Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-07-25

tradictiOn of the creed which she
was at the same time advocating in
those departments of trade where
she could conqer her competitors
without bounty.
"With her superiority in naviga-
tiOn attained and made secure
through the instrumentality of
subsidies, England could afford to
Withdraw them. Her ships no
longer needed them. Thereupon,
with a promptness which would be
amusing if it did not have so seri-
Gus side for America, she pro-
ceeded to inveigh through all her
organs of public opinion against
the discarded and condemned policy
of granting subsidies to ocean
steamers. Her course in effect
is an exact repetition of
that in regard to protection of
manufactures, but as it is exhibited
before a new generation the incon-
sistency is not so readily apprehen-
ded nor so keenly appreciated as it
should be on this side of the Allan
tic. Even now there is good reason
for believing that many lines of
English steamers, in their effort to
seize the trade to the exclusion of
rivals, are paid such extravagant
rates for the carrying of letters as
practically to amount to a bounty,
thus confirming to the present day
! (1SSi) the fact that no nation has
ever been SO persistently and so
jealously protective in her policy as
England so long as the stimulus of
protection is needed to give her the
command of trade. What is true
Of England is true in greater or
less degree Of all other European
nations. They have each in turn
regulated the adoption Of free
trade by the ratio of their progress
toward the point where they could
overcome competition. In all those
departments of trade where COM
petition could overcome them they
have been quick to interpose pro
tective measures for the benefit of
their own paOple.
"The trade policy Of the United
States at the foundation of the
Government had features of en-
lightened liberality which were un-
known in any other country in the
world. The new Government was in
deed as far in advance of European
nations in the proper conception Of
liberal commerce as it was on Ques-
tons relating to the character Of
the African slave-trade. The colo
nists had experienced the Oppress-
ion of the English laws which pro-
hibited export from the mother
country Of the very articles which
might advance their material in
terest and improve their social
condition. They now had the Op-
portunity, as citizens of a free Re-
public, to show the generous
breadth of their craftsmanship, and
they did SO by providing in their
Constitution that Congress should
never possess the power to levy "a
tax or duty on articles exported
from any State
"At the same time trade was left
absolutely free between all the
States of the Union, no one of them
being permitted to levy any tax on
exports or imports beyond what
might be necessary for its inSpec-
ton laws. Still further to enforce
this needful provision, the power
to regulate commerce between the
States was given to the General
Government. The effect of these
provisions was to insure to the
Unite d States a freedom of trade
beyond that enjoyed by any other
nation. Fifty-five millions Of Ameri
can people (in 1884, over an area
nearly as large as the entire cOnti
nent of Europe, carry on their ex-
changes by ocean, by lake, by river,
BY rail without the eXactiOns Of the
tax -gatherer, without the deten-
ton of the custom-house, without
even the recognition Of State lines.
In these great channels the domes-
tic exchanges represent an annual
value perhaps twenty-five times as
great as the total of exports and
imports. 1t is the enjoyment OF
free trade and protection at the
same time which has contributed
to the unexampied development
and marvellous prosperity of the
United States.
"The essential question which
has grown up between political
parties in the United States respec-
ting our foreign trade, is whether
duty should be laid upon any i'm
port for the direct object of prOtec-
ting and, encouraging the manu-
facture of the same article at home.
The party opposed to this theory