high and enyabe posi-
ton il so long enioyed-a position long SIS
taued alone by the profits and gains OF us
own enterprise and perseverance, in open competition
with all the world and in the infancy #
national existence. TO do this is not difficult task.
What the country did onc', it can do aGoin. When
we had cheap material for building ships, We feared
no competition and we Cistalced alfrgals. Neither
high seamen's wages no. l.gh mecl bnics' wages OF
which complaint is laadc, We f. hindennce
We oyercame every inequality byl superior Skill
activity and enterprise Given the me conmtlons
why shall we refuse to believe that he same ihns
can be done again
The change the country has exper Inced has been
produced by two fundamental caused. The first and
the main one is, thai iron rs taktn the place OF
wood in shipbuilding; the second land minor one.
that foreign steamship lines have Hoen put on the
monopoly footing, and thus surrp louSly obtained
an advantage over orr vessels, at inc when they
were subjected in addition, to the iraces of rival
power and the derrcssi. rs f a great war When we
remove these causes shall begin the revival OF our
shipping interest on a solid, iuprcgnable basis. In
Ill we do this our crippled ard PROSTATE state viii
continue. Subsidies will neither save ROT help US;
they will but plunge the general maritime interests
into still lower deep We must have all the mate
rial for ship-bGildng duty free, and we must, y
legislation or otherwise, put an end TO the adyan-
tages enjoyed by the foreign subsidy ships 1t r. tAe
concurrent testimony of the most intelligent ship
ping men Of the country that this twOfOld remedy
is ADEQUATE to all our necessities and fully share
this opinion.
But if we are 70 enter upon the system Of sub>i-
dies-f the wedge just entered by the Senate IS 10
driven by the action Of the House-the restoration
now within our reach will be By that action put be-
yond IT, If we are to adopt any policy but that OF
free and open competition with all the world. which
was the policy that proved asuicient for us IN
the past let us 60 back to the old system OF derrn
tial duties. and retake, by revocation OF our
treaties entire possession of foreign trade Bet
ter fight foreign powers with this obsolete weapon
than enter upon the corrupt and democrat
ling and eneryating race of subsidies WIN
them. This revival of an old system OF
protective legislation will at least cover the
entire subject, and allow every man everywhere IN
the country an equal chance to embark IN foreign
commerce. and not surrender it wholly into the hands
of the subsidy monopolists Irepeat that thenNane
Of special interests stand in the way OF SueceSiui
prosecution of the objects sought The shpp'hs
| commission merchant and yessel-owner Oh our ,hei