The Saline County journal., 1891-02-05
SECRETARY wINpOM DEAD.
Brief Biographical sketch Of the Dead
1IaIster.-8Is last speech.

Brief Biographical sketch Of the Dead
MInIstsr.-HIs Last speech.
Secretary Of the Treasury William
Window died suddeBdly after max
Ing . speech II the annual dinner Of
the board Of trade aud Transports
tiOn. In New York City on Thursday
night. The cause Of his death was
heart disease. He left Washington
In the morning apparently In the
best Of health and spirits. and the
announcement Of his death shocked
the whole country.
New YORK, Jan. 2g-RsspOnding
TO the toast "Our Country's Pros
perlty Dependent UdOn Its Instru-
msBts Of Commerce." Mr.. Window
said:
al am to speak briefly Of the in
struments Of commerce In their re-
lstion to the wealth and PROSPERITY
Of the country. The subject is very
broad and my time very limited. I
shall therefor confine my remarks
to the two chief instrumentalities Of
commerce - transportation and
money. A nations wealth and pros
perIty are usually In proportion to
the extent and success Of Its COM
merce and commerce itself IL de-
pendent upon the adequacy and
adaptation Of these two essential
instruments. The history Of all
civilized countries attssts the facts
that the nation best equipped In
these respects rapidly becomes the
most powerful, the richest and most
prosperous.
"Our country rs no exception TO
the rule. No nation has fostered
more literally or protected more
carefully its internal and coastwise
trade than we have done, and the
resultant magnitude and prosperity
Of our domestic commerce IL I be-
believe, without q parallel in the
history of the world. We have
more miles Of railroad than ali
Europe, Asia and Africa combined.
The floating tonnage Of the United
States engaged In cOAstwise COM
mefce and on our lakes and rivers is
very far In excess of that Of any
other nation.
"Our increased wealth from 1870
to 1850, as compared with that Of
other nations, was: United States,
SIS, S,5TS, 4Sl 1873; Great Britain, f3,-
25O,OOO,OOO; France, tI,IT5, 600, 900;
Germany, t3,O25, 100000.
"Our home markets In 1870 alb
sorted i've times as much Of our
manufactured products as Great
Britain exported Of hers TO all the
markets OF the word. Contrast
those grand results Of our literally
developed domestic commerce,
operating upon our protected In
dustries, with the present shame
ful condition Of our foreign carrying
trade. There was. . time when we
stood fret among the nations In
ship building, and Great Britain
alone excelled US In ocean tonnage.
Once IS per cent OF our imports and
50 per cent Of our exports were
carried In American boats, aud our
merchant marine became the boast
Of every citizen and the envy Of the
world. -
Nov, 30 far: as foreign trade is
concerned, our ship yards ere COM
paratively silent aud our flag has
almost disappeared from the high
seas. So strong had our position
become under the protective policy
Of the first twenty-five years Of
national life that our merchant
marine continued to be prosperous
% long as wooden vessels were the
only vehicles Of ocean commerce
and other nations refTaiued from
heavy subsidies 10 their ships. But
when wooden vessels began TO be
supplaDted by iron steamers and
European governments poured their
contributions into the treasures Of
their steamship companies, the de-
cadence OF American shipping be-
ran and has continued ever since.
In my Judgment the remedy IL plain
and easily applied. IL we would
regain our lost prestige, reInstate
our fag upon the ocean and open
the markets Of the world to Ameri-
can producers we must make the
contest with the same weapons
which have proved so successful In
the hands Of our rivals.
"Ths folly and danger. OF depend
ing upon our competitors for the
+ means Of reaching competitive
markets cannot be estimated. Sup
pose that for twent-five years we
had given 100000 9 year In aid Of
our foreign shipping, and reduced
by that amount the prepayment Of
our bonded debt. should we not have
been far better OF than we are nows
Shall we give that protection aud |
enppost TO our foreign merchant
marine other nations give TO theirs,
% which we freely give to eli other |
great interests, or shall we accept as
inevitable our present shameful
positioBf I regret 10 say that the |
unlfoFm record Of indifference, nj
nnf of eefnai hoafiilfx dastnS ff,a