The Portland daily press., 1878-04-22
THE TARIFF.
Senator Blainc's Speech to Chester Ship
builders.

Senator Blainc's Speech to Chester Ship
builders.
NEW YORK, April Ex-senator Blaine adj
dressed the shipbuilders of Chester Pa, last
night on the tariff. His speech was princi
pally an argument showing that the govern
ment had devoted too much money and atten-
ton to its internal commerce and not enough
to external commerce. He said that when we
contemplated the condition of affairs the doc
trinaire OF free trade steps forward with his
ready suggestion and says, sGive US free ships
and we will at once establish steamship lines
between our ports and Europe" The genuine
free trader never believes anything can be pro-
duced in this country as cheap or as good as it
can be found abroad and if you offer Linn for
$6S currency per ton steamship built on the
Delaware, he will try to pursuade you that one
built on the Clyde for 914 per ton is a vast deal
cheaper, though the American iron used in our
steamships is admitted to be of better quality
than that employed in English yards. But if
you crafty the whim of the free trader and
permit American registers to underlie and the
American flag to float over any ship wherever
built, what have yau gained? Can you run
s sfE &c a a saas Fec free trade against
nasU Upheld sy hasaence the slightest en-
oouiagement to believe that our government
will aid the establishment of steamship lines in
any direction. There is undoubtedly strong
opposition to it among large portion of our
people, among some from principle, among 9TH
ers from prejudice not unnaturally arising from
misused subsidy to two lines in the pasta
subsidy however that was granted on a wrong
basis which there is no danger of repeating in
the future.
Nor would it be matter of propriety for one
in any position to discuss here the probable &C.
ton OF Congress on those questions concerning
which may have to act as q senator am
here today only las an American citizen, as a
Republican, as a profound believer in the
great doctrine OF protecting American labor
and OF producing as much as possible within
the United States. Before the outbreak of the
rebellion we were abreast, if not ahead, of
Great Britain 10 aggregate tonnage aad on
an equal footing We would speedily do the
sans in our steam marine, but with England
and France aiding their lines with mail con-
tracts to drive other lines from the sea it is
idle for us to enter the race. A very small
amount comparatively would enable us to be-
come victors in theistruggle on ocean suprema-
cy. What it costs us to support two regiments
OF cavalry in the regular army or to maintain
five large men-of-war afoat IN the navy would
give us lines of first-olass American steamships
to foreign ports. For at least six of the prnci.
pal commercial cities of the Atlantic, Pacific
and Gulf we stand in a position to be the first
commercial nation in the world. Alone of all
great powers we have vast frontage on two
oceans whose waters bound all continents and
hoat commerce that civilizes and enriches the
world. Our coast line is longer than that which |
borders Europe. Our harbors are more numer-
Gus and more capacious than those of all our
maritime navals combined. Nature has given |
us position and power to lead the commercial |
world. Shall we use our opportunity or aband- !
on the field to those who have not a 1.-THE of our
If we regain a proportion of orr
which held in 1856, the profit to onr
people will be more than a hundred millions
per aunum.