The Portland daily press., 1872-12-09
Aroused Mt Last.

Aroused at Last.
Those persons to whom the apathy of pub
lie men in regard to the decline of American
commerce has been matter of surprise for
the last four or five years, will be gratifed at
the present interest manifested in the subject.
A member Of Congress, Cabinet officer or
other official who hasn't scheme OF his own
for giving back to America the seventy MIL
lions annually she ought to earn in carrying
merchandise to and from foreign countries, is
an anomaly 1t is time, surely, to do some
thing when the proportion of our foreign
commerce carried ON in American vessels has
actually fallen off from 3S per cent. in 1871 to
2S per cent. in 1872! As the thing nears the
vanishing point there is actually an excite
ment about it. Barnum being ON the point
of securing the last American vessel engaged
in foreign commerce, for his museum, it is
perceived that matters have reached crisis.
Time was when the Representative from this
district seemed to be the only man in Con-
gress who took more than a passing interest
in the matter. However, he kept up vigor-
Gus fight, and as soon as Mr.. Hale came in
he also, as the representative of the leading
ship-building district in the Union, took an
active and efficient part in the contest. AT
length the whole Maine delegation
made united demonstration at the
last session and pushed through the
measure allowing drawback on foreign
material entering into vessels to be used in
the foreign trade, only two months employ
ment in coasting being permitted. And now
Everybody has a hand in the matter. The
President, who walked up on the subject
year or two before the most of our statesmen
and who commended the bills reported from
Mr.. Lynch's special committee in an extra
ordinary message to Congress, is fully alive to
the Importance of doing something. So is
Secretary Boutwell,, though he omits to make
any practical suggestion. Senators and Rep
resentatives have their pockets full of bills
bearing on the question ofthe hour.
Already the two parties that have always
disclosed themselves whenever this subject is
agt..ted are opposing each other. On the
one side are the Lynchs and Hales who say
that the shipbuilding interest must be favor
ed and stimulated in order to secure any re-
vival of American commerce that is worth
making an effort for On the other hand are
the Coxes and Brookses, the representatives
of the great importers of New York and 9TH
er commercial cities, who declare that ship
building is as hopelessly dead as the Pha-
raohs, and that TIL one thing necessary to
give us hack the bulk of the carrying trade,
which is worth delightfully."- cool seventy
millions year, is to permit free trade in
ships, thus giving our American shipbuilding
industry its coup de grace and shutting up
American shipyards forever and day. Their
argument is a specious one They say
that shipbuilding has been killed by
the tariff This proposition is only
half an exaggeration, for at the close
of the war, when Rebel cruisers had
done their work, about half of the car
rying trade still remained to us. They fur
Their say that they are quite willing to remove
entirely the cause of the desolation of the
ship-yards. 'Come now," they exclaim,
''away with these duties in iron and steel and
hemp and copper and lumber! We are
ready! We detest them worse than you do
They are depressing to branches OF industry
dear to our constituents also. Down with
the tariff Let the tariff remain, and boil
ster up the wilted ship!lilders with draw
backs, bountes and such quack remedies,
while other kinds of business are left to bear |
the whole weight of protective duties
Never! 1t is too unphilosophlcal, too abb
surd! If you will not join us in topping
over this monstrous tariff you shall get no aid |
from us in your selfish effort for special re-
lief, for your own constituents! We will |
turn in the merchant fleets of England upon
you, and you can then see what grass crops
your shipyards are capable of producing"
Such in effect is the argument of the New
Workers. Looking at it in speculative way
It is very strong one. The effect of ultra
protection on shipbuilding and commerce,
and the patching, bolstering and stimulating
the drawbacks, bounties and special eX-
emptions, desired as means of getting rid
Of it, exhibit in the strongest possible light,
The futility of the system. But the Maine
delegation are Obliged to meet the question
Is practical men and not as speculative phil
,sophers. They know that an attempt to
rec shipbuilding from its bonds by general
ariff reduction would be futile. Whether
hey would do SO if they could we do not
Know, and it is not necessary to inquire. 1t
s sufficient to know that the enterprise
would be quixotic.
Protection being the established policy of
he country, and having supporters enough
It present to uphold it in spite of all oppos-
RS, they have good ground for saying that
here are the best possible reasons for show
ng commerce and shipbuilding special con-
liberation. 1t is true that they have not suf-
cred alone from the effect of the tariff, but
hey are the only branches of industry that
rave been well-nigh ertinguished by it. If
he protective system is right, why should
hese most important of industries not share
n its benefits? They are brought into COM
petition with the whole world. The duties
hat keep Europe from destroying manufac
ures, as is alleged, only invite it to prey on
ur commerce and prepare for it an easy vic
i'm. Itcannet be protected by duties, like
otton and wooden mills, iron manufac lures
md copper mines. Lett, then, be protected
nd upheld by means of drawbacks, boun-
les and other special provisions for its bene-
it.
THE Maine correspondent Of the Boston
Herald says that the Democratic leaders of
his State are already talking of the rarity can
Iidate for Governor in 1873, and further states
hat Hon. Edmund Wilson of Thomaston,
" II. Simpson, esq.,, of the Belfast Journal,
nd W. Fl. Clifford, esq.,, of this city are al
eady named in connection with the nominal
on. 1t strikes us that this is needless cruel
= to thus early name the victims.
i L. a.1za Il |