The Portland daily press., 1896-08-29
SEWALL'S INCONSISTENCY.
Head Of an Organization That FavOrs
Republican Plank.

Letter to a Campaign Speaker from the
American Marine Merchant Associa-
tion-For a Restoration of Discrimt-
mating Duties.
Now York, Aug. 28.-Those who have
wondered at the Inconsistency of Arthur
Sewall, a pronounced proteotionist, id
aspiring to be oe-Presdent on the
Democratic platform. which denounces
protection, may find even greater cause
for am azement in letter which was re-
ceived by Republican campaign speak
er. The letter is given as an authorized
communication from the American Ma
rine Merchant Association, at No. 40
East Twenty-third street, New York.
MI Sewall is president of this associa-
tion, and his name Is at the head of the
letter.
The communication was addressed to
Major j. Il. MoKelvey, of No. 80 East
Twenty-seoond street. who has been en-
gagged by the Republican National Com
mittee to deliver campaign speeches in
Virginia next month. Major McKelvey
has made number of Republican
speeches before local organizations.
His surprise upon receiving the letter
from the association whose hoad is the
Democratic candidate for Vice. President
quickly gave way to amusement over
the attitude in which the document plac-
es MIR. Sewall
The Joftar- hood Ind ha ~
the other officers of the association,
besides arthur Sewall. of Bath, Maine,
president. The letter reads as follows:
American Marine Merchant Association,
No. 40 East Twenty -third-st., New York.
August 81, 1896.
Major J. R. McKelvey, No. 80 East
Twenty .second-st., New York City.
Dear Sir-Through the courtesy of
the Republican National headquarters
have received list of their speakers, in
Guiding your name. write for the pur
pose of asking your attention to the
plank in the Republican National plat
form in favor of the restoration of Amer.
loan shipping to the carrying of American
foreign commerce. by the 'tearly American
policy" of discriminating duties, and
which was by charging imports in foreign
hipsia higher duiy than IMPORTS in Amer
loan ships were charged thus creating q
preference for the uso of American
ships. This policy, as accompanying
data. under separate cover, will show,
gave American ships the carriage of 81
per cent of our foreign commerce during
tho thirty whine years it was in force.
Free trade in the carriage Of American
foreign commerce was adopted in 1925
and has been continually in force ever
since, the consequence OF which has
been to reduce the carriage OF our i'm
ports from 81 to II per cent In American
ships. a.
If you will kindly refer to this policy
In your speeches, ana state that several
~ sent abroad to pay foreign ship-owners
for carrying our commerce would, under
the adoption of the policy to which the
Republican party Ia pledged, be paid to
American workingmen and retained in
the United States, and spent over and
over aagin among the American people,
instead of enrichina foreign nations and
peoples, for doing the business that we
can better do ourselves, you would be
pointing out a way to in part settle the
money question, and at the same time
extend the benefits of protection to o
great National industry, the rehabilita-
ton of which may bs the salvation of
the Nation if ever menaced by foreign
power or obliged to enforce the Monroe
Doctrine. And it should be remembered
that the only possible danger that now
oonfronts the United States is upon our
seaboard, or the sen, where. strangely
enough, the United States is not only
weak, but almost impotent, both in a
navy and a merchant marine, the latter
being d necessary recourse for the form
or, both in ships and in men, in times
Of National peril
In the hope, therefore. that your future
speeches will not fail to include some
references to the proposed restoration of
the discriminating duties policy, In the
interest of American ship-owning, in the
interest of A merican workingmen, in the
interest of protection and strengthened
Treasury, l have honor to remain, sim
cerely yours, as
A. R. SMITH Secretary.
Major MoKelvey said last night that
he regarded this as an Endorsement of
Republican principles from Democrat
10 candidate, who evidently had no con-
fidenoe in his own party to accomplish
goofi in this direction, and that the in
cident ia proof of Democratic incom-
potency, which will effectively serve to
expose tn parity The Major declared
it to be his intention to incorporate the
letter In his address in Virginia and
elsew here.