Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-01-28
KNOXVILLE TENN. FRIDAY MORNING. JANUARY 28 1881

would suffer more than they, be-
cause our products would go to the
bottom as cruisers of each DESTROYED
merchant vessel of the other. The
only remedy was for us to do our
own hauling. The great producing
interest of the West was, perhaps,
the one most Interested in
this question Of cheap transporta-
ton, because all cost of trans
portation both to the seaboard and
over the ocean to a market which
comes out of the man who raises
the products that is to be transpor-
ted. Whatever adds to it has to
come out of his pocket. All subsi-
dies and boundaries only add SO
much more to his burden in taxation,
and fail to accomplish remedy.
Cheapness of transportation is the
only remedy, and a ship is only
wagon adapted to the highway over
which it travels. Our treaties with
Germany, Norway, Sweden and other
countries gave them all the privileges
of our own citizens in our own ports,
and all of them are doing their
carrying trade in free, cheap ships.
We are keeping up our navigation
laws to injure our own people.
Mr.. Beck then proceeded with an
elaborate discussion of the tariff, with
it's inequalities of protection, and its
practical operation in fostering
monopolies at the expense of the
poor man.
incidentally DEPRESSING in this con-
nection to notice the estimate of the
commissioner of pensions that over
S500,000,000 would be required to
meet the expenses of the pension
Arrears act, he said the pension act,
which he was fortunate in having
voted against, would prove heavier
tax and more enduring burden than
the national debt.
Mr.. Blaine followed, in reply to
Mr.. Beck. He construed that Sem
ator's speech as an admission that
his policy looked forward to and
proclaimed permanent dependence
of this country upon Eugland for her
ships, He could not allow such a
speech to go out for single day
without an answer. He did not bec
lieve the people or the Congress of
the United States were ready to ac>
knowledge Or proclaim any such de-
pendence. He said it was a remarks
able fact that in twenty years,
since the beginning Of the war, the
Congress of the United States had
not done one solitary thing to up
hold the navigation interests of the
country until the Senator from
Kentucky (Mr. Beck rose in his seat
ana proposed W nlaho proOl"rao
ton of the perpetual future de-
pendence of this country upon
England for such commerce as she
may enjoy.
Senator Blaine then proceeded to
show how American steamship lines
had been driven from the ocean by
failure of the American government
to encourage and support them, as
other governments, and especially
Great Britain, had encouraged and
supported their lines. He cited as
instances of this the steamship line
between New York and Brazil, tc
which the government of Brazil was
willing to give 100000 per year,
but to which the United States
would give nothing. The British
government, on the other hand, wa:
ready to unite with Brazil in encour
aging the line of steamers, and so hel
line took the place of ours. Great
Britain had paid from her treasury
more than $2O0,O0O,00O altogether tc
aid her steamship lines in all parts
of the world. France, although she
buys her ships in England, paid %,
100000 francs last year to aid anc
encourage her lines of steamers
Italy, for the same purpose, paid
100000 francs, and even Austria
with only single sea port, pait
$500,O00 in steamship subsidies.