The record-union., 1896-10-03
EXTEND IT TO THE SEA.

The Democratic-P -Populist platform
and speakers denounce the Republican
declaration in favor of protection to
American shipping interests as crime,
and a thing in the interest Of Yankee
shippers and ship-b builders. Is it? Is
Il not a matter of national concern that
our ocean carrying trade should follow
the stars and stripes instead Of the flags
Of other nations as now? We had ~
per cent. Of our foreign commerce un-
der the protective policy Of discrim-
mating duties for American bottoms;
to-day we have but little more than
per cent. Though our foreign commerce
has enormously increased our carry
ing capacity has humiliatingly dimin-
ished. We build better ships than any
for them to better advantage than any
nation on earth. Even the great lake
bottoms are built in the interior and sent
into salt water and sold to foreign
countries. But we cannot carry our
own deep-water commerce upon our
own ship bottoms Nay, we cannot
maintain a deep-water marine of suff1-
cient Importance from which to draw
our forecastIe men for the new navy,
and are compelled to enlist all sorts of
sailors Of other nationalities to man our
cruisers and battle-ships.
The Republican party believes Amer
ican ships should be built, equipped with
American made sails and American
built machinery, their larders stocked
with American preserved and fresh
food; the vessels manned by Americans
and rigged with American cordage,
sheathed with American copper, and be
busily engaged in carrying American
high seas commerce, because such con-
ditions are to the interests of all the
American people.
Suppose it to be true that the coast
lying States will be the more immedi-
ately benefited, because in them most
Of it? Are not these States a part Of
the common country, and is not their
prosperity the prosperity Of all?
How does the Republican party pro-
pose to commit the crime the oppo-
sition charges to its intent? Simply by
admitting at lessened duty rates for
eign goods carried on American bot
toms, as against discriminating higher
duty for imports brought in upon for
eign bottoms? That is the crime in all
the fullness of the proposition. What
is there in 1t that is wrong, un-
american or unwise? To this hour no
one of the opposition has set it forth.
Tom Watson has said all that can be
said against the system, namely, that
it will benefit Yankee ship builders, and
that is so, and will any one say why
our Yankee brethren should not have
protection as well as the Western pro-
ducer, the Middle State manufactures
| and the California grower Of fruits,
wines and wool? 4
We have seen all the beneficent fruits
of protection on land when our indus
tries swelled in less than twenty five
years from less than two to more than
nine billions of dollars value. Let US
now extend this beneficence to the high
seas ships that fly the American flag
and make them SO plentiful that it shall
be said the sun in all it's daily round
shines upon the stars and stripes float
ing over every sea and protecting
American foreign commerce to the full
so per cent. once more.
Since the foregoing was written there
has come to hand the Monthly Sum
mary Of Commerce and Finance of the
United States" issued from the Treas
ury Department by the Bureau of
Statistics. Here we find food for
thought and conviction. We present a