The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-08-19
OUR SH1P0UlLDING AND TRANS
PORTATION INTERESTS.

Henry s. Pitch. who wrote the arti-
Gle On the iron interests 4 the Pacific
Coast published by us last week, has
written another on is shipbuil ling and
transportation Interests, - the Calisar'
MIA Iad>pendent, as follows:
"Self>preserva.ion is the first la~ al
nature" The principal OF self protec-
tion should form the basis of every act
Of national legislation. The people, in
their individual capacity. are expected.
under a republican form Of government.
to inquire into, and arrive 1t an under
standing Of. and finally demand legis-
lation which shall conserve the public
welfare. Therefore the presentation
and discussion Of measures whinh re-
late to public concerns. should be lis
tened to, and encouraged by the people.
1t is by these means that the repre-
sentatives Of the people arrive at q
proper undertaking Of their duty.
II i. by this method that the people
may be enabled TO select representatives
qualified for the public service. In
short. it may be wise and profitable to
.le, truth and error grapple.' 1t has
been too long the temper OF the Ameri-
can citizens, 70 he either insen,ible or
indifferent t. the dangers which beset
them, and await the accumulation OF
such experiences ss strike the people
with dismay.
Only when opposition became for
midable. when our condition appear.
unbesrAble, under sppreheDsions start
ling in their very aspect. do we stop to
think. to reason and to plan.
We have shown that the development
Of our coal interests IL prevented by n
most formidable conspiracy. thst our
vast iron mines remain unutilized
through causes Of purchased neglect or
the insuffcrable ignorance OF our repre-
sentatives in Congress. Aud now We
arrive At the consideration Of our ship
building industry and transportation
trade.
We are confronted by causes ~ poten.
tial in their effects to prevent Us from
building ships. - thsse which parslyze
our coal and ir N interests. and we must
find r.'medy in means bey"ud an nd
vance of the tariff
There was a time, not far III The past,
when the people of the United States
regarded with considerable pride their
merchant marine fleets. and some OF the
p-ople..are inquiring TO know the reason
why til" national grandeur has So sen :
sibly subsided why il Is that no more
American clippers are launched; Why it
is that foreign vessels are called into
requi-ition for the removal of our wheat.
wool. timber and other products; why
it is that our wonderful American bird
is pictured SO like . turkey in distress !?
To these queries the reply may be
given that for twenty years the agents
Of foreign shipbuilders have been unre-
mitting in their attendance upon Con-
gress. and uncessing in their e.deavor
to persuade that body to 81 modify our
laws that foreign-built vessels could .
purchased by our semi-loyal ci'izcus
aud sail under our flag.
The pertihacity with which this
scheme has been pressed; the plausible
sophistry by which it WAS urged; the
declarations. year after year. that these
demands must ultimate in the granting
Of these privileges. have kept our own
citizens from engaging in shipbuildirg
enterprises under u constant spprehen
sion that Congress would forget its
duty to the country and permit this
industry. like others. to be destroyed.
by unequal competition with foreign
capital furnished at low rate of inter-
est, and foreign labor employed at star
vation rates
Added to these causes Of decline. it
may be charged that the contraction Of
the money volume of the country. re-
sslting in such widespread distress in
oil departments OF industry. has been
largely instrumental in discouraging
enterprise in this direction. Here we
perceive the existence Of tao import
ant factors. which in themselves are
sufficient to account for the cond ition
Of these important interests. Let Us
briefly consider the other side Of this
question.
The true policy Of the Government i.
70 protect and advance the interests of
its own. Interests so vast IS the pro-
duction Of our own GOALS. the production
Of our own iron and steel. the building
Of our own ships, the transportation of
all the productions Of our country. by
land and ses, should not be overlooked
nor neglected by the Congress Of the
nation. The independence Of the peo-
pie. the wslfsre OF the State. the su.
premacy. power and stability of the
nation depend in . great measure upon
the development. growth and proper
utilization of these stupendous inter
ests.
The method is simple and natural.
lst. Protect our own peoole in their
efforts to supply to US Goals from our
own mines by an increased tariff upon
imported GOALS at least 10 50 per ton.
2. Encourage the working Of our
own iron miues and the manufacture Of
our own iron and steel. by laying such
Q tariff upon these articles - shall ef-
fectuslly put . stop to their imports-
tions.
5 Send in disgrace from our na-
tional capital every mercenary knavs
who suggests any law permitting the
purchase or transfer of any foreign
vessel to come under our national flag.
and otherwise, il need be. take such
action ~ shall effectually bar any fur
ther consideration Of projects TO this
end