Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-09-01


dent to the maintenance of a high tariff,
| OUR lERC CHANT MARINE SER VICE
In the year 1861 the government of the
United States had a merchant marine
service. which gave us the second place
among the nations of the world, both In
the number OF ships afioat and their ton
mage, England standing first In the list.
but our shipping has gradually fallen of
until now we stand seventh in
point of numbers and tonnage. The
question has often been asked
and successfully answered, in
the halls of our national congress, by
Democratic speakers. But IL has al
ways been less difficult to point to the
cause Of this national misfortune than 1t
has been to devise remedy. II was the
policy of the Republican party while in
power to pass laws creating and fasten-
ing monopolies by investing individuals
and corporations within their party,
with extraordinary powers and priyi-
leges to the detrimcnt of the great
body of the people, and, in other
words, they legislated Cor the few
Being guided by this policy Republican
congress passed laws for the benefit of
John Roach and other shipbuildcrs in the
United States, under which laws no
American citizen could either purchase or
charter n ship built in a foreign country
and sail it under the American flag Thus
we see that under this class legislation
the citizens of the United States were
forced to purchase their ships of
shipbulders in this country,
paying an onerous bounty
to these monopolsts in the way of over
charges for vessels, which could have
been purchased in other countries at one
third less cost than in this country. Such
legislation, which amounts to little less
than robbery, had the effect to lower the
high standard Of our merchant marine
and drive il from the high seas. While
VITO Nto hli' ihOnN HONNhh NbhNi III NtrlNu-
ing our merchant service, it was not
the sole cause of such disaster.
The policy of II high protective tariff
which was adopted and pursued by the
government, became an important factor
IN the destruction of our merchant ma
rlnc, This policy which undertook to
build up home monopolics, by imposing
heavy duties upon nearly all imported
articles, has had the direct effect OF de-
stroyng, to great extent, the incentive
to trade with foreign nations, while
American products were protected by
high duties, in order to exclude
the productions OF other countries.
These are the two grand causes which
have reduced our once proud merchant
| service which, like white-wlngcd birds of
commerce were found upon the seas of
all nations, TO a degree of insignitlcance,
| the mere mention of which ought to bring
Il feeling of modification to the heart of
any American citizen. The merchant
marine service of England, protected by
her navy, has enabled her to gather in
the wealth of the world and safely plant
1t In London, her great metropolis.
We have been promised relief in this
matter by our own party, which now con
trolls the government. We have the right
to demand at the hands of Democratic
congress relief. The present administers
ton has taken some steps in the right d.
rection looking to the Improvement OF our
navy, and the same should be taken to
make our merchant service what il
once was, the pride and admiration of u
great nation,