The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-06-18

me ssars asd Strips kssp q uons n,
| cause u Doess's fsy % Csnpes. vien
Cheap Rorsign ehips. chs.p Csptasn1
| and chssp csews
Our Nag l. not on the sea 70 any
great extent. Why should IL be? Z
that sort Of national vanity which d
tho mere cockade Of patriotism more
important than are our genuine COM
mercial interests?
Because the Democrats in Congress
decline 70 20 into the subsidy business
the Tribune INDUCES in the following
loose talk:
The Democrats stu persist In PLAYING snto
me hands Of England and other nations %
steady decline IN ships Carrying The Amer.
can nag. and the Increase at our <x nense AZ
ne NJ commerce. Of other nations. has opened
party leaders are not yet willing 10 sdmIS
that they have Numbered on this matter.
The Tribune is 50 located that Il
ought to know the bottom facts which
II sedulously keeps from its readers.
II ought to know that our merchant
ships were driven from the ocean-not
primarily because we were at war: but
because the business Of ocean-carryin9
had ceased 70 pay. II ought to know
that the foreign vessels that tie up
within sight Of its windows at the
wharves Of Manhattan island do not
return two per cent profit to their
owners AS an investment It ought 10
know that ocean-carrying is about the
least rcmunerativc business in the
world. and that Americans can not AZ
ford 70 engage in il to any great ex-
tent In direct competition with the
cheap ships. cheap captains and cheap
crews Of Europe The captain Of an
Amsterdam Or Gcnoese bark gets $500
year, but man for the same service
IN New York costs $500 70 $500.
10 make a serious effort to rebuild our
merchant marine would be about as
wise as it would be for American capi-
talists to 60 and establish maccaroni
factories in Naples or pulque mills in
Mexico.
To-day it costs less to transport q
can OF Kerosene from New York to
Marseillcs, France. than it does to car
~ il from New York to Philadelphia.
and It costs just about as much 10 get
a ladies' band-box carried from Will
ards Hotel across the Potomac to
Alexandria as it does to send pack.
age Of the same size from Baltimore 70
Calcutta in Hindostan. This Is the Sc
rious fact: The reason why American
ships are not on the ocean Is because
they do not want to be; because it
does not pay to be; because they can
not afford to be. If the thronging
paupers Of Holland. Spain and Italy
are eager to serve us as oceanic porfers.
why not let them do il. while we calm-
y continue 70 busy ourselves about |
something that pays? A bank presi- |
lent might. on arriving at the depot, |
shoulder his own trunk and carry il to \
MS home: but why should he. when l
here are clamorous hundreds who |
want the job and can do it cheaper
han he can?
In times Of peace we can not afford \
o struggle with the hungry stevedorcs
II Amsterdam and Liverpool and the |
yretched lazzaroni Of Italy for the \
privilege of carrying the flour barrels |
md kerosene cans ofthc world. because
here Is so much more money in \
manufacturing the load; and in times Y
4 war, large merchant marine Is al |
Ways an element of weakness.
What we want. and want at once. il
respectable navy. worthy Of our
Tealth and our prctensions. Let puis-
ant ships-of-war bear our flag where
j. needed. and let the poverty-strick-
n porter-heets Of the world carry any
az they please.
On this platform the Democratic par.
can securely stand. - Washington
'osf.