Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-05-27

l.lI
II shows long list of the nations that
have built up their mercantile marine by
compensation for mail service or by sub
sidy, and gives the amount expended by
each during 1881. Among them / find
that even SO small country MS Roumana
-Roumania, struggling for existence
appropriates $9S4.o7 for this purpose,
while the other countries named in the
list expend various amounts, increasing in
rapid ratio until you come to France,
which appropriates IS, 1852, ,3S8 9S to build
up her merchant marine.
Those foreign lines, established origin
ally by liberal compensation for the car
riage of the mails or by direct subsidy,
are the very lines that are now receiving
from the American people $3.50, 900 for
carrying our foreign mails, while our own
lines receive but $4,000. think my
friend from Missouri Mr.. Dockeryl will
admit all our American steamship lines
were built up originally and sustained by
the liberal policy of the government from
1866 TO 1877.
The American lines are now asked to
compete unaided with the foreign lines
still sustained, in the manner | have
stated, by their respective governments,
while we have not only ceased to aid our
own, but have thrown every embarrass
ment in their way. Sir, we would MOTTO
day have line of steamers to any foreign
country to carry our mails were it not for
the fact that the government at one time
recognized the necessities of the case and
gave them liberal aid. The gentleman
from Missouri MIR. Dockery says that
our commerce was not increased during
the period of such government aid, from
1866 to 1877. | admit that in the aggre-
gate tonnage was not Increased but the
gentleman overlooked one very material
factor he overlooked the fact that from
1866 to 1877 white there was no marked
increase of tonnage there was
that marvellous transition from sail to
steam tonnage, from the wooden clipper
to the iron and steel steamer which mul-
tiplied the carrying capacity of vessels
and made our commercial marine equal
to Mt least one.t third or one-half more
ships. But, sir, he forgets that we owe
even the shadow of merchant marine
on the ocean to the honnteDus aid of the
government which is so strongly CON
tielnned. If il Ind not been that the
liberal hand OF tho government was
stretched out from 1866 TO 1877 there
would not have been an American line of
steamships any where to which we could
have even uifercd liberal compensation
to-day.
Mr.. Chairman, / am free to say that if
this proposition were presented TO us in
the form of q bold and naked subsidy-it
il were proposition that Congress should
give 10 the respective lines the amount OF
money named in this amendment for the
purpose of building up or helping to
build up the American marine, l would
vote for it If such result could be obtained
in no other way. In the last Congress We
endeayored to remove some of the restric'
tions upon our American merchant ma
r.ne; and under the Dinglty bill mum
ber of them were removed. Ii is now
proposed to give an impetus in another
iirection-not 10 give subsidy Ct cal
not properly come under that term), MOI
ITO give excessive compensation for carry
ing the mails, but to give only such com
pensation as you are giving 10 your coast
4. wise steamers and your railroads,
s. The men who oppose this appropriation
H of $500 600 for this purpose are il thi
worry bill voting away millions of dollar
10 the railroads owned by these bugbears
whom some of my friends here scarcel,
dare to mention except with bated breatl
-Jay Gould, Russell Sage, Dillon am
Huntington. You are appropriating mil
lions of dollars for carrying the mail
Nippon the railroads owned by the grea
corporations which these men control
But because, forsooth, they may get som
of the money proposed To be paid unde
this amendmsn mt for building up th
American merchant marine, this House
invoked with spasins Of terror not I
vote for iheamendmentleA lest Jay Gould an
Russell Sage and Dillon and Huntingto