Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-08-27
A PLUTOCRATIG POPOCRAT.


The American Merchant Marine As
ISOLATION is young but ambitious
body. 1t is engaged in scheme de-
signed to procure for very small body
of men very great deal of money at
the expense OF the nation at large and
through the aid of the national govern
ment No body of men in recent times,
except the owners of silver mines, has
foreseen such magnificent profits conse
quent upon successful delusion of the
voters Of the nation.
This association was organized last
April, its purpose being to have such
laws enacted as would place discrimi-
mating duty of 10 nor cent on all goods
not imported to the United States in
American bottoms, which, of course,
would eventually drive out of our for
eign commerce all foreign-built ships,
and would give to the American ship
builders such harvest az few men.
other than the silver mine owners, have
ever thought possible. 1t must be re-
meuibered that American shipping is
already pretty well protected, inasmuch
as no American can own and sail,
| under the flag of the United States, a
| foreign built ship. The New York
and the Paris were admitted to Ameri-
can registry by special act OF Congress.
Furthermore. no foreign built chip eau
engage in coastwise trade.
| But this was not enough. The
American Merchant Marine Assooia-
tion was organized and began working
| the State and national conventions
with considerable SUCCESS, SO far as
promises go. According to the Secrs.
tary of that association, in letters writ
ten over his own signature, it will be
necessary to build several hundreds
OF millions of dollars worth of ships
to carry our imports and exports. -
This being the case, it is not wonder
full that the secretary should add: 1--WE
are out TO win, and it takes votes to
win, and we want Democratic votes as
we'll as Republican votes. He, this
Secretary. has great hope of the aid
which the association will get from the
present Democratic candidate for Vice
President of the United States, for,
astonishing rs it may seem, Mr., Sewall
is the president of the American
Merchant Marine Association. The
secretary says that Mr.. Sewall lean do
us an immense amount of good, and il
disposed TO and will among his OWE
people. His interest and con
victions in the matter would bt
weighty in Democratic councils, DOS
sibly potential. The candidate of the
Peoples party, seeking the votes o
those who for years nave been fighting
for low tariff or no tariff, who bav,
been opposed and are opposed, on con
viction, to protection, the candidate o
those who have declared war to Thu
knife on plutncrats and monopoly, it
himself plutocrat, a monopolist, ant
a protectionist of singular seltisl
type.
The publication of all of these inter
esting facts is due to Mr.. John Thorn
hon, treasurer American Society o
Civil Engineers, and member OF th,
American Society of Mechanical Engi
neers, whose delightful correspondence
with Mr.. Smith, the secretary of tn
Merchant Marine Association. has jus
been made public. Mr.. Thomson wa
asked to contribute cash to help tn
association along, which ne decline,
to do, adding: .'If your Mr.. Sewal
wins, he will have the strength of hi
Fopulistic electors. ana instead of try
ing to prevent foreign ships from enter
ing our ports, we may then be gla'
enough to have them wait upon us
u When the American Merchan
Marine Association is manned by rep
resentative who stands for 100 cents o.
j the dollar call upon us again." W
i advise our friends to read those letter
by all means. They were published i
. the Evening Post, Now York, of Au
, gust 18th.