The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-03-12

sells. carrying lO2,3l2,5G8 bushels of
grain. All of this tonnage included but
one American steamer and only u
American sailing vessels. +. +. Moves,
our Minister to France. devoted six
months to the investigation of our com
mercIal carrying trade in the Mediter-
raEean by order of the State Depart
ment he reported thai he experienced
sense Of humiliation at the absence OF
the American ilag from the waters on
which he looked. The Consul at
Smyrna reports that while formerly as
many as sevcnty-tive or eighty vessels
had been seen III that port at one time,
there were last year but three, ali told.
We are now paying foreign nations m
nna!Iy over SlOO,OO).OOo for the trans.
portation of our freight. and o,0OO,-
900 for the carrying OF our passengers
and mails. We pay, that is to foreign
ers, largely to England, $4,000, O0J
for carrying our products across the
seas and bringing the things we wish to
buy to our shores. The American flag
has disappeared from the high seas, and
our merchant marine is no more.
Senator Beck. who is more and more
distinguishing himself for critical and
well-intormed attention to the public
interests, and who is capable OF broad
and National views as well as Of atten-
ton to little things, recently made q
notable speech in the Senate upon free
ships. He was antagonized by Senator
Blaine. who will be a conspicuous figure
in the next Administration. The rem
edy which Senator Blaine would apply
to the decadence of the merchant ma
rine Of the United States in subsidies.
The remedy which Senator Beck would
apply to the decline of the commercial
power OF this country upon the high
seas is free ships. Senator Blaine says
that within thirty miles of his residence
in y town which is the largest wooden
ship-building place on the globe. He
is in favor of subsidy Of about $1,000
900 a year in the ship.buildng interest.
He, representing the Republican party.
argues that since Congress has passed
nincty-two acts within twenty years in
aid OF internal transportation by rail,
and has given 2OO,O0O,O)0 acres of the
public lands, worth to-day $1,000, OOO,-
600, and has given also, in addition,
S7O.OOO.OO0 in cash to railroad corpora
tions. Congress ought. for the sake of
consistency, to substitute the men and
corporations that carry passengers and
freight over the waters. This is a fair
statement OF the argument, as Senator
Blaine presents it. 1t is consistent
with the substituting policy. The argyll
ment wildly reveals the pernicious ten
dency of the subsidy policy. Ii A should
be subsidized, why should not B also be
subsidized?
The bill which Senator Beck asks
Congress to pass provides that tho Sec
tons of the Revised Statutes which pro-
hibit citizens o: the United States from
purchasing ships built in other coun-
tries to be used in the foreign carrying
trade of the United States, and which
impose taxes, burdens, or restrictions.
ON such ships when owned by American
citizens, which are not imposed on
ships built in the United States, shall
be repealed, and that it shall be lawful
for citizens Of the United States to buy
ships built in wholeor in part in foreign
countries, to have them registered as
ships Of the United States, and when
SO registered such ships so bought are
to be entitled to al! the rights and sub
Jected only to the same regulations as
arc now provided by law for the gov
eminent and management Of ships built
wholly in the United States and owned
and controlled by citizens Of this coun-
try. Senator Beck does not under
stand why American citizens should
be prohibited from purchasing ships
for the foreign trade in the cheap
est market when all other ma
lions enjoy this privilege. While
England, and France, and Ger.
many, and Belgium. and Norway and
Sweden have the right to bring freights
to our ports and to carry freights from
our ports in foreign-built ships, it is not
easy to see why the laws of the United
States should select citizens of the
United States to be alone ostracized
from this privilege. Ought this country
to pay 1920. 600. 900 annually to foreign
ers for our carrying work to oblige q
few ship.builders thirty miles from the
residence OF Senator Blaine?
Subsidies are wrong in principle and
vicious in practice. Freedom is beauti-
tul in principle and equa' AMI benetic
in practice. Senator Beck has this
fundamental advantage over Senator
Blame in the discussion of this import
ant subject. And the arguments of
Senator Beck can not be answered., as
Senator Morrill, attempted to answer
them, by saying that Mr.. Beck, being
from the interior State of Kentucky.
can know nothing Of commerce on the
high seaS.-CiuciUnQtt Eu1,lirey.