The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-03-23

ment OF our commerce with South
America.
| 1t Is not necessary to 60 over Mr..
Shaw's views on the Canadian ques-
ton. He speaks almost entirely
from theimperial point of view when
he says that annexation is not pop.
ular either in Great Britain or Cana
da. This is partly true and part :
false. We believe that the Maritime
Provinces would vote for annexation
tomorrow. if they could not have
assurances of the speedy establish
ment of trade reciprocity between the
two neighboring countries. Mr.. Shaw
Is certainly right, however. in insist
ing upon the retention of the protect.
i've tariff against the products of Can.
ada so long as the Dominion remains
a foreign government. There is no
reason why neighborhood should be
considered in this matter. If protec.
ton is good against one country it is
good against all.
The most important feature of Mr..
Shaw's interview concerns the devel-
Opement of our South American
trade. He points out the facts which
the Mail and Express has been
spreading before its readers for near
~ year. The commercial import
sBee of most of the South American
Nations Is growing with an astonish.
int rapidity. We doubt if the de.
Vehement ofthe trade of the Argen-
tine Republic, for example, during
the LAT few years can be parallelled
by anyeontemporaneous experience.
This gQ'ernment has steadfastly re-
fused Il do anything 10 enable our
people share in the enormous in
crease q the worlds wealth which
has beeEcontributed by their imme.
diate nei.hbors. The fruits have been
gatheredby foreign capitalists. and
the few Americans who have under
taken to share in the business of
South Ansrica have been persist
emily discouraged by a Democratic
House of representatives. Not only
has all aid ben refused to steamship
lines, but ADEQUATE compensation for
the transportation of the mails has
been denied. There is nothing in the
| history Of loui,lot;nn on ,,,orI,o1 oo,
disfgured by ignorance. prejudice.
narroW-mindedness and besOttei
folly as the attitude of Congress to-
ward the trade of South America.
Our lawmakers have robbed the
country of hundreds of millions of
dollars which NOW might be flowing
into the Golfers of our merchants, by
simply refusing to deal Justly with
existing and prospective steamship
lines.
The South American policy which
Mr.. Blaine advocated when he was
Secretary of State for few months
in 1881 would alone mark him as one
of the ablest statesmen of his country
and his time. He foresaw the grow
ing wealth and importance of the
great continent which lies to the
south of us, our trade relations with
which should be more important
than those with any country of En-
rope, save, possibly. Great Britain.
He did his utmost, during his brief
tenure of the State Department, to
put this country in position to avail
itself of its undoubted advantages.
He pointed out the road in which
his successor vainly sought to walk.
A Democratic Congress. blind!y ig.
norant and stupidity prejudiced, block
ed the way.
There is no better agent for the es-
adjustment of business relations be-
tween two countries than a we'll Or
ganized and equipped steamship line;
but Democratic House of Represen.
tatives refused to aid in the mainten-
ance of such line, and when. driven
by the force of popular feeling in ia.
vor of the Blame policy. Congress
finally made an appropriation that
would have given to the Brazilian
Company fair compensation for carry
ing the mails, Democratic Postmas-
ter-General refused to expend the
money.
There are better times in store for
the country. Mr.. Blaine is again at
the head of the State Department,
and this time he has behind him a
ReL ublican majority in both houses
of Congress. He will doubtless be-
able to impress his policy upon the
Lt4aws of the land. We have called
the policy Mr.. Blaine's, adopting the
distinction which the Mugwumps
and Democrats have conferred upon
him. AS matter of fact the policy
Is Republican. President Harrison
has advocated it as vigorously as any