The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-06-30
F0r THE RECORD.
DANGER AHEAD I

Mr.. EDITOR The past history of the
Democratic party is full of evidence that
whenever there is any consummate deviltry
'slaying around loose anything the adop-
ton of which would be particularly injurious
to the best interests Of the American people
that party may be confidently relied upon to
gather it up, advocate it, make it their own,
and to put it in their platform, in some way
cunningly devised to disguise its real nature
and to induce the people to take the bait with
out suspicion OF It's true intent and purposes.
The latest illustration of this is the tentl
section of their platform just adopted at Gin
cinnati, and which reads as follows
Tenth. Free ships aud living chance fol
American commerce on the seas and on the
land. No discrimination in. favor of trans
portation lines, corporations or monopolies.
! Now that sounds innocent enough and pa.
triotic enough, too, doesn't it And nc
doubt hundreds of thousands of their follow
ers will read it, give it their assent, throw up
their hats and hurrah for it with all theil
might, without at all realizing the real object
which their treacherous leaders are compelling
them to advocate. Now let me show you the
claws of the cat hidden under the meal. Let
me show you what they call :" q living chance
for American commerce."
Every one has heard of Mr.. Plimsoll, the
great English reformer, who has won the title
of the sailors friend" Under his leader
ship great changes have been made In the
navigation laws of England, which have re-
Gently been made very strict, and the conse-
quence is that hundreds upon hundreds Of old
rotten vessels have been pronounced unsea-
worthy by the government and deprived of
their registers. Now what are their wealthy
British owners to do with them Break them
upa Not bit of it. They are beginning to
foist them upon all the continental nations of
Europe whose laws permit, under sham sales
where they cannot effect real ones, and they
are sailing under the flags of these nations,
perfect death-traps to every person who sets q
foot aboard of them. But the Engli have
long been ship.building nation and their
merchant marine is so crowded by these old
condemned hulks that there is enough for
Europe and host to spare for Brother jon
athan, to boot, and their millionaire owners
are trying by every means in their power to
get the ooastwise commerce of our country
open to them. The plan is TO get our naviga-
tion laws changed SO that their old rotten
tubs may be allowed to carry American pa
pers and sail under the American flag.
The result if they are successful may be
easily forseen. These old ships can be sold
at price far less than American ships can be
hnilt for and tho first afraet will he ~, oloso
all our shipyards aud stop all the work of
getting out ship stuff and materials, thus
iniuring the people throughout all the WIDE
spreading lines of industry and trade. The
second effect will be that grim death will reap
fearful harvest upon our shores when these
old cobbled up cheese-boxes begin to 60 un-
der. But what care their British owners for
this Or what care their agents, the free
trade Democratic importers and jobbers of
New York City, who have taken this thing
up and are endeayoriug to make this rascality
successful. They have just scored their first
great advantage in getting the Democratic
party to adopt it, and the success of that par
ty in the coming Presidential election means
the success of this odious and destructive
measure which with brazen impudence they
call Ga living chance for American COM
merce !" November will tell whether this
scheme for the benefit of monopolizing B It.
ish merchants is to succeed OF whether Amer
lean commerce is to be for, American ships
and American seamen. Oh, for the voice of
old Henry Clay to ring warning that shall
wake the NATION. Yours,
REPUBLICAN,.