The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-09-16

Exports Observation-Disclosures. $728 SIT 42t
Imports Observation-Disclosures. 466B72, SAC
Showing that we sold 1851 ,744 ,957 moro than
we have purchased. During the years Of our
against us. In 1870 $43,000000 In 1872 1868,
000, ,00O from 1866 to 1878 the balance of trade
against lis was $315,o00,G00. For this vast
sum we shipped our bonds. bearing interest,
ance of trade against the United States was
$162,000, 900, while IN 1878 it was In our favor
$2G1, ,744, OCT, o. change In the tide Of more than
1888 100000 Indicating sound basis on which
to commence to restore our commerce.
The first great duty before the Congress Of
the United States is to settle the financial
question by the immediate resumption Of
specie payment. The currency Of the cOun-
try is ample for the wants Of commerce and
trade far greater than We are liable to have
for many years; and until we do resume there
can be no real prosperity. This question be-
ing settled, as ] believe it will be in the near
future, we should declare friendly war
against Great Britain for the commerce and
trade OF China, Japan, Australia, South
America, Mexico and the West India islands.
BY reference to the map 1t will be seen that
the shortest route from Liverpool to China or
Jap5t Il through NeE= HeHlz anA san Fran
cisco, those countries consume vast quanti-
ties Of the manufactured goods and products
Of this country. We raise the cotton, have
the machinery to manufacture the cloth, and
an abundance Of labor In land where provi-
sions are rs cheap as anywhere On the globe,
and believe we should monopolize the trade
of those countries.
7 cannot see how Great Britain can trans
port raw cotton to her shores at heavy cost
for freight, loss in weight, bagging, etc, and
transport the goods 1890 miles to Japan,
which is only 1926 miles from San Francisco,
or to Sydney. 1880 miles, which is only 600
miles from our shores, as cheaply as we can
do it. American goods are preferred In the
markets OF the world, wherever they have
been introduced
| want to call your attention to the trade of
South America, Mexico and the neighboring
islands, Here is o population of 40,000.O0O
whose trade should belong to us, but which
is enjoyed almost exclusively by Great
Britain, through the aid of her numerous
heavily subsidized steamship lines.
England has pursued the policy Of grant
ing subsidies for nearly forty years. When
the Cunard line was established thirty-seven
years ago, England paid it for mail service
100000 per annum. This was continued Tor
twenty-five years, to 1866, when the amount
was reduced but for the past ten years Eng
land has paid annually to her various subsi-
dized lines about $5, ,0OO, 900, and is now main
tanning three lines to South America, which
enables her to control the rich trade OF that
imports $94,0O0O0o OF which we furnished
about 81 100000, while her exports were $780,
0OO,OO0, of which we purchased $48,000,0OO. Of
100000 bags OF coffee exported that year,
the United States took 100000 bags, which
was transported to our shores in ships be-
longing to foreign nations, and for which we
paid in gold. In five years we have paid to
Brazil $225,000000 in gold more than she has
purchased of us 1t has been said that much
that England sells to that country comes
from the United States, and that II we sell
direct to Brazil, we sell to England that much
less Very well; that is precisely what | de-
mand. A barrel OF flour on the dock in Liv
erpool is no nearer Brazil than when it Is Oh
IL I'll
freight, insurance, drayage and exchange
from New York to Liverpool is taken from
the pocket Of the producer.
The commerce of the United States was
very largely carried In American ships until
the beginning Of the war, when the steam ton
required by the government to aid In preserv-
ing the life Of the nation. In 1924, 91.15 per
cent was under the American fiag in 1886,
81 per cent, and in 1856, Is per cent, while in
1877 but 26.90 per cent of a commerce amount
ing to nearly 81 100000 1000 is carried in Ame-
rican vessels. We can recover the carrying
trade Of our commerce and secure the trade Of
the countries south OF us II we act wisely.
The trade Of the Argentine Republic Peru
and all the South American States is equally
valuable, and is enjoyed by Great Britain to
the same extent as Brazil.
The Argentine Republic used last year S14,
100000 worth Of cotton goods, Of which the
United States supplied $175,OOO; all the rest
people of that country to have direct steam
Communication with the United States that
five commercial firms, doing business there,
propose to give $4,000 each annually to aid in
establishing line between the United States
and the Rio Plata.
Every man connected with the government
Of England, from Lord Beaconsfield to the
smallest officer Of the country, is pathfinder
for British commerce. They have spent hun
dreds Of millions In aiding their commerce,
ON thr0J1rh that q m
lines to more than two hundred foreign ports.
With some Of the South American countries
and Mexico we have steamship lines estab-
lished and sustained by subsidies granted by
the respective countries, but not one dollar
from our own country except the ordinary
letter postage. The result Of the experiment
with these lines shows that wherever we
have steamship lines the trade OF this coun-
try is in proportion to the steamship tonnage
we furnish. This fact can be illustrated by
comparison with the trade Of Venezuela.
In 1870 we imported from Venezuela s., 2,037,-
322 and sold them 81 ,307, ,833, a total trade Of
So, ,345, Jas. Through the influence of a subsi-
dy granted by that government we now have
ella, and in 1876 we imported from them $685.
715 and exported S3,424,278 a total trade Of
So, ,299, 1893, an increase Of 260 per cent
over the trade Of 1870. In 1870 the American
shipping engaged in trade with Venezuela was
Is vessel Of 2571 tons capacity, employing
1O9 hands. In 1876 the American ships were
154, with 43,45o tons, employing 1855 hands.
Or our imports 50, ,581, Ats in 1876 was coffee,
and our exports 1896 was breadstuffs,
S463, $50 provisions and S110,825 cotton goods.
The Mexican government pays for having a
mail line Of American steamships supported
between Vera Cruz and New York, and another
line between Vera Cruz and New Orleans, also
between Acapulco and other Pacific Mexican
ports and New York, via the Isthmus of
Panama, and from those ports to San Fran
cisco. We are therefore on q par with Eng
land as regards postal facilities, and the re-
suit is we divided the trade of Mexico last
year almost equal with England, and will
probably exceed her this year.
Central America has connection with Eng
land by two lines of mail steamers and with
the United States by one line. Out Of S15,--
100000 last year we supplied s5,o0o,ooo and
England S10,000,000. Is it not perfectly ap--
parent that if we had had two lines, and
England only one, that we would have sold
S1O0O0O0O and England only S5,000,000?
TO the United States OF Colombia we have
two lines of steamers running and England
has two; OF $1,000, 900 OF goods imported last
year, we furnished S4,O00,000 and England
81, 100000.
Take the west coast of South America, in
dependent OF the United States OF Colombia,
+>rc c0o md