The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-06-19

American Seamen, III the large ana generous
employment of American mechanics, in the
active and honorable and profitable employ
ment of American capital. The Athenian
maxim has taught us that we do not iced hay
to sheep in order to get back hay, but to get
back wool. In the present case the smallest OF
heritage would return to US the Golden Fleece.
Among the numberless advantages which
general law would possess over special aid to
selected lines would be the quletmg OF all scru-
pie or criticism growing out OF the conStitu-
tional inhibition that mo preference snail be
given to the ports of one state over those OF an
other" Congress has never adJudged that
aiding particular line of mail steamers con-
travenes this provision, nor do Deneve 1t
does; but still it would undoubtedly be the
wiser policy to offer even an exact lastlce to
ALL to the end that no such opleeuon could
have a lodgment in the minus Vi the peopie oi
any section or any state.
In expressing this preference 1of general
law mean no reflection on the effort made to
extend help to the Brazilian line, so energetlca!-
ly set afoat by Mr. John Roach. 80 1af from That
think Mr. Roach's enterprise is one that de-
serves to be aided, and it was source OF regret
to me that Congress declined to pass a bill to
encourage it. Our neighbors in the Dominion
of Canada have decided, after our refusal to
extend aid, that they would try to fill our place
and have voted for a line from Halifax to Rio
Janeiro a much larger sum than Mr.. Roach
asked from our government Those opposed
to Mr. Roach during the tendency in Congress
of the bill to aid the Brazilian line were in the
habit of decrying that enterprise and sneering
at its protector. Mr.. Roach is self-made man,
a mechanic trained to hard work, who by his
SKILL his talent, and his energy has done much
for his country. In the last seven years, cover
ing the period of depression and financial dis
treSS, he has built forty-Slx iron steamships,
has given employment to two thousand five
hundred mechanics, and has expended in cash
for American labor and American material
more than SIT 100000. Men may sneer at him
as a subsidy-hunter, but the facts will show
that he was riSking millions in building up an
American steam marine where the government
was asked to advance hundreds, and that in
doing so he was blessingmany a household with
the privilege of earning fair days wages for
fair days work. Those who have paid two
and half millions a year-SS,O00 day for
seven consecutive years-to the workingmen of
the United States maypossibly afford asneer at
Mr. Roach. To others commend silence in
the presence of the great work done by this
tireeSS, unSelfiSh, a I'd honest man
1t is not denied that steamship built in the
United States costs somewhat more than one
built in England. But the difference is not
great. 1t does not exceed eight, or at most,
ten per cent, and this excess of cost arises
wholly from the better wages paid to the
American mechanic and laborer. And this
difference is really not a great obstacle. Civ
ing twenty years as the life of steamer it is
less than one-half per cent. per annum on her
cost, and that is very small drawback COM
| construction. Nor can it fail to be noted that
the argument for free ships applies with equal
force to the free admission of all dutiable arti-
| Giles which are not Exclusively on the revenue
| basis. Why not have free cottons and free
woolens, and free silks, and free iron, and free
| steel, and free cutlery and free fabrics of all
| kinds, now manufactured by tens of thousands
| of busy hands at home, but many OF which
may possibly be bought at lower price in for
| eign countries? There are far greater and
tIn
ton interest than for building up silk factories
or many other establishments protected by our
! tariff laws. With Frustrated carrying trade,
with decreasing and discouraged mercantile
marine, we are daily losing the elements that
! constitute naval power and are therefore being
| deprived of the left arm of national defence.
| Profit and comfort and independence come
from the manufacturing establishments which
are the outgrowth of protective duties-but to
these are superadded, in the case OF the ship
| ping interest, the national pride which always
| follows the flag on distant seas; the national
defence in time of peril which comes from
large reserve of naval strength on the decks Of
| our merchant vessels. Regarded merely as a
| naval reServe-the trained militia of the seas
| the saving to the Government by the steam
| merchant marine wonld be worth in a series of
| years far more than it would cost to establish
great commercial lines to all the chief ports of
| the world.
A nation with fifteen thousand miles of sea
coast fronting Europe, Asia, Africa and South
America, cannot afford to be other than a great
commercial and a great naval power. If
pride and prestige do not suggest it, self-inter-
est and self-defence will demand it. 1t is the
| necessity of our situation almost as absolutely
as it is the necessity of England. With equal
advantages given to our people we could in a
few years outrun England in the race for COM
mercial SUPREMACY. But no miracle will come
| to our aid. Ii we continue to fold our arms in
inaction while other nations are straining
shall receive our reward in deserted ship-yards,
in unemnloved mechanics in fine drain of
our specie resources, in the loss of our birth
right, in the Gradual decay of that skill in the
| hn;ldino and Sailing of sbins which only abides
where sbins are built and sailed. We can he
| everything or we can be nothing. We can
| march in the van or we can lag ingloriously in
the rear and vanish from the race. Other ma
| tions can neither holm nor hinder rs The de-
| cisiou is with ourselves and for ourselves
II is esneciallv fit that This question should
be pressed upon the attention OF the merchants
| and capitalists of New York among whom
you, gentlemen, are Justly recognized as hon
ored and eminent. Your city is today the
| largest exporting mart of the world. This is
true in the money value of the merchandise
shipped, while in bulk and weight you are
trebly as large as Liverpool, your leading rival
and therefore demand treble the ocean ton
| mage. And vet there is not q single steamer
sailing from New York to Europe that bears
the American flag. New York merchants have
taken no steps looking to the revival of the
carrying trade; nor have they asked the gov
eminent to assist therein. During the last
twenty-five years Congress has passed ninety
two acts to aid in the building of railroads, has
given to these enterprises two hundred million
acres of the public lands, and has advanced
seventy millions in cash. And yet, so gigantic
is our railway system and so vast its expendi
ture that the aid extended by government has
not exceeded per cent. of the total cost of oul
eighty thousand miles of rail-greater in ex-
tent than is contained in all the world beside
The government has supplied per cent and
private capital has furnished 81 per cent.
What countless millions New York capital
lists have launched in these great railway en-
terprises! And when they have brought the
products of continent to their port they re-
sign all control to the foreigner. The principal
route from Chicago, St. Louis or Cincinnati tc
| Liverpool is through New 1ofk-one contnu-
| GUS route, four thousand miles in length. New
| York aims with American capital to contro
| one thousand miles of it. and without Struggle
| oives tbree Thousand miles IN tbe control NJ
ln9l;sb oonitol philadolnbio Win Int !
1nSoi os'pret'i' pili., WI ouo
iractioh VI New 1ork loreiSll faue, Is InaiIf
tanning one splendid line of steamers to Liver
pool and maintaining it with an enterprise
| and courage that does honor to its projectors
| and tn tbe oraat citv whose canital and whose
49, otso,e;aoSS LII ~ 1 - .tit; ~ -,
heod"nlGal S su Plouoceu 'le SHIPS LoS Hoi
example De followed WlUn or WITHOUT alu IRON