Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-07-11
TO KEsrOKE OUR SHIPPING TRADE

TO REsTOKE OUR SHIPPING TRADE.
A strong plea for the passage Of the
Fithian free ships bill Is made by the New
York Herald, which calls attention to
the fact that our foreign commerce has
not been az so low an ebb 10 fifteen years,
as another argument for the passage Of
the bill TO revive American shipping,
and 70 restore the starry ensign TO the
proud place 1t once held on the ocean.
The move for free ships as means
TO that END, says the Herald, docs
not spring from mere sentiment
Events Of recent occurrence croWding
on each others heels have made it a
stern and urgent necessity. Underline
trade whitening policy Of protection
maintaining a crushing war tariff for
more than thirty yeayZthe United
States has steadily declined as COM
mercial Power. = Despite vast agricul-
tural empre/ manufacturing industries
full-far edvanced and population rich
ly gifted for maritime aud commercial
enterprises, this bsneful policy, pur-
sued against the light OF experience,
has built up, commercially speaking, a
Chinese wall around the country and
has almost cut US of from participation
in the immensely lucrative commerce OF
the world. Even before the hard times
set In last year our international traffic
was very poor. To proportion TO popu-
Iation it was only one-seventh that OF
free-trade Holland and absolutely less
than one-half that OF free-trsde Eng
land. But Tor our large agricultural
export we should have been very low
down in the commercial scale Of nations.
But now the cumulative effect Of thirty
years OF tarlT-taxation is seen Ia the
depression, disorder and distress of
every branch Of Industry and business.
As long as the United States had
succession of the crop-seasonS and
abundant harvests, as long as our wheat
aud cotton were in unlimited demand
and could be sold at profitable prices in
foreign markets, the pinch Of the PRO
tection"-shoe was not so keenly felt.
But we have been taught by recent
rude experience that we have no absO-
lutte monopoly Of the worlds wheat and
cotton markets. In the fierce coWpeti-
| ton OF foreign exchanges our agricul-
tural products have led and remained
in the van. There they are likely to
remain. But the prices o; all such pro-
ducts have been declining, now and
then alarminglY, but at all times suf-
fciently 10 admonish US that this coun-
try, with its fast increasing millions to
feed and clothe, can never hope again
TO live or prosper by its agriculture
alone, but must seek new avenues Of
wealth and traffic in the regions beyond
sea-"
The Herald continues:
II the protective" rates in the pending
/ tariff bill are cut down and the bill made
/ one Of genuine and honest tarih-refOrm, the
| great barrier 10 our international commerce
/ will have been removed. A demand Tor
American fsbrics marketed on the basis OF
/ q low tariff viii spring up IN many parts OF
/ the globe; our agriculturlstS, relieved from
the present ruiuOuS loads Of tsrif taxation,
will De able TO improve their land and the
/ quality Of their crops, while LABOR Will oe
I richly and steadily rewarded. And the
I resultant trade will give ample and remun-
I erative employment 10 fleet OF American
ships.
| To prepare forthis day Congress must at
once cast aside the Anticipated navigation
l laws which prevent American merchants
| from buying ships economically, and would
/ force them 10 buy them at disastrously
| high domestic prices or forfeit their right
/ TO the shelter Of the American nag. Inc
most extreme aud offensive form OF social
7 istic prOhibitOry protection or class-ieS-
l islatiOn is cOuched in these laws.
Protection, " however, has run its ruin
Gus course in the United States. Under II
! our once grand mercantile navy has become
| a vanishing quantity. Let Congress, there
/ fore, lose no time Ia giving the country an
! opportunity TO try the restorative virtue OF
/ free-trade 10 ships.
The country will say amen to this.
( There is no reason why the Free Ships
/ bill should not be passed and made law
this summer. Such action would be a
most fitting accompaniment to the pas
sage Of the Tariff bill by bringing on
coineidently revival Of our maritime
/ industries.
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