New-York tribune., 1891-01-30

mmeval Silence. and The myriads Of shop, and !act
ollee would never have existed. We're the ship and
the railroad withdrawn. business would be parilyzrd
and dcsoation would reign supreme over more than
half Of our broad domain.
FOREIGN COMMERCE
Contrast these grand results Of our literally d..
vcopcd domestic commerce, operating upon our pro.
ected industries. with the present shameful condition
Of our foreign carrying trade, which has not only been
sadly neglected. but sometimes treated with actual
hostility by the Government. There was time when
we stood first among the nations in sipbuildng. and
Great britain alone cycellcd in ocean tonnage
once ninety five per Of imports and eighty
nine per cent of our exports were carried H American
bottoms, and merchant marine became the boast
OF every citizen and the envy Of the world.
Now, far As foreign trade is concerned. our ship
! yards comparatively silent and flag has al.
most disappeared from the high The relative
| decline in foreign shipping has been constant and
| alarming, until in 1889 only twelve and quarter pei
cent of our imports and exports was carried in Amer
lean bottoms, being the smallest percentage in any year
| since the formation of the Government. Time Will not
permit me to trace the rise aud fall Of this industry,
to point out IN detail the which have resulted
IN prcscn, humillatng and improbable condition.
suffice 1t to say that the failt was not with ING
| founders of our Government Thcy fully appreciated
| the value and the necessity OF strong and healthy
merchant marine ana !clt on record no DOUBT oi tHrr
purpose protect the interests th" Republic the
W. Er the as M ven % 2 g G 4S Gr99G act f % e
protection OF American shipping by the imposition Of
lean vessels thereby si-naliznt the first Fourth Of July
under the Cops;itltion by declaration Of commercial
political independence mad thirteen years before
The third act of Congress passed sixteen days later,
| imposed tonnage duties IA follows:
| Cents
American vessels per ton ................
Hmciicla.6alit vessels belonging to focsnti,pcf %
All other vessels, per ton 80
on tie 1st OF september, the same ycar. c,.neress
American nac. by the Tariff act Of 1894 an add.
tonal discriminating duty Of 10 per cent was levied
.11 iftipe II n ~ fls
state AnG IN all clangs Of the t3I proT 20 cn, I'll,
was rcenac'ed. - great wa the development of cur
shpbuildne and shipping Interests under Tie 'o-tefng
10 hnndrcds Of thousand Of tons TO forrsncr, and
VoclnF the national pride IN -25. Daniel webster
explored: nayics which take 10 i" from fuper3T
| force" How Ike bitter irony these words would
sound in 1-al The hrilllauy Of orr achievements on
The ocean bccat over conrdcnc'. and listening I" tae
seductive phrase reciprocal liberty u .omm"ic,.r
which at That tme became very popular uitl In IT,
i' ppns interest ard opened port to the ship, Of
strong had on position leone under the boiet%iye I've
policy Of the first twenty Avc year of national life
20 long aS wooden ve~'"l, "elN thr only yrhcF. "l
ocean commerce and other nations r'fr.inel from
a.'{ aj. lr ~ fe '@ t .upp,ncd r9 in stcncTs and
European governments poured their contribution, Into
cadence Z" Aurnc'm SAlppn,5 .y-a'' .,,sc 'u "a Tho
y rem an oven chance and tlcv VIII distance all
competitors. but how can they be expected t. c1mIctr
bacl,cd by he power aud The ta,urc Of their rovTn
mcnts' The amonnt which ha, been UNI, cin,n',% m %
curatelv stated. but II f. known 70 have reached nun
dreds Of millions Of dollars. m
| The mischief and II, causc both apparent What
Is thc remedy II cannot be found IN Ae r'rnacm"ht
NV and II would not now be cxpedient even tl"ro
were no treaties Oh the subject. IN my ludEn'nt;
the remedy is plain ana eaeF appAd e IL Wg ,,, %'Ia ,S
oroan and open the marke', Of The world % \mercsn
Weapon, which have proved encccs-fl - thr hand
greater imp3rtanc, than the enlargement Of our for
Dot end a. the command II direct ana ample tcltc-
| for reaching them. Tho folly and the danger Of Do
inr compititye markets cannot be expre-cd. AID
80 merchant marine is n"t ald u ,It->' ng' 80
The whole po9pe-to The farmer. the merchant ana the
manufaoturcr quite ~ much as to tho 'hpoWide'
and the ~hlpo"nrr
WILL GOVERNMENT AID PAY1
But II will cost monoy. VIII II pay Yes. hun
dred fold The aggregate of orr foreign carrying trade
for the last twenty 1--WE wears while not more than ono
tenth our domestic trade, has. nevertheless reached
the enormou, sum Of So9,1G512f@2O. Estimating th-
cost Of tran -portaon at 10 per cent 81 the value ~
/ the goods, have expenditure Of about Fi"V''-
600 600 AT least 30 per cent of which-$3 iOOuooopD
has been paid 70 foreign -lhpovuer-. II we add 70
this s2OOOOOOO 4 year paid for passage money. we
have a grand total Of $1,000 0OOOOO paid 10 foreign
labor and capital during The la-t quarter Of century
a sum larger by nearly two hundred millions than the
maximum Of our bonded debt growing out of The late
/ war. Arc not the ben SO, which would accrue from
: having these sums 10 our own people worth saving
During that period have exported Of gold and silver
t. pay balances Of trade anint u. an excess OF
/ sGO7 100000 than have imported. Iiai
We carried fair share Of our own foreign commerce III
American ships. owned by American citizens and
manned by American ScaInou. th- Va, suin, ana much
I mi have fp.f ts "a
+ own people. suppose tia, for twenty-five gear VIC
had given SJ.OOOOO0 year in aid Of mlr foreign
shipping aud reduced by that amount the prepay
nleuts Of bonded debt should We not have been af
better of than now u il not high time these
vast Interests receive attention. Have Lot tried
the donOtning policy long cuongh shall. we GIF@
marine that other nations ave 10 theirs, and which We
freely give 70 al other great Interest,". or s1l we
rer. to eay mat the Uniform record Of indifference
if not actual hostility, during the la-t my year,
affords tle reason for cucourus cement IN Id' T. inc
tendency of late la, been 70 surrender 10 io'IJ'ls
/ even our domestic commerce rather thih 70 it7-
. ourselves upon the ocean. Determinations Of uic
most astonishing character have been made BON W
Congress and by Treasury regulations IN favor oi
own one instance Of th, KIND may serve 70 Illus
trate the nature and extent Of many other disolhiha
AslsG meIchandl-e destined for Nov York #
brought In American vessels to Francisco, must
undergo all the forms and dclays of entry upder thg
strict scrutiny of customs officers. and DC th'h p"cu
own country to New York while the -sme mcrclandfe
If brought in Canadian British steamships 10 Van
COuver. is Transferred at Cncc. and without tN Nh'
stantial surveillance 10 Canadian railways, when aN
required 10 give bond, but permitted 10 pa on"
frontier and proceed f. New York other fd'tHIh
ports unvcxed by any Of the di,aTccabe attentions
Of customs officer. The same discriminatory h3' eN
listed year, IN favor " European goods hndw az
Montreal TTd transferred 70 Canadian railroad, ioF
Western American ports. against goods landed al Ne"
York Boston and other Eastern ports to 10 t9por,%d
wholly through countrg 10 their western
destination The result Of these unfair dnd unjust
discrimination, against our own people and oar own
tran spOrtati0u line. has been moi only seHonaD 10
jcopardi2e the revenues, but also to bud mp IocEH
transportation Interests AT the expense Of our own
"RcciprOcal liberty Of commerce IS \ hlEh .''uHu-
ing. seductive phrase but the kind Of liberty our
foreign shipping interest has enjoyed. for the ast n
years, Is the liberty 10 die under unjust dl.crHna
nnhnn Ia.