The People's vindicator., 1881-02-26
Our Foreign Commerce.

Senator Beck recently made an ex-
haustivc and able argument in the SEN
ate in favor of legislation looking
toward the revival of American COM
merce. 1t is not partisan question,
and Senator Beck did not discuss it
from partisan standpoint. He SIM
ply cited the mournful but incontro-
vertible fact that American commerce
is dead, and urged the measure which,
in his judgment, is necessary to revive
it. The merchant marine of the
United States is a thing Of the past,
and the American llag has almost dis
appeared from the seas. When the
American traveller abroad visits for
eign ports and sees them crowded with
shipping, he looks in vain among the
flags for the stars and stripes. Our
carrying trade is almost entirely in the
hands of other nations, the products Of
the county are transported across the
ocean in foreign ships, and the money
we pay for transportation goes to Ell.
rich the nations OF the old world.
Once we had a fair share of the worlds
commerce, but now we have none;
once we had sixty or seventy thousand
sailors, but now we have none; once
we had navy that command.
ed respect, if it did not
elicit admiration, but now our
navy has become a disgrace that
only brings the American flag and name
into contempt among the nations of the
world. All these changes have come
about under Republican. policy and in
the twenty years in which the Repub-
ican party has been in power in this
country. But these are not partisan
statements made for political effect.
They are but plain statements of patent
facts that are not denied and can not be
denied by either Republican or Demo
crat. The simple truth is that the
United States has become, under the
policy of the Republican party, coun-
try absolutely destitute of merchant
marine. and that its commercial inter-
ests sleep the sleep of death. The
question is, what shall be done to rem
edy this deplorable state of affairs? Un-
less it is remedied it is idle to hope for
any sound or lasting National prosperi.
ty. Without commerce, no nation un-
der the circumstances under which the
American Republic exists can eXpectto
prosper. We must as matter of ne
cessity by some means rebuild the com
mercial marine of the country. Two
plans were put forward, one by Senator
Beck, and one by Senator Blaine, voicins
the policies OF their respective parties.
Senator Beck suggests free ships, while
Senator Blaine recommends subsidies
to American ship builders. "Let enter.
prise be free said Mr.. Beck. "I.et
Whoever wants a ship to engage in the
carving trade, buyit where he can buy
it the cheapest. Ii our merchants can
/ buy ships on the same terms as the
merchants OF foreign countries do they
will go into the carrying trade them
selves and American commerce will re-
build itselkby a natural process. - "TaA
the people, says Senator Blaine, "anc
raise money to subsidize American ship
; builders. Hire American shipbuilder:
7 to build ships by granting them Gov
crnmcnt subsidies" These are th'
plans proposed and they are worthy o
serious consideration. Whatever may
) be said in favor OF protecting American
: industries cannot apply in this case
!. American ship0uilding as an industr.
l does not exist, and therefore does no
r call for protection. 1t is not soun'
I public policy that crushes an industr,
, out of existence under the pretense o
protectingit. The revival OF commerce
4 is Of infinitely more Importance to thi
: country than that few American ship
!; builders should have the exclusive
/ privilege of making Ships Ceuelan'
@ Nain-Uculer.