New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-04
WHERE THE FLAG rs NOT.


WHERE THE FLAG rs NOT
Ono star after another has been added to the
| American flag until it now floats over the great
est confederation of self governing States the
world has ever known. How supreme is the
glory of that flag in the mighty eXpanse of
continent, But how weak and contemplate
is il in the vast reaches Of the surrounding
seas The industrial resources and energies
of the continent have been marvcllously de-
veloped under the American system OF fro-
lection. but the commercial marine. once the
chief glory as it was also the patriotic tradition
Of the Republic, has been Systematically neg
lectcd and fairly driven from the seas. Has
not the time come at last when Americans VINO
honor and love their flag will think Sobcrly
of this reproach TO the Nation and conSecrate
their energies and their patriotism to the SUI
preme policy of restoring the stars ana stripes
70 the seas? Supremacy on the ocean Is the
time-honored tradition of the Nation. Maritime
enterprise is the common heritage of the Ing
lish-speaking race. That tradition ought never
10 have been renowned. That heritage ought
never 10 have been FILTERED away.
The Free Traders have their theory 10 oiier
in explanation of the decline of the American
commercial marine They have been assert
ing for twenty years that Protection has ruined
the carrying trade under the flag. In the long
range of economic controversy there Is no IN
ference so preposterous as this. II Protection
is TO be judged, let it he by the wonderful
progress of industries which have been pro-
tected. and not by the collapse and destruction
of almost the only one in the country which
has not been protected. The capital invested
and labor employed In factories. farms ana
mines have been protected by tanff law ana
production has been enormously increased, in-
dustries have been multiplied, employment has
been diversified, prices have been chcapcned
and labor has been made remuneraiivc. cap
ital and labor in the foreign carrying trade
have not been protected. American shipping
on the seas has been ruined by cheap foreign
labor and by merciless competition supported
bv Furopean bountieS and subsidies. The de-
cline of the American commercial marine has
not been caused by Protection but by the lack
of il. This is conclusively shown by the de
velopment of the coaSting trade and the com
mercial marine on the great lakes. Those in
tercsts have prospered because, like other
American industries, they have been protected
by law. The foreign carrying trade has been
ruined because it was neglected ana leit 10
perish from sheer inantion.
But the high Chinese wall around the sea-
| hoard cxclaims the Free Trader, excludes the
productions of other countries and paralyzeS
the carrying trade by obstructlnc international
exchanges Well, that wall has been broken
down for many years in its Southern exposure
There has been a large treasure OF Free Trade
offered to the republics of Central and South
America, all their products, with the exception
of sugar wool and copper, being admitted with
ont restriction. If Free Trade alone be re-
ouircd in order TO restore the flag to the seas,
WHY has there not been a remarkable growth
of the American commercial marine III that
ouarterP Or how has il been possible for Ger
MANY France, Italy and Chill, with their
Chinese walls'' barricading their seaboards to
dovclop their maritime resources in the South
ern Hemisphere without Free Trade?
awe must have free ships" the dcmorallzed
but persistent Free Trader will reion III his
shrillest treble american merchants he
will continue care to-day chartenng Nor
wepian and English steamers and furnishing
adequate facilities of transportation with the
Southern republics Those ships arc not under
| the American nag DecluSe inc ldNled'loh laws
stand in the way. Trade will follow any iag
going in the right direction, and the flags fol-
low trade Free ships will restore the flag to
the seas but if registry be refused, the little
Kingdom of Norway is in fair way to supply
the United States with shipping facilities with
out subsidy or bounty"
What would these unpatrotc Free Traders
do? They would enable American merchants
70 purchase instead of chartering Norwegian
steamers, and to raise the flag over them While
continuing to employ Norwegian crews They
would ruin the American shipyards and take
away employment from the mon hired in them
and also from great number of contributing
industries They would furnish employment
for foreign shipyards and foreign maritime
population. They would run up the American
flag over foreign-built and foreign manned
ships, and then affect to be proud of an in
feror commercial marine built upon the ruins
of the American shipbulding industry. Such
n merchant fleet would be disgrace to the
Nation. If the American flag be restored to
the seas let it be over American-built ships
and let it represent the American principle of
economic independence. Trade will follow that
flag. For it is not true that trade will follow
any flag. 1t follows the flag that tells no lies.