Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-04-24
An Important Statement Examined

+ a. nnuSlnS' Committee.
An Important Statement Examined.
Cleveland has shown rs that there was
such thing rs being protected too much, and
that we had protected our chipping interests
so effcctually that they had ceased to need
protection by ccasing TO cxist."-JAMEs X.
Lowell, at Me Bostoh Free Trnde BanqHst.
at Is not pleasant to hear that called the
American system which has succeeded in
abolishing our commerce. "--JAMEs X. Low
ELI, at the New Yorf Free Trade Meeting.
Here is u specific charge against the
American system of Projections, the same
that has been repeated many times in
various sections Of this country, by Free
Trade and Bourbon newspapers, essayists
and lecturers 1t il either false, utterly
without foundation, or it l. true, resting
on solid basis Of facts. There Is no bor-
der land of mist and uncertainty between
the affirmative aud negative of this state
ment. The lines of truth are clear cut
and the facts 40 strong and emphatic in
their meaning that the testimony they
positive language of J, X. Lowell is en-
phatically and conclusively disprsved by
facts and figures, he stands impcached be-
fore his countrymen of making a false
statement against the long established
policy of his country and stakes his judg-
ment against n long line of the most illus
trious statesmen America has ever pro-
duced. If he has loaded this charge in
ignorance of its import and its falsity, he
cannot be excused, for ne has had album
dant opportunities to learn that the his
tory, the notorious facts, of the last TWEEN
ty-seven years, conclu'iyely prove it,
entire ncorrcctness.
Our shipping interests are still very
large, greater than those of any other
nation In the world save Great Britain.
Where they are protected by our naviga-
ton laws our vessels continue to give en-
ployment to n vast amount of American
labor at good wages and move an immense
amount of commerce. But for this gov
erument protection of our coast, river and
pressed tn the wall by the cheap labor
and the shipping capital of foreign ma
tons.
But how about our foreign shipping.
which undoubtedly WAS chiefly in the
mind of Professor Lowell and the Bourbon
lecturers when they made their charge
that the American protective system had
destroyed it. Who and what have stood
In the way of American ocean shipping
interests since April, 1861; The Free
Traders of the South, inspired and kinded
into a flame by the teachings of John c.
Calhoun, proclaimed Free Trade con
federacy, and inside of the land and water
lines of England the Free Traders con
structed navy of Confederate cruisers.
which turned pirates on all the oceans of
the world, burning, sinking and destroy
ing American shipping, rendering it use
less for foreign American commerce.
This was the beginning of the "eNtinguish-
ing of our shipping" which Lowell and
his Bourbon associates charge to the
Morrill, tariff, that broad measure of
patriotic craftsmanship which saved our
finances from ruin in the DAYS of the
nations peril.
What was the next powerful cause
which mpeded the growth and prosperity |
of our shipping interests? About the |
date of the piratical and destructive war
Of the confederate and English Free
Traders against it. there came the remark |
able Improvement in the compound steam
ship engine, vastly increasing the CARRYING |
capacity of steamships to which were
added various improvements in
iron ship-building. England was in
splendid condition to at once avail her
self of these improvements. She had
cheap labor and cheap capital. We had a
vast and expensive war on our hands-the
war of the Free Traders for our destruc-
tivn. When the war had terminated,
English shipping was on the way of
rapid increase. WHY did we not i'm
mediately follow her example and beat
her on the ocean by our skill, capital and
energyg For the plain reason, and this
so strong and clear that there is not the
slightest chance for its denial. that
American skill, labor aud capital could he
far more probably employed on land.
No man or set of men will put their
capital aud labor to the perils of the seas,
II they can employ them far more profit
ably at home and on the land. From
the passage of the Morrill,
to the present time we have built and
equipped from 10000 to 100000 miles
OF railroad at the cost of more
than $4,000, 100000, several times
over the value of every British
merchant ship on all the oceans ;
Of the globe. In the same time American
capitalists and laborers have built many
large cities, expended their money and ,
their energies on factories, machinery,
mines. agricultural implements, in turning |
vast virgin and unsettled territories into
and populous States, at the I
expense of thousands of millions of dol t