National Republican., 1885-07-07


The Cincinnati TolkSblau translates and
republshes US editorial matter without
credit, IN its issue Of the first instant, all of
that portion of TIE REPUBLICAN article of
June "a on ''our trade with Braziln which
describes the extent aud resources of the
empire, and gives the amount of its trade
with the United States, but omits to give
the reasons we presented why our exports
to Brazil amount to only SS,000,000 per an
mum as against S5O,OOO,OOO imports; and
gives theory of its own. Our reason was
given in the following words:
The chief reason why we sell so few of our
manufactured products abroad may be found
In the ineSperience and indifference of our
manufacturers. As q rule they make no effort
TO Sf9 SECURE f9reign trade and frequently refuse
Efforts 10 obtain it have, in nearly evcry case,
been successful.
ln support Of this theory we quoted Mr..
Edward Atkinson, an eminent free trade
Democratic writer on commercial affairs,
and Mr. Joseph Nimmo, jr., an equally
eminent protective tariff Republican au-
thority. We also gave an interesting ac-
count Of the success of certain prominent
American manufacturers who, after taking
the necessary steps, have secured large
and permanent market for their products
abroad.
These eminent writers-free trade and
protective-and the experience of our sue
cessful American manufacturers all agree
in the support and confirmation of the
theory advanced by THE NATIONAL REpUB-
LICAN.
Our esteemed German contemporary, the
Cincinnati IolSSJiGt, holds, on the other
hand, that the reason Of our meager export
of the products Of manufacture is found In
our high prices for the aforesaid products,
and dcplorable lack Of ocean freight facli-
ties. We are told our Singh tariff makes
prices too high, while the want Of an Ameri-
can merchant marine (''free ships'') carry
ing the American flag makes 1t impossible
to send goods abroad at anything like
reasonable rates of freight. Let us see
about these things Mr.. Atkinson shows
that modern science and improved instru-
mentalities for production have brought the
quality and price of manufactured goods SO
nearly to the same standard that commerce
is no longer controlled in any great measure
by either
Regarding the ToHSJlatt's alleged lack of
ocean freight facilities We quote an official
publication, recently issued by the imperial
government at Rio de Janeiro, us follows
The rate of freights which eight years ago
was 10 cents to 81 per bag Of coffee C32 pounds
has fallen to an average of 10 cents, and some
cargoes have been brought as low as 10 and 10
Cp lot hug 4 or
thOt II actually cost less to bring them from
Rio dc Janelro to New York than to transport
them, after their arrival, from Brooklyn to the
railroads in New York or Jersey City.
Ten cents per one hundred and thirty
two pounds from Rio de Janeiro to New
Yorli-fye thousand miles-ls surely cheap
enough. The freight on flour from New
York to Rio dc Janeiro varies from seventy
cents to one dollar per barrel, and other
articles are carried at like rate. There are
three lines Of steamers running regularly,
direct between our ports and those of
Brazil besides the English "triangle line,n
which sends its steamers from Rio de
Janelro direct to New York, thence to
Liverpool, thence to Rio, and then to New
York again.
We have no need of any more ships, so
far as our trade with Brazil is concerned.
Indeed, ocean freights all over the world
are rilnously low.
The Forty-eighth Congress was very lib
eral and good to our merchant marine. II
passed at its first session the Fryo-Dlngley
shipping bill of twenty-three sections,
twenty-five for the benefit Of ship owners,
and one solitary section for builders.
At the second session IL authorized the
paymaster general to pay American ship
owners for carrying the mails, but unfortu-
nately failed to appropriate money enough.
The next Congress will doubtless supply
the deficiency.
The POtkSJlH makes the common mis-
take OF confounding two distinct and an
tagonistic interests-the merchant marine
and foreign trade-in one The first re-
quires high freight rates, the last cannot
have them too low. Tue NATIoNAL RE-
PUBLICAN has upon all occasions advocated
the best interests of both, but they must
be treated separately.
Our German contemporary makes, more
over, another serious mistake In asserting
that our products of manufacture are made |
too costly by the protective tariff for ex- |
port, This mistake Is made in face of the |
fact that our manufacturers haye, for some