St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-30

heart disease. The great asSemblage at
once dissolved. Mr.. Window had been
the only speaker, and the sentiment to
which he responded was: "Our coun-
try's prosperity dependent upon its in
struments of commerce" Mr.. Window
said:
Our Merchant Marine.
am to speak briefly of the instru-
ments Of commerce, i'll their relation to
the wealth and prosperity of the cOun-
try. The subject is very broad and my
time very limited. l shall, therefore,
confne my remarks to two chief instru-
mentalities of ommerce-transpOrta
tiOn and money. A nations wealth and
prosperity are usually in proportion
TO the extent and success of it's cOm-
merce, and commerce Itself is depend
ent upon the adequacy and adaptation
of those two essential instruments. The
history of all civilized countries attest
the fact that the nation best equipped
in these respects, rapidly becomes the
most powerful, the richest and
the most prosperous. Our own
country is no exception to the rule. No
nation has ever foStered more literally
OF projected more carefully its internal
and cOastwise trade than we have done,
and the resultant magnitude and pros
perity of our domestic commerce is, |
believe, without parallel in the his
tory of the world. There was time
when we stood first among the
nations in shiphuilding, and Great
Britain alone eXcelled us in ocean
tonnage. Once 90 per cent of our i'm
ports and SO per cent of our exports
were carried in American boats, and our
merchant marine became the boast of
every citizen and the envyof the world.
Now, so far as foreign trade is con-
cerned, our ship yards are comparatively
silent and our flag has almost disap-
Peared from the high seas. So strong
had our position become under
The Protective System
of the first twenty-five years of ma
tlOnal life, that our merchant marine
continued to be prosperous so long as
wooden vessels were the only vehicles
of ocean commerce, and other nations
refrained from heavy subsidies to their
ships. But when wooden vessels
began to be supplanted by iron
steamers, and European governments
poured their contributions into the
treasures of their steamship companies,
the decadence OF the American shipping
my Judgment the remedy is plain and
easily applied. If we would regain our
lost prestige, reinState our flag upon the
ocean, and open the markets of the
world to American producers, we
must make the contest with the
same weapons which have proved
SO successful in the hands of our rivals.
The folly and danger of depending on
our competitors for the means of reach
ing competitive markets cannot be esti-
mated. Suppose that for twenty-five
years we had given $5,OOO,O00 a year in
aid of our foreign shipping, and
reduced by that amount the prepay
ment Of our bonded debt, should we not
have been far better off than we are
now? Shall we give that protection and
support to our foreign merchant marine
that other notions give to theirs, or
which we freely give to other great in
terests, or shall we accept as inevitable
our present shameful position? | re-
gret to say that the uniform record of
indifference, If not actual hostility, dur
ing the past fifty years, affords little
reason for encouragement. In fact, the
tendency OF late has been to surrender
TO foreigners even.
Our Domestic Commerce.
rather than to assert ourselves upon the
ocean. Determinations of the most as
tOniShing character have been made,
both by congress and by taeasury regu
latlons, in favor Of Canadian railroad
lines and steamships against our own
Presidents of the United States have re.
peatedly expressed the national situation
and anDpalpd tO congress- for action in