The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-22
Speech Of Mr.. Blaine to The Opponents
of Woods Tariff.
DECREASE on AMERICAN SHIPS EXPLAINED
Why We Are Unable to Compete
= with European Nations
A GUARDED ADVOCACY OF SUBSIDIES.

yesterday In opposition TO Fernando Woods Tariff
biil:-
During the past twenty years We have made gigantic
strides forward In the settle meat oil States and
Territories, the vast increase OF our agricultural
products, tue mary lous construction vi rail-
way lines IN the unprecedented g. ow,h Of our manu-
featuring industries, both III extent and variety and
while necessary reAult OF all these develop nients
tho bulk OF our foreign commeTc. has grown cnor
American merchant marine. We read Inc statistics
decadence with astonishmcn and Ortihcation.
In 1857 there carried In the foreign commerce Ut
the country 10 ana IRON all our ports more than
$500 600 uUU oil merchandise IN American built ships,
little 5000 O0U, O0O Twenty years pass by, and
1877 IND that American bu ships carry less than
$780, 1000, while foreign built ships carry about
$500, 100000 In other words. tho amount OF
canaI carried in our foreign trade IN American
soils isen OF more than forty per cent in twenty
years, while tho amount carried IN foreign built
IS increased well nigh iouriod in Amount. In
1857 American vessels did nvc-sevenins Of the whole
1877 tney DID little moro than quarter part oil the
wnolc.
For change 80 radical and disastrous thcrc must
be dcepseatcd anu continuing causes and II is GER
tainly among the most imDortant duties OF American
s, s 70 IN 'ns"' , nna. pos.
briei remarks to-day IL IS impossible 10
do more than aude TO the series OF causes WHOM
have produced Inc unhappy condition OF Affairs Dow
existing tho highest poht vi prosperity perhaps ever
reached by our merchant marine was IN 1854, 1855
and 1856. But the cessation OF The Crimcan war, by
which we largely pronied followed by the panic
protra,ion OF 1857 greatly depressed our shipping
the war o the rebellion canic on; our large cotton
trade suddenly stopped our scnmcn bstook them
selves hastily enlarged navy piraticai cruisers
bearing the Confederate Tag, but really built aud
manned by Englshmec, took to tho sea ana made il
50 unsafe Tor vessels bearing the American nag
ihat frcghts BY them had 10 pay AN enormous
premium for RISKS, and consequently mer.
chants compelled 20 send their careocs by neu-
ra vessels Ia order 10 insure safety aud decrease
penses. These causes IN active operation With In
creas,ng ecct Tor tour destructive years inflicted
terrible blow upon Inc merchant marine oil America,
aud CORES pondngly developed ana built up OF
great commercial rival England. But the causes
have adverted TO, disastrous they we're
in their results we're yet but temporary Ia
their nature and VIC should 10 time have
another cause as still more potent though silent ana
that was The rapid transfer OF the commerce oil the
Norm Atlantic TO the steam marine. And IN this field
Great Britain made as rapid strides toward the
troll OF the foreign commerce AS we were making at
In the development Of our informal commerce by
the consr ucton OF RI lway system. Indeed,
the developments seom 10 have Kept oven pace,
We'll they might. Tor every line Of Anerican railway
that increased the facility Tor bringing our products
10 the sesboad by tho Same ratio increased tho de-
maud for Brirsh-buIlt steamships TO transport them
OR INTERNAL COMMERCE..
And Just here II IL worthy OF observation, that
people auripg this trial per'od OF our commercial life
have expended every Imaginable effort TO build up
Internal commerce by the construction Of rali-
ways. Individuals poor as well Us rich, farmers ami
merchants. ana bauxcrs and manufacturers, have
all ulited with thor cash, and then they
have pledged corporate credit Tor loans, and
then they induced towns and townships,
Dofcughs and cities, couattes ana states.
and finally the national government 10 aid IN tho
huge incsicusble task OF building 80, 0O0 miles OF
raiIwsy within our bordsrs-more Than can DO found
In all world beside: aad yet with all effort,
unlneasurabe and uppre ted, to bring the pro.
duct OF prares una our Valleys oil our mountains
and mincs, 10 the seaboxrd, wc quietly abandon
NIL effort TO control It's transport abroad. and coolly
resign Il, with aii It's wealth OF profit and power,
tho alien and tho Stranger otrom 1916 10 1871 Con-
grcss passed ninety lone acssto ad Ia tho c0Gstruc
munihccptly OF the public domain to that end, but
both Congress and she people, ali OF US together.
have apparently folded our arms and Witnessed tho
transfer 10 foreign countries N commerce which ~
our bIrthrig and whose control 10 worth more
nualy TO our country IN hard dollars IMAM the entire
interest on our national debt, rho foreign steam
ship lines thaI run between New YORK city and
European ports represent as great . carrying
sengcr traffic, as couid DO Afforded by !, 500
SAILING vessels, Of 1,oU0 tons burden each. ADD
these tho iorcIgn hncs that run Portland, Bos-
ton. to Baltimore, TO Now Orleans, and you
Low the sailing vessel has TO large oxtcnt bcea
driven from the channels OF the North Atlantic tho
largest aud weathiest crcial Held the world.
rnE PREE SHIPS ARGUMENT.
And when wc contemplate TINS condition Of Affairs
tho dOctrtndire VI Tree TRADE steps forward with hs
ready suggestion and says "Givo us ireo sbips and
Viii al once estaDsh steamship liuos between our
believes that anylnng can be produced in ms coun
try cheap or as good Ms ~ cun be found abroad aud
ship butt ON the Delaware he viii Try 10 persuade
you that one butt on tho Clyde Tor ETA per
,on .r vas, a.o deal sasap pr. though me
united 10 DO Of better quality than that en-.
pioycd tho English yards But II you crafty
the whim Of thu ircctrader and permit American
registers to undere and the American nag 10 float
over any ship wherever built What nave you
gained Can you these lines the basis Of Tree
trade against mo great Eng anu French lines that
aided and upheiu by their governments Tno
no longer aid ihe,r steamship enterprises Why, gen
tlcmon, lhis - most serious mistake. EngiaGu has
never Withdraw AID from her steamship lines unit,
she had enabled them TO defy, II not TO destroy,
competition Whom the Cunsrd line was nrst cstao-
ilshcd. nearly ihry-scvcn years ago. England paid
$9e0,O00 per annum, II Inistske not, and this was
continucd, bciievc for the long period or twenty-
nys years. down 10 aud including 1866, and for tho
iust ten years England has pald mail ALLOW.
auces 10 her various steamship lines anIountiEg In
inc aggregate to TO 1ioooo.voo sterling Ct an
France. emerging irofa her war with PRUSSIA,
wounded bruised, bleeding, with Two great provinces
from her, with the expenses OF tho couhc:
70 pay, with superadded war indemnify Of tnou-
sand millions Of doiiarsFrance, with all those dsas-
trous and ueadesinc discouragements maintains her
great steamship lines over all The world by paying
them Tor mali service AN allowance OF more Than
TO 50 per mile SAILING distance. Even Italy, which
scarcely RECOGNIZES as maritime Power, pays yearly
10 her steamship lines more tnan 5000, 000i.
OUR POLICY REGARDING srBsIDIEA
do not wish 10 give TINS audience thc slightest on
enlargement 10 believe that our government
will the cstabIishment Of steamship lines
IA any direction. There rs undoubtedly strong
opposition to IL among large portion OF our
people, among some from principle, among others
from pref dice, not unnaturaly arising IRON mis-
used subsidy TO two lines IN tho pasta subsidy, how
that granted oUn wrong DustS, when there
rs danger OF repeating in The future; would u
be matter OF propricy for one IN my position 10 dis
cuss here tho PROBABLE action Of Congress on those
questions concerning which l may have 10 act as
senator. l am here to-day only as nm American ct-
zen, as a republican, as profound believer 10 tho
great doctrine o. protecting American labor aud Of
producing rs much as possible within the Uncc
States represent the largest shpUuiding State In
the Union. In tue Valley VI the kenneLcc, where
reside. the arr Of building wooden ships Is well
understood as ~ ever has been BY any community
since Columbus crossed tho Atantic; and ~ tho city
oil Bath, with It's 10000 Industrious Inhabitants,
there mere wooden ships built to-day than NJ any
other place on the robs. Ana IT 10 should become
the poIicy Of our government to ard ia building up
steam marine to compete win thoso Of England sRi
France warn you gentlemen the Delaware that
you will md your quickest rivals among tho people
whom represent ana In tho beautiful valley tbat
proud TO cali my nome. but hero on tho branch
OF TINS superb river you hsvc taken the load, and
wish the whole American people could sec nat you
have done against all hindrsnces and discourage
ments.
WHAT soEx sMPyARD mas DONE
wish that they could all know that on the banks
OF the Delaware there are four shipysr fitted