The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-05-27
FREE SHIP BILL.

FREE SHIP BILL.
Mr.. Dunn, of Arkansas, made a strong
argument in the house of representatives
on Saturday, in favor of bill for free
ship building, and repeating our antiquat'
ed laws on shipping generally. Incident
ally Mr.. Dunn attacked the subsidy policy
and used an illustration well understood
in his state of Arkansas, to enforce his
views on that subject. He characterized
the habit of nations granting bounties
to steamship companies as a game OF ma
tional poker. France" he said, "gave
some millions; Germany saw that and
went some millions better; Italy, without
money had to leave the game, and the
United States was asked to raise both
France and Germany" Arkansas fully I'M
derstands its member of congress in his
illustration and perhaps Texas can make
a shrewd guess as to its significance. 1t
is forHible, but the democrats in the house
fortunately have put themselves on
record as not desiring to take hand III
such a high "ante' game of draw poker"
Upon the subject of the shipping laws o
the United States Mr.. Dunn was quite as
forcible, and showed that the United
States was prevented from competition
in the carrying trade of the world by
being prevented from purchasing ships in
the cheapest market and having them
registered as vessels of their own country.
The shipping laws of the United States
are so interviewer with the tariff system,
and so kindred in principle, that
it will be impossible to correct
them without change of sentiment
in regard to a high tariff.
As long as the principle of protection or
the collection by the tariff of an unneces-
sary amount for revenue for the purpose
of encouraging manufacturing exist, the
same protection will be extended to ship
builders in the United States and com
pletely obstruct that industry.
When the United States abandoned the
free trade system, or a tariff for revenue
only, and England adopted free
trade policy, Immediately change took
place in the carrying trade of both
countries.
Previous to that time, American bot
toms entered every mart of trade from
its great centres-Liverpool, CONSTANT
nople, the South American ports, even to
the most insignificant isles of the sea.
Our merchant marine traded throughout
the civilized world, alike IN the cereals of
Europe, the spices and aromatic wood
of Asia, and the gems and pearls of
of Africa. Our clippers were the fastest,
our shippers the most adventurous, but
"pari passu" with the increase of tariff
in this country has that trade diminished
and gone to England, a free trade coun-
try. Then American merchants were ad-
mirals freighting squadrons in every port,
but the tariff diminished them into shop
keepers confined in enterprise into swap
ping jackets of shoddy made, by protected
manufactures. Then we did our own
carrying trade, and took part in the COM
petition of the world. Now England does
our carrying trade, and we are not even
permitted to build cheap ships in the
Clyde, or buy them when built there, and
run them under American register, nor
can we even encourage the shipping inter
ests of the United States until the princi-
pie of the democratic party of a tariff for
revenue only ID established, and then, and
not until then, will the obnoxious ship
ping laws of this country be repealed.