New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-22

egatOn wa provided with hand OF music, aud carried
DIacards ana banners donOuncing tho Tariff Bill now
urnding before Congress.
After parndlng through the town massmeeting was
Organized the grand stand which attended by at
least 10000 people. Letters were read from Governor
Hartrauft Senators Cameron wallace and Barnuin ana
others. After speechcs ny senate b.islne' Don-
gresham Ward AMI others, resolutions were
unanimously adopted protesting against any re
ducton IN the present tarh duties upon
foreign manufactures and nstrucng the Congressman
from this district present the resolutions to the Ma
toua House ~ Representatives. One OF the resolutions
declares that the agitation or the subject IN
"a the wood Tlrif Bin. has augmented the
business DEPRESSION and financial distress, ana
The following what Mr. Blaine said about our foreign
commerce and free ships:
MR.. BLAINE'S SPEECH.
CAUSES OF THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN SHIP
PtNC.
During the past twenty years we have made gigantic
strides forward the settlement Of States and Ter
ri,orics IN the vast increase agricultural products,
in the marvellous construction OF railway lines in
the uurrcccdeutod growth Of our manufacturing
industries, both in extent and variety And
opments tie bunk q our foreign commerce has
grown enormously, nave witnessed steady decline
IN orr American merchant marine. We read the Stats
TIES dccalcuce with asion ,Ement and m0rthca-
ton. I'm 1857, there were carried IN the tortIgn com
mrrte the country 10 and from all our ports, more
taan %5OOOOO,OOO nf merchandise in Americanbuilt
ships while foreign ships Of all nations carried llte
over 90 OOOOOO. Twenty years pass by, and IN 1917
we find mat AmpCaE-Nut ships carry less than 500
600 600 ble forcigbut ships carry about $500 OOO-
600. In other words the amount Of me rchau
,eo has fallen of more than 40 per cent in twenty
wears while the ainuant carried IN fOrecnout vessels
Dan. ucrca> sell wei nigh iou:-old m amount: In Is2L
American vessels did Gye-seyenths ~ the whole 1877
tlcy ala little more than quarter OF the whole For
change radical and disastrous there must De deep
.cd and continuing causes, and t Is certainly among
Inc most important duties Of American siatesmanship
- assertion them, ana, II p"s,l"r move 10
II is impossible 10 ID more M audc 10 the series of
causes winch produced tie unhappy condition OF
airs now EXISTING. The highest point or prosperity
perhaps ever reached by our merchant marine was IN
l-j4 1888, and 1856 But the cessation OF the Chme9S
War. which We had largely Lr0b'ed iotO"td by me
manic and prOstratun OF 1897 greatly depressed our
,gppH- interest, aud before Te had iMrly SoI under
wa, llu. the war ~ tn rebellion came Oh; our large
cotton trade -uddcply stoDycd our seamen hetooG
themselves to our h!suly ENLARGED navy GIratica.
cruisers bearing the Confederate nag DuI really DuhI
aud manned hy Euslshnrt; TOOK 10 me sea anI
can nlr that froights by them had TO pay
20 enormous premium for war risks, and
consequently merchants were competed 10 srnd
their cargo by neutral vessel IN order 10 insure safety
and decrease Npeurc~. IurSt cause I'D atNt operation
with Increasing effect Tor fonr destructive years inflicted
"A t.lrib, blow up,u the merchant marine Of America
and spoudmgy deyeo I'd aud built up that Of our
great commercial rival, England
UNEQUAL UEvELOPMENT OF INTERNAL COMMERCE.
And Iust here 1t worthy OF observation. that, "a
,cop, during THE trial period OF our commercial e,we
nave expended every imaginable effort to build up our
internal commerce by the construction Of railways. L.
,yigls poor rs wen u- rIc farmers and merchants
and h5nktr. and manufactu ers have all united with
tu..r cash aud then they have pledged corporate
credit fur loans, ami then they induced towns and
townships boIuughs ami cities, countries and SatS,
ud finally, tn National Government 20 aid In the huge
urilruldpi. task 81 building $4,000 miles OF railway
WITHIN our bordrrs-more than can be found I'm ali the
auid beside; and yet. with all TINS effort, uumcasurn
Die aud unprecedented. &" bring the products OF our
,rlirirs ANA valleys, of our mountains and our
nu,s 10 sgabOard, quietly abandon an ,fort To
r,utru. as transport abroad, ana cody resign H. with
Al. its wealth OF profit and power, the alien and the
stranger From 1916 10 1871 Congress passed ninety
act, So ant l iht construct oh iahWtls ana mas
given most luylsnly and muuihceuty Of the
public domain 10 that cndi Dut Doth CongIess
and tn people, all ot Us together eapparcnty folded
oar arms and witnessed the transfer To foreign
commerce when Is our birIhTIght ana whose
cuu,r"i * worth more ahnuul TO our couhIl M nara
dollars than tie entire interest on our national debt
the foreign scam-hip lines that run between Newly TX
City and European ports reptaeht rs great carving
capacity for freight iH addition u he passenger uhc,
as could be Afforded by fifteen hundred sailing vessels of
u thousand tons urden eaen. Add 10 tn'S, me foreign
lines that Portland to Boston, to Baltimore, 10
40 Lac re an extent been driven from the channels o.
t, No.t A. mite, me largest and wealthieSt CONNER
vIaI lcd II the world
GOVERNMENT AID TO FOREIGN SHIPS.
Wbrn We contemplate this condition OF affairs the
,r,uors Of free trade steps forward with his ready
,,estion and says; "Gyc us free ships and we will
~ once establish steamship lines between ports and
rrrnur The genuine frcc-,Iadrr never believes that
ytIUg can be- produced in this country cheap
lo, as can be found abroad and II you offer him for
81, rurr ncy per ton "A steamship built the Delaware
h., viii ry 10 persuade YOU that built the Clyde
for fla per ton "a vast deal cheaper, though the
A,rcTtclu IRON used IN steamships Is admitted Ia
Ir ~ better quality than that employed IN the
English yards But If you crafty the whm OF
ia t"' uidrrii' and the American flag to float over
any shiI wherever built, what uaye you gaiDedi Can
Won r lines the basis 81 lr''-trate against the
great Eu.sh aud French lines That are aided ana upheld
6y their Goycrumeusi The frrc-rader would persuade
~ that foreign nations no longer ana thelr steamship
cntrrprisps. why, gentlemen, this Is "A most seri-
os mistake England has never Withdrawn aid from her
steamship lines ultl she hdu ehauIcu Ihth 10
defy, II not to destroy competition. When the
Cuard Line was hrst established. nearly thrty-se ven
wears ago England paid its projectors Tor mail service
an allowance Of 100000 per annum, If mistake not.
and his was continued believe tor the long period OF
twenty-five years, down to ana Included $500
AID for the last ten years England has
paid mail allowances TO her various steamship lines,
amounting In the aggregate TO Glu,OOOOOo STERLING OF an
average five million gold dollars every year, ana
France emerging from her war with Prussia, wounded
bruised bleeding, with two great provinces torn nom
her with the expenses OF the conflict 10 pay win
II supeIadded war indemnify Oh tnOusahu H " ol
dollars France, with all th's disastrous ana deaden-
INK dlscouragcments, maintains her great steamship
lines over all world by paying them for mail service
an allowance OF more tnI tNemS tHeo lloIs VI
frapcs OF than four and hair millions OF dollars,
being equiv alen 10 50 per mile SAILING distance Even
Italy which scarcely recognize AS maritime power,
pays yearly to her steamship lines more than eight
millions OF francs. L do not wish to give this
audience the slightest announcement TO believe that
our Government will aid the csaDisnnent OF steamship
lines In any direction There is undoubtedly strong OPP
position TO II among idIge PORTION oI , our people,
among from principle, among others from PfeJu
two lines In the pasta subsidy, however, that was
granted wrong basis winch There Is no danger OF
pretv for one IN my position 10 discuss here the prOba
bic action OF Congress those questions concerning
which may have act as Senator am here to-day
only AS an American citizen Republican, as pro
found believer In the great doctrine OF protecting
American labor and OF producing as mueh as possDe
within the United states.
TIE KENNEBEC AND THE DELAWARE.
Irepresent the largest shipbuiding State in the Union
In the Valley the Kennebec where reside, the art OF
building wooden ships is as well understood as IL ever
has been by any community since Columbus crossed the
Itanto and at the City Of Bath with its 10000 indus
rios inhabitants wooden ships built to-
day than at any other place ON the globe, Ana u
building up a steam marine to compete WIN th9s"
Of England and France, L warn you gentle
,ba hall