Daily Republican., 1882-04-20
How 10 Protect our Commerce.

Cial treaties with Mexico, winch
destined to detract the trade of tn;
country to Liverpool, instead of Ne
York. This is done by subsidize
steamship lines, W hich enables Englan
to undermine Amer!cansin the carryin
trade of the ocean, 1t is about tim
that the people of the United State
would wake up to the importance of ST
curing the trade Of the adjoining 1T
pubiics which naturally belong to then
The amount of this ocean traffic fal lin
to the United States is amazingly small
as will be seen by the following extrac
from the last report of the Secretary o
the Treasury COT the merchandiz
brought in at seaboard, lake and rive
ports during the year, an amount o
the value of 1888, 631, lag was importe
in American vessels, and St9l $40, 2G
in foreign vessels. OF the exports o
merchandise an amount of the value o
$l16,9 324, was shipped in American
aud SIT, 1872, ia in foreign vessels. o
the combined imports and exports O
merchandise, Is per cent. only Of the
total value was conveyed in American
vessels; and the amount of transporta
ton to and from our ports in our owr
vessels, has fallen off one per cent. in
the fiscal year 1881, as compared with
that of $780,"
During the years of the late war our
foreign commerce was swept from the
ocean and since the close of the war
but little progress has been made in re-
covering our former position. The
question now is, what can be done in
that direction?
The scheme Of substituting steamship
lines has received the attention of Con-
gress for many years past. Tho word
Subsidy" has come to mean in this
country, sort Of contribution, a pay
ment of money by the Government
without receiving an adequate return
therefor, and is sometimes called a
s'steal." The word anyhow has be-
come very obnoxious to the American
people, and it is time 1t was dropped
when the question of mail transporta
ton in steamships to f oreign ports is
under consideration. The future growth
and development of this country is
largely involved in the question of our
foreign commerce. Our inland com.
merce by rail and by water is in a high
state OF advancement, but the same
cannot be said of our foreign com.
merce. The time has come when the
Government should adopt new policy
relative to the transportation of United
States mails to foreign countries. Con-
gress most undoubtedly should provide
by the necessary legislation that the
United States mails shall be carried in
American bottoms under the United
States fag-the steamships to be com.
manded by citizens of the United States
to all the leading commercial coun.
tries of the civilized world. The con,
tracts should be let for term of ten,
twelve or fifteen years to the lowest re
Sponsible bidders, the Government re.
serving the right to increase the service
at discretion with said contracting par.
ties By giving due notice; the Govern
ment to determine as to the size and
class OF ships to be so employed and
payne nts made to suit the contracting
parties.
This system of mail service will re-
quire large expenditure of money, but
the time has come for our Government
to lay aside tie narrow policy that was
adapted to its prosperity during the
earliest years of its existence, and pre-.
pare 70 enter the markets of the world,
not only 9Th its agricultural products,
but wi ttnS its manufactures and its
mines. ursegnlar and frequent mail ser
~ics, intfuding a comprehensive money
order system to facilitate exchanges,
are iffaaaspensable in establishing and
maintaining foreign traffic. The bene-
fit to be derived from broad and COM
prehensive mail service are incalcula-
pie. The shippers of goods to foreign
ports will feel that they are doing
business through and with their own
people.
With our present population of over
", zoo, 900, augmented annually by the
paturai increase and the enormous i'm
that Il pouring in upon us.
will be largely increased AZ the
years roll on. BY the close of the pres.
bnt decade the population will number
ut least $4,000, 900, and by the close OF
the present century 1t will, without
doubt, reach 100000 900. If this vast
population, together with all the engi-
uary OF production, is to be kept en-
ployed, foreign markets tor large per-
ot.ntage of the productions of the coun.
try, must be sought out, and there is no
1ime to be lost in laying and carrying
into execution plans to meet condi-
tion of things which is sure to come.
We may negotiate treaties to restrain
abe influx Of foreign population espe.
siaily the Chinese yet they will come.
THE christian missionary is abroad and
wherever he goes the principles of the
great human brotherhood of mankind
are taught, and these embrace che right
of man TO EN- CRATE where he pleasss to
better his condition. We ourselves are
y, t..