The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-24
Mr.. Blaine's Opposition to Free ships.


Senator Blaine is an able man who is
wasting his intellect. He is aiming to
make himself. nay, he has succeeded in
making himself the foremost leader at the
present time of the same order OF ideas OF
which Henry Clay was the most distin-
guished champion in the last generation.
Mr.. Clay did not waste his intellect and
popularity to the same extent that Mr..
Blaine is wasting his, because Clay lived in
an age when protectionist ideas had not
become obsolete. But in spite OF Henry
Clay's great eloquence and the practi-
cal cast of his talents, his career
was, on the whole, q failure. Although he
was the ablest man of his party and the
most eloquent man of his period Mr.. Clay
never reached the great goal of his am
bition, the Presidency, and he lived to see
his darling theories rejected by the people.
Mr. Blaine is treading in the footsteps of
that illustrious statesman at too late period
to win the success which was denied to the
so-called American system" Mr.. Clay's
american system" consisted in protection
to home industry and internal improve
ments. Mr.. Blaine has adopted both
branches of the system with such vari-
atoms as are imposed by difference
of circumstances. But being thirty
or forty years further behind the ideas of
his epoch than Mr.. Clay was behind the
ideas of his epoch, the ambitious Senator
from Maine is certain to be stranded, in
spite Of his talents and popularity, unless
lie widens his mental horison and abandons
his antiquated errors. Mr.. Blaine was born
an age too late to command the confidence
OF the country as al advocate of protection.
In his vigorous speech in the Senate
on Wednesday, as in his remarks at
the New England dinner. in this city,
Mr.. Blaine made himself the champion
of our restrictive navigation laws,
which are servile transcript of the
England. The British Parliament repealed
the navigation laws in 1849, and in the
ensuing twenty years the amount of British
tonnage was doubled. We wish Mr.. Blaine
would favor the country with his comments
on this impressive and instructive fact.
The government of Germany and the gov
eminent Of France permit the purchase Of
ships in all the markets of the world, and
in the exercise of this freedom their
subjects and citizens have established
great lines of ocean steamers which
compete successfully with those of Great
Britain. We would gladly listen to
Senator Blaine's comments on this sig
-. n1,
adhere to the obsolete navigation laws
which the other maritime nations have dis
carded, have no great and successful lines
of ocean steamers. We wish the brilliant
Senator would explain to his countrymen
the practical advantages Of policy which
annihilates our shipping interest. while
countries that pursue the opposite policy
cover the ocean with great fleets of steam
ers which carry the greater part of our own
produce. Mr.. Blaine states in his speech
that We pay eighty-6ve million dollars per
annum to foreign vessels for freights.
How is it possible that man of his
bright intellect should not perceive that
this astounding fact is an utter condemna-
ton of our navigation laws? In conse-
quence of these laws, or ut least in spite
of them, the greater part Of tho enormous
sums we pay for freights goes to swell the
profits of foreign shipowners. What good
is done by our restrictive navigation laws
when the transfer of our carrying trade to
foreign bottoms is their practical result?
They have not given to American shipyards
the building of the vessels which actually
carry our commerce, but they do effectually
deprive our countrymen of their share in
the large and lucrative business of convey
ing goods and passengers between the
United States and Europe.