The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-01-27
OUR SHIPPING LAWS.

little understood, but the people are
aware that by some mismanagsment
the American flag no longer floats over
the ocean. The true reason for this
state of affairs is ably stated by Hon
S. s. Cox, extracts of whose speech III
the House, we give:
It Is beyond doubt that the origin of |
our navigation laws was a compact
with slavery. New England was en-
gagged in shipping and in transporting
and selling slaves to the south She
desired to hold the monopoly of that
trade. This she procured for period
by the extension of the time for the
extinction Of the slave trade to 1903.
The compact WAS completed by the nav
igatien laws of 1890 and 1892. Ton
mage dues and imposts gave to the
American the entire commerce and
prohibited foreign ship owners from
engaging in our trade. Again, in 1916,
1917 and 1920, the odious British nav
igation laws, against. which our fathers
rebelled, were re-enacted by Congress.
Every discrimination possible was
made against foreigners.
| These laws, whose origin is found in
| the horrors of the middle passage, and
whose history is part of the most dis
: graceful experience Of our country,
have ceased to protect American ship
ping
CHANGED CoNDITI oNs OF SHIP PING.
Indeed, the protection of these laws
by the whirligig and ravases of time is
given TO the foreigner, to the Briton.
) We drive to him the carrying of our
persons ond property; load him with
larseessese Of freight and fare, aud forbid
our own folks from enjoying even a
share in the hundred and odd millions
: which our laws transfer out of our pro
/ duce and producers to the pocket OF
the foreigner! IL this be done to pro-
tect our shipbuilder, it fails; if it be
done to protect our shipowner, it fails,
, The owner, if he would build here
9 must do it at loss of % or 80 pei
e cent. If he would buy, he must bu,
O
and owner are burdened by the cling
i ing of this old man of the seas. If we
: can build as cheap here as we can
} abroad, we need no protection: it we
O can not build as cheap here as abroad,
: who can afford to buy2 The sea is open
field, where the guerdon falls to him
who can procure his vessel in the best
r market.
u This open competition, as TO pur
e chase and use Of ships of all kinds
have changed, or ought to change, the
laws which govern our marine. The
} laws of eighty years ago are not suited
Is to our changed condition. These laws
d suited sail, not iron or steam. As soor
+ think Of returning to the stage coacl
and footman for land conveyance, G,
to the skin boat Of the Esquimaux OF
junk of the Chinese for sea transporta-
ton, as to run the ocean fleet Of to-day
under the ancient laws. Nay, as vel
Is think of discarding the rev motors a.
return even to the wooden paddles oi
,r the early Cunarder, with it's petty 1906
tonnage and its little subsidy.
;, Thus the very causes which pro-
II duced our disasters are as obsolete, in
is operative as the slave trade itself. The
90 very model upon which our navigation
laws we're moulded has been shattered
and our shipping to-day, with all these
; restrictions, guards and prohibitions
u are as useless and uninteresting as the
d ''fat weed that rots on Lethe's wharf.
?, The census reports our marvellous
e opulence in focks and field, in mine
and mill. We are producers of feoc
= for ourselves and mankind; oil, gold
n silver, and coal, and rai1 oads beyond
d the widest dreams, all the result Of
e natural and applied industry; yet we
are SO poor that the $I40,000,000 oi
the carrying trade, whose Pactolian
Z current should be ours, is turned from
g US. At the end of the fiscal year 1882
e we had tonnage of 4, 165, ,933 in that
. business, ofwhich ], l,292, 294 Nas in the
: foreign carrying trade, figures which
= show a decrease in one year OF
u $4,000 tons. Yet the coasting trade
6 grew and railroad transportation grew.
n In ten years from 1871 to 1881 the
miles of railroad leaped up from 60, 283
to l04,813, and exports from cur farms
$ more than quadrupled. Export has
e grown wonderfully, but your railroad
S magnate is petted by bonds, lands and
raonopolizing charters. He may own
a railroad and no. hide his property un-
der foreign flag He may not ignore
his civic right, while the American
d shipowner must cringe down below the
hatchway while : the Spanish flag Of
blood and gold, or the British unien-
jack, or the Norwegian or German en-
sign, float over his clandestine prop
!, erty.
= It is notorious that not little of
= foreign tonnage is owned by Ameri-
, cans. The fern in which it is hidden
by mortgage, is explained in the testi-
lmony The s'Red Star" line between
g Antwerp and the United States is nine
: tenths owned in Pennsylvania. Their
ships are building en- the Nersey.
They ask proposals from our shipbuild-
! ers, and found them fifteen per cent.
more than the foreign shipbuilders,
i and they are compelled to 60 under
+ foreign flags. In fact the best part of
= the capital Of our country employed in
| shining or shin usinp is undhr aEen