National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-21

oHViV VI tuC EIObhteJ pOllllChl lANOIlJlblh /
could have put him where he is.
Henry George and Senator voorhees, on
American ships.
In his new aud striking volume on "Pro.
lection and Free Tradcn Henry George re-
fcrs to American shipping in q passage
which deserves to be quoted AMI remem-
bcrcd. Mr.. George Is bold enough to differ
from the policy OF the NATIONAL REruBLt-
cAN in some respects, but we are agreed
upon the necessity Of our country having q
great merchant feet, aud heartily indorso
the following:
Crushed by policy which prevents Ameri-
cans from building and for0id3 them to bIy
ships our commerce, ever since the war, has
steadily shrunk until American ships which,
when we were q nation OF twenty-five millions,
plowcd every sea of the globe, arc now, when
VIC number nearly sixty millions, seldom seen
on blue water In Liverpool docks, where
once It seemed as II every other vessel was
American, you must now search the forest Of
masis to find one. In san Francisco bly you
may count English ship and English ship and
English ship before you come to an American,
while lvC-siNths Of the foreign commerce OF
Al
once no American dreamed of crossing
the Atlantic save on an American
ship to-day 10 one thinks OF taxing one.
1t is the French and Germans who compete
with the British in carrying Americans to Ell.
rope aud bringing them back, once our ships
were the finest on the ocean. To-day there IS
not ilrst.class ocean carrier under the Amer
icon flag, and hut for the fact that foreign ves-
sells are absolutely prohiblted from carrying
between American ports ship-buiding, In
which we once led the world, would now he
with us lost art. As It Is, We have utterly
lost our place. When | was boy we conf
IDENTIFY believed that American war ships could
outsail when they could no. ou.nght. any.
thing that loated, and In event OF war with
commercial nation we knew that every sea OF
the globe would swarm with swift American
privatGers.
To-day, the ships on which we have wasted
millions are, tor purposes Of modern warfare,
rs antquated rs Roman gal!cys. Compared
with the vessels OF other nations they can
neither fight nor run; while rs for privatocrs
or chartered vessels Great Britain could take
from those grCyhoUnds of the sea which Amer.
lean travel aad trade supp)r: cnough fec,
ships to snap up any vessel that ventured out
ofan American port.
do not complain Of the ine!liciency of our
navy. But do complain OF the Dc
cadence in Our ability 10 build ships. Our
misfortune is no. that we have no navy, but
that We lack the swift merchant leut, the
great foundrles and shipyards, the skilled
engineers and sClmCn ana mechanics, in
which, and not in navies, true power upon the
sea consists. 4 people in whose veins runs the
blood Of Vikings have been driven oil the
ocean by - themselves.
SO much for Henry George. Let us hear
what United States senator has to say on
the subject;
"Thero is no more important question before
the American people," said Senator Voorhees,
the other day to q correspondent OF the Clnclu.
natl enquirer, than the extension to foreign
counties of American trade. In II is involved,
not only the prosperity Of the country at large,
but It is the only sure aud permanent remedy
for the present labor troubles, AMI the proven.
| tUu of such scenes 0s we have witnesse d lr-
| ing the last few months There would be no
| strikes o. 10! colts 10 demand for an eight
| hour work day, Ii we had sufficient markets IN
which 70 sell our surplus products. The in.
| creased production of this country has been so
much greater than the increase of its capacity
| to consume, that the manufacturing and agri.
| cultural Interests OF the country nud themselves
| with a sUrplusthey cannot dispose Of For that
reason prices have fallen, mills aud factories
| have been closed, workmen have been thrown
| out Of employment and a general stGgultion has
come upon all the industries OF the country.
The only sure way for American worSmeu to
| prosper i to secure market for the goods
they produce. The party that finds these
markets, ana furnishes the means for ouI
merchants, farmers, and manufacturers "a
| ln al IA, tl,a me-
and VIII receive the Endorsement of the people.
Every great nation on earth, and, in fact,
nations not so large or populous MS many OF
our single states, ere doing much moro 70 en-.
courage commerce and ocean communication
thOu We N-c. Little nations like Belgium
Italy, and the Netherlands 20 far beyond what
VIC have done for many years, and whcn this
government, the rrandcst and most progress
siyc on the globe nppropriates the compare
lively very small sum Of $500 900, which Incl
dcntully aids our merchants, manufacturers
and farmers 10 reach the markets of the
world with their produce, there arises an op
position that astoniShes me. There is m
doubt that the markets we most need exis. In
South America"
The senator then goes into q carefully
elaborated statement about the commercial
relations which might so easily be created
between the United States aud Soutl
America, and concludes with timely refer
ence to existing labor dIfllculties
Now We have an oppor unity to compete will
European manufacturers IN Brazil aud Vene
zuela on equal terms, except that while the!
send a steamer every day fsom Europe to thos
countries, we send only one once month
Therefore their privileges are thirty time
greater than ours. We have got TO do some
thing In this country to furnish our working
men employment. The introduction OF labor
saving machinery has enabled us to product
almost enough manufactured produce TO sup
ply the whole world, and if we are simply
going 10 produce enough ior our own markets
We might rs well abandon half our factories
and let half our farms go 10 failow. The price
of wheat and other farm products Is so low
because OF the competition in India and Aus.
tralio that American farmers find no prof
from their fields. All this enforced idlenes
and loss is unnecessary If our government wa
only wise enough to give our producers q
chance in the markets OF the world, and more
especially in the markets of South America
five wait for English shipowners TO come and
carry our produce away workingmen will
slarve, and our farmers will sink into poverty
and distress. If, however, We offer fair ant
proper inducements to our own citizens I,
build ships, and thus AFFORD transportation fo
the vast productions Of the American people
there is brighter day in the immediate future
The Saddest Doubt of All.