The Republican journal., 1885-12-31
Protective Policy for Our Shipping


From the Boston Commercial Bulletin
1t is plain that progress has been made
toward the creation of strong public senti-
ment in favor of extending the fostering arm
of a protective policy to our ocean-carrying
trade. such protection should have been grant
ed Years ago. Had it been done, we should
now have large merchant marine sailing in
every sea. In place of that highly desirable
state Of affairs only twenty per cent. of our
carrying trade is done in American bottoms.
This percentage is gradually decreasing. and if
steps are not soon taken the American tlag will
be forced to relinquish practically all save the
cOastWise trade
lhls Is no mere theory or speculation 1t is
the force with which this unwelcome truth is
brought home that has set on foot the move
ment to arrest this gradual crowding out to
which American ship owners are subjected.
There never was any sense OF justice in the
action of Congress in excluding the one inter-
est OF ocean carrying from the workings OF Il
national tariff system which is applied to every
other interest.
As a country we have paid every attention
to internal commerce and none whatever to
foreign, until within short time. The fact
That very great proportion of our trade is in
land and coastwise, calls for the closest legisa-
tive care in that direction, but it does not
warrant such care to the detriment of our
foreign trade. In so far as foreign commerce
gives profitable employment to vessels, it is
important out of all proportion of its size as
compared with Interstate commerce. For
foreign commerce gives us-or would give
under proper encouragement for vessel owners
IA large merchant marine, and this merchant
marine Is absolutely essential to the resources
of any nation. and particularly to one having
so great a sea coast as the United States. We
need not have great navy, providing we have
large merchant marine, but we actually have
sighted.
When asked to extend the policy of protec-
ton to ocean carrying by means of subsidies,
the free-trade doctrinares have steadfastly re-
piled: ''Free ships or no ships" And it has
been no ships. At the last session of Congress
affairs took a more hopeful turn. Limited
liability was enacted, consular abuses were
corrected, and in various ways the cobwebs
We're swept off the antiquated navigation laws.
Following upon this, Congress enacted a law
authorizing and instructing the Postmaster
General to distribute $780, 900 in the shape of
mail pay subsidies, but the desire of the Post
master-General to make political capital on the
one hand, and to satisfy free-trade partisan i'll
stincts on the other hand, resulted in his un-
warrantabe refusal to obey the spirit, if not
the letter, of this long delayed law.
This act of intolerant bigotry has done more
than anything else to energize the movement
now consummated by the New York Maritime
Exchange, which has adopted, with only four
dissenting votes, report urging the adoption
by Congress of what is substantially the French
bounty system. The report was presented by
gentleman who has been a well-known advo-
cate of free ships, but who was no longer will
ing to cherish his theories with the result of
deadlock. 1t does not matter so much what
are the details of their suggestion. The move
ment was never in better position to gain head
way, and we believe it will make itself felt at
the approaching session of Congress.