The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-17
Solid Facts.


manufactures. and other forms of produo-
tive industry, we are still In q state OF de-
pendcnce on Great Britain, hardly less than
q condition OF colonial vassalage, In regard
70 several important things by which indo-
pendence and wealth are secured to ma
ton. This condition has been brought
about mainly by our own bad legislation.
absurd policy. and sham statesmanshlp.
Let us look at some Of the most prominent
facts that stand out as II were from the
public records, and yet only receive pass
ing notice. in or out Of Congress. except
from an occasional Exporters Convention,
or statistical society, or an expert who
makes a business Of trading on figures. We
nre boasting Of a great balance OF trade
that has recently turned in favor OF the
United States by the necessities OF people
struggling against adversely and not able
To indulge In luxuries and extravaganza, as
they have heretofore done.
To understand this change fully, IL is nee
essary to make a comparison between two
periods, taking the imports and exports as
the basis for getting at the so-called bal
ance VI trade, which at bottom Is more arti-
hcial than actual According to the last
report Of the Bureau of Statistics, the bal
ance OF trade against us, In the seven years
between 1867 and 1873 inclusive, aggregated
b6S7 100000 In round numbers. In the five
years from 1874 to 1878 inclusive the balance
has been In our favor to the extent OF
s4ss. 100000, leaving $l49, O0O, 600 to be made
mp In the current fiscal year.
In the year 1s77-7s, which closed on the
Nth OF June, we imported $423, 900 oo0 and
nTpOrtad eeQI loo 81. ~ A.
credit OF sass, 900 900. Tho foreign trade, In and
out. amounted to more than eleven hundred
millions OF dollars In twelve months. Who
carried this immense trade Three-fourths
Of the whole imports come to this port and
the great bulk OF them, estimated as high as
nine-tenths. cross the ocean by steamships.
Three-fifths Of the exports from New York
are carried by steam. This traffic OF ocean
carrying furnishes about twelve millions OF
tons year, for which we pay tribute, main
ly to the steamships OF Great Britain. at the
rate OF fifty millions per annuml
Exclusive of the Brazilian experiment,
there are but two American lines on the
ocean, the Philadelphia and the Pacific Mail,
and the former is hardly self-sustaininR.
In the last ten years we have paid for
freight alone. 10 say nothing OF passengers,
moro than enough money TO have estab-
lished lines superior to any In existence,
with England, France, Belgium, Germany,
Central and South America, China, japan,
and wherever else there was an opening for
commerce; TO have maintained them on the
most liberal footing, and TO have put three
or four hundred millions into the Treasury
besides.
Great Britain has population at least ten
millions less than that Of the United States,
and yet her foreign trade Is nearly three
time as great as ours. She carries every
pound OF her own freight In British bot
toms, and most OF ours in addition. In 1860
American ships carried seventy-one per
cent. OF our tonnage In the foreign trade,
while in 1870 we carried but thirty-eght
per cent, or little moro than one-half Of
ter years before. In 1857 American ships
carried $5iO,0oO,0o0 out Of foreign trade OF
s72S,0oO.0oO; in 1867, out OF trade valued
At Ss76,OO0,0Oo, American ships carried but
S2e60oo,ooO; and in 1877. with a foreign
trade valued at s1,l7S,OOO,OOO. we carried
only $Si5,oOO,0oo or nearly 500 900 900 less
than twenty years beforel
These facts are as astounding as they are
humiliating to the national pride Twenty
years ago We expended $25. 100000 for ship
building, most OF 1t in labor, and now barely
I'll. 100000 foot ali the bills In 1850 the
United States stood second among the mar
thine powers, and was fast advancing to the
FIRST place. Our clipper ships outranked
the world, and were fast absorbing the car
rytng trade, when England repealed her
navigation laws, and allowed her subjects
TO buy our ships without any restriction,
and thus sought to compete with the United
states by turning, as 1t were, our own
weapons against US.
Then came the era OF steam, from which
may be dated our loss OF prestige on the
ocean. steamship OF a given tonnage will
do the work OF three sailing vessels OF the
same tonnage England gained rapidly her
lost ground, and succeeded in driving us TO
back seat. until to-day there are more than
two hundred steamships engaged in the
trade from Europe to the United States, and
scarcely fifteen bear the Stars and Stripes
on the ocean. Even our coasting trade has
been threatened. and would long ago have
been Invaded but for the law requiring 1t TO
be carried exclusively in American bottoms.
Here is a subject worthy OF the best at
tention Of every statesman and legislator.
The extreme free traders cry out that the
whole trouble Is seated In our navigation
laws, which forbid the free purchase OF
foreign ships for American use This charge
il only partially true 1t must not be for
gotten that nearly all the foreign materials
which enter into the construction OF steam
ships are now admitted free OF duty, and
that American iron Is considered better than
English iron for that use. There is hardly
difference OF ten per cent, II there is so
much. between builders on the Clyde and
builders In the United States. These are
facts which ought TO be considered calmly
by Congress with view OF revivlng Ameri-
can commerce, and OF restoring the carry
ing trade which belongs TO our people
Impose discriminating duty on imports
by foreign ships. and the problem will be
solved
How Bismarck Played with Socialism.
1t will no longer be disputed that extremus
meet III politics, now that tho Chairman