The Portland daily press., 1889-12-04

S Son ~ such case, and as the effort must IN
s shnt oesree be experimental, l recommend
no sn my appropriation made f0l tlo pu. poSo
time oua united IN annual amount anu az N ' ~,
the ons 1, which 1t is to extend a. antbopi
yes yes opportunity e. make AXE the best use OF the
iv 9S year allowance and on the otner, ~ Gs
nostn Snehl from the temptation " nnI b.y
don tba tne assumption of the wno did u nnt
intrnde tes The cDlored peoPtibo thew W. waps
m Uoogna mere in chains, and held 10 Tue COM
M ,n,'nitles where they are now chleny i9und
r ps cruel I'VE slave code. Happily lor potn
Ths,v my are now Free e;onoranoo
and poverty, which 3 SAVIOUR was our shame. not
t;nn aaue remarkable advances III e4 nS
hun ba,1o anu IN the acquisition OF properly ihsy
fr;a a. people shown themselves 70 De
and nn anu faithful towards the wmr.e iav.
anu under Temptations Of TREMENDOUS
strength. They have their representatives
~ ~ .ne national cemeteries, where graIeIul
government has gathered the asneS OF tnose
VINO aIe "a In its defence. They nave inr.
have Won Jda regular army tI nnromand
ing officers for courage and soldierly quail
yes, ana for fidelity to the enlistment OF u.
In civil lie they are now the toilers OF their |
communities nm making their full contriDntion
these Streams OF rppeeiying Their
sudden withdrawal would stop production,
and bring disorder into the household as we'll
as the shop.
Generally they do not desire to quit thei,
homes, and their employers resent the inter.
ference of the lmmigration agents, who seek
10 stimulate such desire, but notwlthstand-
Ing all this, In many parts OF our country
where the colored population Is large. the
people OF mat race are by various devices de-
pIiVe9 OF any effective exercise OF lnelr Pc,
rights.
The wrong does not expend itself upon
tn0se whose votes are suppressed. Every
constituency In the Union is wronged. IL
has been the hope of every patriot that
sense, OF Justice and of respect for the law
would work gradual cure OF these tiagrant
evils Surely no one supposes that the pres
ent can pc accepted as a permanent condi-
ton. Ii 1t is said that these communities
must work out this problem for themselves.
we have right to ask whether they are at
work on 1t. Do they suggest any solution?
When and under what conditions is the
black man to have free ballot? When Is
he, in fact, to have
THOSE FULL CIVIL RIGHTS
which have so long been his in law? When
| is that equality of influence which our form
| of gov eminent was intended to secure to the
! electors to be restored?
This generation should courageously face
| these grave questions, and not leave them as
| a heritage of woe to the next. The consul
| tation should proceed with capdor, calmness
| and great patience, upon the lines of justice
| and humanity, not of prejudice and cruelty.
No question in our country can be at rest ex-
| cept upon the firm base of justice and OF the
| law.
earnestly invoke the attention of Con-
gress to the consideration of such measures
within its well defined constitutional powers
| as will secure to all our people free exer-
| else of the right of suffrage, and every other
/ civil right under the Constitution and laws
| of the United States.
No evil, however deplOrable, can justify
the assumption, either on the part of the ex-
| ecutive or OF Congress, of powers not grant
| ed, but both will be highly blamable if all
| the powers granted arr. not wisely but firm
| ly used to correct this evil. The power to
take the whole direction and control OF the
election OF members of the House of Repre-
seutatives is clearly given to the general
| government.
A partial and qualified supervision of
these elections is now provided for by law,
and in my opinion this law may be so
strengthened and extended as to secure on
the whole, better results than can be at
tanned by law taking all the process of all
such elections into federal control The
cOlOred man should be prot cited in all of his
| relations in the federal government, whether
as itigant, juror or witness in our courts as
an electOr for members of Congress, or as a
peaceful traveller upon our Interstate rail-
ways
There is nothing more justly humiliating
full to the national prosperity, than the in
feriOrity OF
OUR MERCHANT MARINE
as compared with that of other nations,
whose general resources, wealth and sea-
coast lines do not suggest any reason for
their supremacy on the sea. 1t was not al
ways so, and our people are agreed, think,
that IL shall not continue to be so.
1t is not possible in this communication to
discuss the causes of the decay of our ship
ping interests, or the differing methods by
which it is proposed to restore them. The
statement of few well-authenticated facts,
and some general suggestion as to legisla-
tion, is all Is that practical.
| That the great steamship lines sailing I'M
der the flags of England, France, Germany,
Spain and Italy. ard engaged in foreign
commerce. were promoted and have since
been and now are literally aided by grants
of public money IN one form or another, is
generally known.
That the American lines of steamships
have been abandoned by us to an unequal
contest with the aided lines of other ma
| tions, until they have been Withdrawn or,
in the few cases where they are still MAIN
tanned are subject to serious disadYan-
| tage, is matter of common knowledge
The present situation is such that travel
lers and merchandise find Liverpool often a
necessary intermediate port between New
York and some of the South American CAPT.
ais.
The fact that some of the delegates from
the South American States to the confer
ence of American nations, now in session at
Washington, reached, our shores by revers--
| ing that line of travel, is very conclusive of
the need of such a conference and very
suggestive as to the first and most necessary
step in the direction of fuller and more ben
eiclal intercourse with nations that are now
neighbors upon the lines of latitude, but
not upon the lines of established commercial
| intercourse.
l recommend that such appropriations be
made for ocean mail service in American
steamships, between our ports and those Of
Central and South America, China, Japan
and the important islands in both of the
great oceans as will be literally remunera-
tive for the service rendered, and as will en-
courage the establishment and in some fair
degree eQualize the chances of American
steamship lines in the competition which
they must meet. That the American States
lying south of us will probably cooperate in
| establishing and maintaining such lines of
steamships to their principal ports | do not
doubt.
We should also make provision for
A NAVAL RESERVE
to consist of such merchant ships, of Ameri-
can construction, and of a specified tonnage
| and speed, as the owners will consent to
| place at the use of the government, in case
of need. as armed cruisers.
England has adopted this policy, and as
| result can now, upon necessity, at once place
upon her naval list some of the fastest
steamships in the world. A proper super
vision of the construction of such vessels
| would mako their conversion into effective
| ships of war very easy.
| am an advocate of economy in our ma
tional expenditures, but 1t is a misuse of
terms to make this word describe a policy
that withholds any expenditure for
| the purpose of extending our
| foreign commerce. The enlargement
and improvement of our merchant marine,
the development of sufficient body of
trained American seamen, the promotion OF
] rapid and regular mail communication be-
| tween the ports of other countries and our
| own, and the adaptation of large and swift
| American merchant steamships to naval uses
in time of war are public purposes of the
| highest concern.
The enlarged participation Of our people
| in the carrying trade, the new and increased
markets that will be opened for the products
| of our farms and factories, and the fuller
| and better employment of our mechanics
which will result from liberal promotion of
| our foreign commerce ensure the widest
possible diffusion of benefits to all the States
| and to all our people.
| Everything is most propitious for the pres
| emit inauguration of liberal and progressive
| policy on this subject. and we should enter
| upon 1t with prOmptness and decision.
The legislation which have submitted, it 10
| sincerely believed. will promote the peace
1