The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-02-24
A MOST CONCLUSIVE ARGUMENT FOR
SUBSIDY.

HE current number or the North
American Review contains duel
between Right Hon. W K. Glad
stone, Of England, and Hon. James
q. Blaine, of the United States, pre-
senting a most interesting argument
OF the benefits pro, and con, of free
trade and protection. AS TO the
general argument, we will not re-
produce it, but as Mr. Blaine finds
most convincing argument through
the shipping question, we cannot
doubt that the gentleman's cOntribu-
ton On that point will be read with
great interest by all.
Toward the close Of his argument
Mr.. Blaine uses the following Ian
guage: THE zeal of Mr.. Gladstone
for free trade reaches its highest
point in the declaration that all
protection is morally as well as
economically bad He is right in
making this his strongest ground of
opposition, if protection is ques-
ton of morals. But his assertion
leaves him in an attitude of personal
Inconsistency. There is protection
on sea as we'll as on land. Indeed,
the most palpable and effective form
of protection is in the direct pay
ment of public money to line OF
steamers that could be maintained
without that form Of aid. | do not
say that such aid is unwise protec-
ton; least of all do I say that it is
immoral On the contrary, I think
it is often proved the highest com
mercial wisdom, without in the least
Infringing on the domain of morals.
"Mr. Gladstone, however, commits
himself to the principle that all
protection is morally bad Ii this
has been his belief ever since he be-
came an advocate of free trade, his
conscience must have received many
and severe wounds'as session after
session, while Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, he carried through Parlia
ment bounty-may I not say a di-
rect protection?-of ElS0,000 ster-
ling to line of steamers running be-
tween England and the United States
"a protection that began six years
before free trade was proclaimed in
English manufactures, and contin
ued nearly 20 years after. In the
whole period of % years an aggre
gate of many millions was paid out
to protect the English line against
all competition.
ct may be urged that this sum
was paid for carrying the Anglo
American mails, bnt That argument
will not avail Free Trader. be
cause steamers of other nationa!ites
stood ready to Garry the mails at a
far cheaper rate. Nay. few years
ago. possibly when Mr.. Gladstone
was Premier of England, public bids
were asked to carry the Anglo-1n
dian mails. A French line offered a
lower bid than any English line, but
the English Government disregarded
the French bid and gave the contract
to the Peninsular and Oriental line.
owned by a well-known English
company. Still later. the German
Lloyd Company contracted to carry
the Anglo-American mails cheaper
thar any English line offered, and
the German company actually began
to perform the duty. But English
men did not want that kind Of free
trade and they broke the contract
with the German line and again gave
protection to the English ships.
Does not this justify the opinion
that the English policy of free trade
is urged where England can hold
the field against rivals. and that
when competition leaves her behind
she repudiates free trade and substi-
tutes the most pronounced form OF
protection?
"Does Mr.. Gladstone's estimate of
the immortality of protection apply
only to protection on land, or is SUI
premacy on the sea so important to
British interests that it is better to
throw morals to the wind and resort
to whatever degree Of protection
may be necessary TO secure the LEAD
to English ships? The doctrine Of
improving harbors in the United
States by the National Government
was for many years severely contest,
ed, the strict construction party
maintaining that it must be confined
to harbors on the sea coast at points
where foreign commerce reaches the
country During one Of the many
discussions over this narrow con
struction, an Ohio member Of Con
gress declared that he could not
think much of a Constitution that
would not stand being dipped in
fresh water as we'll as salt [ fear
that Mr.. Gladstone's code of morals
on this question of protection will
not secure much respect in other
countries so long as it spoils in salt
| water.
ut will not escape Mr. ella 1stone's
keen observation that British inter
ests in navigation flourish with less
rivalry and have increased in greater
proportion than any other of the
great interests Of the United King
dom. / ask his candid admission
that it is the one interest which En-
gland has protected steadily and de-
terminedly, regardless of consisten
cy and regardless of expense. Nol
will Mr. Gladstone fail to note that
navigation is the weakest Of the
great interests in the United States,
because it is the one which the
National Government has constantly
refused to protect.
IF since the Civil War, the United
States had spent in protecting hel
shipping merely the annual Interest
on the great sum which England has
| axnnndaa 10 rrntect her oceanic