Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-02-07
Senator Blafne's Remarks in Re
gard to Our Shipping Interests.

me | should like few moments, not TO re-
ply with any elaboration to what the Senator
from Kentucky has said, but to speak very
briefly on the various points suggested by
him. / shonld not like TO have such speech
a. he has delivered go out from the Senate
of the United States unanswered for single
day. and | propose, therefore, to review his
position at least in part.
The first observation desire to submit is
that the honorable Senator from kentucky
very frankly admits. and did not even at
tempt 10 argue against it, that this policy
looks forward 10 Il permanent dependence of
the United States upon England for her
ships. The only slight attempt that the
Senator from Kentucky made 10 rebuff the
conclusion was in the faint hope expressed by
him HAT the repair shops which would grow
u on this side of the water might develOpe
into machine shops and ship yards large
enough and numerous enough TO construct
steam vessels; but throughout the entire
argument of the Senator he went upon the
presumption, which repeat he did not even
attempt himself to rebut, that his policy
looked to a proclaimed and permanent de-
pendence Of this country upon England for
a merchant marine | do not believe the
Senate OF the United States or the Congress of
the United States or the people ofthe United
States are prepared to make that declaration.
II is fact eqnally remarkable that for the
past twenty five years-or make IT only for
the past twenty years. from the beginning OF
the war to this hour, the Congress of the
1 United States has not done one solitary thing
to uphold the navigation interests
OF the nited States. Decay has been
observed going on steadily from year to year.
/ The great march forward of our commercial
rival &C old has been witnessed and every
where recognized, and the representatives of
the people of the United States have sat in
their two Houses Of legislation as dumb
though they could not speak, and have not Of
frrcd q single remedy or a single aid, and this
I ia. gone on until now. The Senator from
: Kentucky rise. in his scat and proposes TO
make the proclamation Of the perpetual future
dependence of this country upon England for
| snch commerce az she may ENJOY. holding
/ va ~ models TO rs. Germany. Italy and
other European countries that are a. absolute
! ly dcpendcnt upon Great Britain for what
commerce they enjoy as the District Of
Columbia j. for its legislation upon the Con-
grcss of the United States.
During these wears in which Congress has
not stepped forward to % one thing for
the foreign commerce Of this country for all
that external transportation whose Importance
the Senator from Kentucky has not exagger-
ated but has depicted, the same Congress has
passcd nincty-two acts in aid ct internal traVs-
po-tation bv rail and il has given POO. 600, 900
acres of public land. worth to-day thou
sand million dollars in money, and has added
$50. 900. 600 in cash, and vet, ! repeat. it has
extended the aid of scarcely single dollar
to build up our foreign commerce. An en-
ergrtic and able man who found a
great ocean highway nnoecupiel and had the
enterprise to put American vessels of the best
construction and great power upon it has
been held up to scorn aud to rcproach be-
cause he came 10 the American Congress
and said IF vou will do for this line what
the empire of Brazil will do, | will give YOU n
great line of steamships from New York to
Rio .Tanero." The empire of Brazil had said
TO this cnterprisng man, 1--WE will pay you
a hundred Thousand dollars n wear if YOU will
run this line" and New England Senators
regret 10 say. who represent the protective
system in this country, said with a quiet
com,lncencv, If Brazil is willing to pay for
that. we need not" Brazil has got tired
paving all and paving none. Just rs
soon Us it was found that We would not paw
a combination of English shipbuilders said,
I'VE will put on our slips and run that
American line of we will carry the coffee
of Brazil to the United States for nothing
we will break down this attempt of the
United States to begin race upon the ocean
and they have pretty nearly succeeded. while
we have looked on with apparent uncOncern,
and bv our Indifference favoring the efforts
of the English line. Yet during the whole of
Great Briiain's mastery of the sea whcn she ha !
been seeking every line that could be found
on which steamer could float, she had never
put on lines to carry from New York to any
foreign ports hut only to her own. You cannot
get British and South American steamship
line except on the triangularssystem. that will
60 from New York to Liverpool, taking
bread,tuffs or cotton from Liverpool to Rio
Ianeiro. taking British fabrics from Rio
Janeiro tn New York. bringing coffee and
dive woods. but when the proposition is made
that they shall 90 back from New York to Rio
they decline because they do not want to in
terfere with the prosperity of England at home
by furnishing transportation to any point for
American fabrics in competition with British
fabrics The result is that If this Brazilian
line should be taken off. "a in all proba-
hilitv it will If the United States ex-
tend no aid. then the letters of the United
States Of the merchants in New York, and
PHILADELPHIA and Baltimore and Boston, will
be conveyed to Rio Janciro via Liverpool,
and will reach that point over two great
lines of British steamships.
| Mr. President. the frank admission of the
honorable Senator from Kentucky took awav
large part Of the argument which thought
should have to make. and that was to prove
that If the United States to-day is incompe-
tent to compete with Great Britain in the
manufacture of iron ships, and if Won admit
iron ships from Great Britain absolutely free
of duty YOU will be still more incompetent
~ 4, il next wear. II takes. in the language
Of the trade. what is called a great ''plant" to
huild steamships: il takes large investment
OF money: il takes large and powerful ma
clinerv: it requires the investment OF
millions TO start with; and if in addition to
all that has been done abroad 30 build up
English shp-vards we pour into them all the
patronage that can come from this country.
should like the honorable Senator from
Kentucky or any other Senator to tell me
exactly at what point of time it would como
10 pass that anv feeble effort on this side will
begin to compete with those great yards. II
YOU abandon it this wear because you are un
able. vou will he far more unable next year.
Won will he still less able the year ensuing.
and every year will add to the monopoly of
British power in that respect and 10 the ALSO
lutte weakness and rrostra,.on of American
power in competition. But | will saw that
the frank admission of the honorable Senator
from Kentucky of the future and perpetual
dependence upon Englrnd removes the neces-
si,v Of arguing that point. He frankly ad-
mits it with all its damaging force.
| Mr.. President. fas est ct al hosfe doceri