National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-06-03
Our Navy and Merchant Marine.

Our Navy and Merchant Marine.
Our worthy contemporary, the Washing
ton Post, edltorlally advocates with great
earnestness the building up Of our navy as
one Of the most important necessities Of the
times. We join hands mos heartily In this
cause, and would he glad to see our country
possess q navy worthy Of our wealth and
our position as one OF the leading nations
OF the world. When we reflect that
the increase of our population during
the last ten years exceeds the en-
tire population of Great Britain In her
glorious naval days of Nelson, and remem-
Der her power on the sea then, compared
with other nations and our own impotence
at sea now, IL should make us feel as II
something was not right in our present
naval system. Certainly we should go
ahead and build up an efficient navy. The
entire press and the people demand It.
However, we do not agree with the Post
when 1t says "that the Democratic party
can securely stand on this platform" and
"abandon the carrying trade OF the world
TO the poverty-stricken, porter-neets be-
longing to other nations" In other
words It advocates building and running
puissant men.of-war, but would utterly
abandon our merchant marine. This never
has been the confessed policy Of the Demo.
cratic party, and we do not believe that
such policy can be maintained at present.
Carelessness and indifference made the
Republican party neglect this important
industry In past years, and these same in
excusable causes may actuate the Demo-
cratic party at present. In late speeches
made by far.sighted Democrats and Repub-
licans in the Senate and the House Of Rep
resentatives II has been demonstrated that
there is a spirit of Americanism being
oroused that wisely sinks partisan feel
ng in cause of this magnitude and
Importance. To build up and maintain
navy, the Post thinks, is wise investment
of the national funds, because In times OF
war It would be Of indispensable utility. 1t,
however, teaches the untenable doctrine
that sin times Of war large merchant ma
rino is olwayo an olemout of wvalIness." II
might as well say iu times OF war that the
militia OF the land was an element OF weak
ness, as q merchant marine is, In fact, the
militia OF the sea. The great economist,
Adam Smith, before our birth as ma
tion in 1176, said that "the defense OF
Great Britain depends very much upon the
number Of its sailors and shipping" In
those days, as in ours, 1t did not pay, as a
cash investment, to build and run English
ships; but this great economist formulated
another sterling truth when he said: "As
defense, however, is Of much more impor-
tance than opulence, their act Of navigation
(protection to the shipping industry is,
perhaps, the wisest Of all commercial regu-
lations Of England.n AS Democrats gene
rally, who happen to be free traders, are
apt to turn to Adam Smiths "Wealth Of
Nations" as to a political Bible, teach
ing this doctrine, we wish that the
free ship faction would take
few lessons concerning this shipping
industry from this valuable work His
doctrines applied to the shipping industry
Of the United States to-day are about as
sound as II they had been written yester-
day, rather than over one hundred years ago.
He never advocated free trade In ships.
The sustenation Of the merchant marine,
including the facilities and ability to build
'StpSio "0 "OiA no ehchit IN buO luOob
sensible and economical method OF main
tanning our militia Of the sch. Some feasi-
bic plan should be devised by Con-
gress most promptly to keep this
important industry from further
decay, and, ifpossible, to give 1t new life.
While 1t is exceedingly wise and important
to maintain navy, 1t is just as unwise and
reckless to abandon our merchant marine.
In times Of peace the merchant marine will
be, to great extent, self-supporting, and
whatever deficiency may be found necessary
TO make capitalists invest their money in such
useful enterprises should be gladly lpaid
out of our common national purse, trusting
TO get all Of our dollars back, In service for
the trained men, II not from the ships
themselves, in times of war. As war
measure, under our accepted policy
Of maintaining both an army and navy OF
very moderate size, the maintenance of
merchant marine becomes an imperative
necessity. 1t is just as easy to have a full
sized tree grown at national command In
few months or year as 1t is to make
skillful shipbuilder or seaman In the same
length OF time. Time is an element indls-
pensable in the production OF either, that
must OF necessity be provided for In all OF
our calculations for the supply of seamen or
shipbuilders in time Of emergency.