The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-06-28
Why we Have no Merchant Marine

Now and then the newspapers break out
in lament over the decadence of The naval
power Of the United States and the lack OF
American sea-men and suggest improbable
means TO remedy this evil-for evil it is
A favorite suggestion is that government
subsidize steamship lines. II this plan were
attempted it would prove but partial rem.
edy, and the growing disfavor of the west
to subsidies i; not likely to advance the
subsidy plan. There is no lack of American
shi p owners, but the steel and iron materials
of which modern ships are chiefly built costs
so much in this country that rich ship own.
ers and commercial companies send to for
eign countries TO have their ships built, and
then they have to be registered as foreign yes.
sells, sail under foreign flags and have foreign
officers to command them. American mer-
chants own lots of ships, but their govern
ment wont allow them to sail the ships
under our own flag and officers because they
have the vessels built in Europe where the
material is cheapest. There would be no
lack of navy sailing under the United
States flag if Congress would repeal the law
forbidding the privilege to ship owners
If the steel and iron ships owned by
American merchants were exempt
from paying duty on the material used
in their construction our manufacturers
would soon produce iron and steel for the
purpose as cheap as foreigners, and then
mail subsidy, if necessary, would assist
to establish American steamship lines tc
every country of any importance on the
globe, manned by American officers aid
seamen. And if Congress will interpose 70
break up the conspiracies among manufac-
lures and syndicates called "trusts," and
allow competition to work out lis legitimate
results there would soon be surplus oil
manufactured articles 10 seek market in
foreign countries.
This was the doctrine of Henry Clay and
| Daniel Webster when the Amel lean System
was being SO holly contested in the '40's
| The argument having the most weight used
by them was that if American manufactur.
ers were protected when manufacturing was
in its infancy till the business was establish.
ed on as firm a basis as it was then in
Europe, that the increase of the business
and skill Of the employees would produce a
competition al. home that would bring the
price of all goods down to the lowest point
of foreign makes. But now when the PEG.
pie should be reaping the fruits they prom.
ised we find combinations among those fav-
ored ones, established for the purpose oil
crushing out competition and preventing
that scale Of the worlds prices from being
established, by the ungrateful crowd who
have grown rich and proud off Of the pub
lies liberal bounties. They now turn upon
their beneiactors and tell them that compe-
htion shall not exist and that prices shall
not be lowered. And the consequence is
that we see such men as Carnegie forming
little groups and dividing among them the
gains OF a single year amounting TO the
enormous sum of million and half of dol
lars 10 each. When honest labor, which
gets nothing that does not come by the
sweat OF its brow, raises its head for mo-
ment to take an observation of what is going
on around it, there stands ring of rings
hemming it in on all sides; the gold ring
the whiskey ring, the manufacturers rings
the stock gamblers rings, the produce corn
efers, cattle syndicates, telegraph, telephone
electric Zig ht and oil trust, sugar trusts
salt trust. binding Irvine trusts and every
where labor is surrounded by this drag net
and not few of these conspiraces are sub.
sidized and aided by the government. This
is especially so Of the gold and whiske,
rings. These two have been especial pet
of the government for nearly if not quite ;
quarter of a century. The former is draw
ing quietly their substance from the pocket
of the people, while the latter Ike rioto1
bully is tramping rough shod on their necks
No American navy! OF course not. TIL,
very worst of reasons exist for this nalior
having almost nothing for a navy. Amer
leans own commercial marine but thei
government will not permit its citizens I,
claim it in their national name, becaus,
their doing SO would be injurious to some o
its pet syndicates' and monol o!ies' interests
And this is the reason we have no merchan
marine or seamen worth naming