Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-09-07
[ Communicated. ]
OCEAN TRAFFIC.


depth, aud vainly grasWng at every
floating straw To sustain IFS mis-
taken theories. Stick tO blzzlrds,
friend, y0n are at home there. 49,
The "CltN OF New York; ard other
ships mentioned. are nat free made
ships because they are protected by
a heavy subsidy from the British
government. The reason that for.
eign built ships, even If chiefly
owned by Americans, are sailed
under foreign flags is because the
laws of the United States Justly
forbid any foreign built ship to fly
its flag. "Repnblican policy" has
not but Democratic parsimOny has
forced the carrying trade into Brit
ish hands. Let our government
pay American steamships the same
subsidy that British steamers re-
ceive and our sails will again
whlteD every sea, our flag will float
in every cline.
The IrginidR refers to the coast
ing trade, does it not know that
this is the last resort of the used
up sailor. The true American sail.
or, the typical American seaman,
longs for the wide ocean, deep wa
ter and plenty Of 1t. lie scorns to
dodge along the coast, and further.
more, the vessels supplyed in the
coastlng trade are not owned by
capitalists as the V6ginidR as
serts, they are usually taken up IN
small shares, eighths, sixteenths,
sixty.fOurths, &c. 1t is not an I'M.
usual thing for the cook to be a
part owner in the Ship in which he
sails. The builder usually retains
an interest, and so does the rIgger,
the sail maker, the blacksmith, the
ship chandler and all Others inter.
ested in the success of the vessel.
The VrginidH is as wild in its
figures as 1t is IN its fancies and its
fOibles. 1t states that under Dem
ocratic low tariff the United States.
had 4 100000 tons engaged in for
eign trade. Never since the stars
and stripes hOated have we had one
haif that tonnage in foreign trade
The most We ever had, including
the cOasting trade was ab0nt 5000
600. 1t is equally in error in stat.
ing that to-day we have less than
100000 tons. The merest novice
in maritime affairs knows that
there are many factors entering in-
to the problem Of decreased tonnage
under the American flag. Up to
1860 the bulk OF the California,
Australia, China, Japan and East
India business was done by sailing
ships built of wood. \ California
vOy age required from 100 to 100
days and often longer. \ ship WAS
fortunate that made the round trip
IN q year. Now The Pacific Rail
roads do this business IN from
eight to ten days. And the same
is true Of the China, Japan and
East India trade, it now comes by
steamers across the Pacific and
across the continent, or by steam
ers via. the Suez Canal. At the
time the TUginioR boasts of our
heavy tonnage under the American
flag, the bulk of the European bus
mess was done by sailing ships
who considered themselves fOrtu-
nate if they made three round trips
during the year. The modern
steamship easily makes her twelve
trips a year, and if pushed can
make thirteen or fourteen, carrying
three times the cargo of the aver
age sailing ship. Our clipper ships
were great In measurement but
snail in capacity.
During the war, when the Demo
cratic party trying as hard TO de-
strOy the very life of the govern.
ment az the Cleveland party dorm
erly known as the Democratic
party is now endeavOrlng 20 Grip
pie its Industries, many American
Ships we're destroyed by the Demo
cratic, otherwise known as COnfed
crate priyateers, and many others
were put under foreign flags to
avoid the heavy war insurance,
often as high as FIVE or six per cent.
for a single voyage. At this time
came the advent of iron and steel
steamships. The Americans with
a single thought to protecting the
government paid little attention to
ship building, while the British
looking only to dollars and cents
entered actively into it and gained
a supremacy which they still re.
tam, and retain it by the aid of
protection in the form of subsidies.
The writer again asserts that the
Cleveland party, formerly known
as the Democratic party, loses no
opportunity to cater to British IN
terests. Witness the Presidents
free trade message, which was re.
ceived with one great shout Of JOY
from every British throat, and
which was reechoed again and
again on the passage Of the Mills
bill by the House, and every Brit
ish newspaper, with one exception,
keeps up the refrain. When you
do just what your commercial rivals
want you to do, you may be sure |
you are doing just exactly wrong. |
The American fishing fleets have |
been looked upon ever since the !
foundation Of the government as
the nursery OF American seamen, |
the Cleveland party sought TO de. |
strOy this interest by Its humiliat.
ing fisheries treaty, which is in no
manner helped by the Presidents !
electloneering clap.trap message
A Cleveland Secretary of the Navy
instructs Its sailors to reverence
the flag they sail under by sending
to England for models and designs
for its ships, when the whole world
knows that IN naval architecture
the United States Is nnequalled, in
the days of clipper ships We beat
the world. The English have for
years valnly eudeayored to cap.
ture from us the Americas cup, and
today the United States owns the
fastest vessel of any description
ahoat. The "StiIletto," designed,
modelled and built by an American
blind man, has developed speed