The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-02-12
s.,,,,,.s,.,,t,,y;,,fy Steamer.

w lCi l1tief 49, \ Is
TO roll over u.s.;
...- ---.-----------------
Substituting Steamers.
We have our own notions about subsi-
d;zinc steamers. We are not at oil incllnea |
: asrosre that sort Of thing. We think we
ace in 1t 4 great means Of fostering tne we.
.,r,nc,nle Of monopoly to the serious inlp.fy
81 the energy aud enterprise that Is sing
Zinc apainst adverse circumstances and
{ triumph gIorlously i left 70 Compete
against rivalry shat depends upo q It's own
resources, unaided by Governme at subsidy.
But it is apparent that the moment the
government steps in with It's powerful
nnrse the battle is dectded.a sainst the merit
Q, individual energy, and 90 often in favor
of corruption.
II IS the true policy OF Government as It
is OF true statesmauship that nothing avers e
to the development Of the skill and energy
81 priyate enterprise should be allowed
where IL is possible to prevent it. Ana pc
yond all question the Government ltseh
should never interpose to break down su lt,
enterprise BY voting large sums TO nuiid up
p,onopo,ies tha. are. destructive to private
enterprtse and are the cancers that ultimate
10 corrupt and gangrene the Nationai LIE
risiature. The monopoly walks over acres
OF ruined adventures and engulfs the repu-
tations OF hosts Of public Representatives
who have been inveigled into the maei-
strom Of extravaganza and vice by those to
lwhom they had confded the keys that
opened the Golfers Of the nation.
| Tor the sake Of the national enterprise
and manhood these corrupt and corrupting
subsidies ought never to be made. They
| minister to vice and profigacy, tend to
dwarf the public energy, diminish true
merit, and COW the manhood Of the nation.
There is scheme for substituting the
Brazilian trade with steamers endowed
with bounty that is obtained, as We believe,
| corruptiy from the National Treasury.
/ There has, we might apprehend, been some
/ caying-in of the commercial spirit OF this
CITY to the meretricious appearances worn
by the subsidized enterprise. At least, so
far has this subsistence of opposition to it
gone as to lead to the appeal that If the line
must be, 1t should touch at Norfolk. Well,
il it must be, we say so. too, with this con-
dition: TINT It shall not touch at the office
OF the Norfolk Nrginian!
But why give up? We have liberty still.
The contract is not yet complete. DO we
not know what fine sail-vessels we had in
the Rio trade? DO we not know that. our
-four was better carried in the sailing ships
Of the Curry Line than it could possibly be
carried in steam lines? DO we not know
that for all the ports Of Virginia the trade
as it was formerly is the best we could have?
That it afforded the widest scope for enter
prise-for prodt--ior the reward OF merit;
energy, sagaeity, and private enterprise
Unuuestionably. The Government subsi-
dies-tbe Government lines-.he enemy OF
LIBERTY itsef-proposes the destruction OF
all this sort of enterprise-alth the incentives
| to energy and activity. 1t proposes TO.
spread over all this the poisonous shadow
OF the upas tree of'goyefnmental subsidy.
governmental corruptiou. ). 4 u,
The nation should regard With horrorthis
tendency Of the timestto subsidies of the
general commerce Of the nation as a ten:
dency to that policy which breeds corrup-
ton and infests all the departments OF
Government with deprayity. - IS
The people can take care OF their inter-
ests il left alone. But ii the Government
with an avaricious eye undertakes TO inter-
fere and take out OF that commerce slices
for the personal benefit of the representa-
tives OF the people the enterprise and glory
of the nation itself will be dwarfed below
the standard OF other nations, and the Ma
tional Government will be galleried with the
worm Of corruption and become utterly in
substantial and rotten.
Therefore we hope the strategies of the
ocean steamer subsidies is near an end.
We conclude with the following sound
opinion OF the New York Times:
There are many things which Congress
can properly DO to advance our foreign
trade, but to subsidize steamers, directly or
indirectly, in any form whateyer,is not one
of them. *! 49, 49, 81.