The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1892-07-28
PRICE 5 CENTS
AMERICAN COMMERCE.
The Disastrous Effect Upon it by The
Republican Protective System.


Special Correspondence of the Sentinel.
WASHINGTON, July 22.-North Car
olina is far away from the great COM
mercial centers, but her people, in for
mer days, felt a lively sentiment of
pride in the splendid achievements of
the great merchants and ship-owners !.
of New York and the other great COM
mercial cities. But during recent
years they have had occasion to ex-
perience the opposite sensations of
modification and shame in view of
the rapid decline of American COM
merce, in American hands. In 1857
the foreign commerce of the country
both imports and exports-was car
ried, mainly in American ships. The
total of imports and exports amount
ed in value, during that fiscal year, to
1929, $50, ,S23, and of this vast amount
of domestic and foreign goods. Amer
lean vessels carried S510, ,33l OPT, and
foreign vessels carried S213, ,519, 796. So
that the American proportion, or per
centage was 20 per cent, against 30 per
cent. for all foreigners.
The next year the Americans carried
1871 per cent. of our imports and ex-
ports, leaving 26.3 per cent. for all
| foreigners.
But the legislation of Congress has
changed all this: and the last annual
| report of the Secretary of the Treas
ury shows that while the imports and
| exports have more than doubled. the
| American portion of the carrying
| trade has fallen down to less than
| thirteen per cent. The figures are as
| follows:
| Value of imports and exports in the
| fiscal year 1891. 81. 129, 397 .OO6; carried
in American vessels, S206. 439, 725: car
ried in foreign vessels. 81 .45O. 1O1 .0S7;
percentage of American trade, l.. ST:
percentage Of foreign trade, S7.l4. Such
has been the effect of the protective
policy upon American commerce.
The protective policy has effected
| this disastrous result in this way,
and under these circumstances:
In the first place. it was at the
epoch of the civil war. that wooden
| ships in ocean commerce began to go
out of repute. and out of use. and
their places began To be taken by iron
ships. During the war American
Ship-ownerS. in order To avoid the
capture of their vessels 10y Confeder-
ate cruisers took British protec-
tion, as our forefathers used TO say
during the reVolution-that is to say,
| they hoiSted the British or some 9TH
|
stars and stripes. Whereupon. Con-
gresS. in 1866, passed an Act denying
to the owners of these vessels the
right to come back to their allegiance
and re-regiStcr as American ships.
Our American mechanics know how
10 build iron ships. but in the mean
time. while our carrying trade has
been running away from US. lie price
OF IRON has been enormously increased
by tariff taxes in order To protect
Carnegie y Company and other mon
OpoliStS So that they may become
millionair"s and buy or build palaces
in Europe. while employing starving
HungarianS. Poles and Italians To Do
their work at lower wages than
native Americans can live upon.
Hence it is that iron ships cannot
be built in this country al a cost that
cannot be borne in competition from
BritiSh-built ships. The ease is "a
plain as the nose on your face. There
; is no remedy but in the overthrow oi
the Republican party, and in placing
the rcinS of government in Grover
| Cleyeland's honds.