The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-09-15
are giVen:

the neaQ OF the paper the folio wing OF
fcers are given:
Arthur SewaIl of Bath T. w. Hyde of Bath,
Ne, President. Me. Chairman OF
h. 7. Gausem Of Will Finance Committee.
miDgtOn Del, Vice I. W.. Hyde of Bath,
President. Me-, Treasurer.
C.,H Craqp OF Ph1la' A h; Smith, of New
deipnia, Penn Chair York, Secretary.
man of Executive Lewis Nixon of Eliza
Committee. DethpOrt. N. j. Chair
man f. Legislative
Committee.
One of these letters was received day
before yesterday by Major J. R Nc.
Kelvey. 90 East Twenty second Street,
this city. 1t is dated Aug. 81, and
reads as follows:
DEAR SIR: Through the courtesy of
the Republican National Headquar-
ters I have received a list of their
speakers, including your name. I
write for the purpose Of asking your
attention to the plank in the Republi-
can National platform in favor of the
restoration of American shipping to the
carrying of American foreign COM
merce, by the early American policy
Of discriminating duties, and which
was by charging imports in foreign
ships, thus creating a preference for
the use of American ships.
This policy, as accompanying data,
under seperate cover, will show, gave
American ships the carriage of 80 per
cent. of foreign commerce during the
thirty nine years it was in force. Free
trade in the carriage of American
foreign commerce was adopted in 1928,
and has been continually in force ever
since, the consequence of which has
been to reduce the carriage IF our i'm
ports from Is Il II per cent. in Ameri-
can ships.
If you will kindly refer to this policy
in your speeches and state that several
hundred millions Of dollars now an
nually sent abroad to pay foreign ship.
owners for c frying cur commerce
would, under the adoption of the policy
to which the Republican party is
pledged, be paid to American working
men and retained in the United States,
and spent over and over again among
the American people, instead of en-
riching foreign nations and people 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 a great
National industry, the rehabilitation
of which may be the salvation of the
nation if ever menaced by a foreign
power, or obliged to enforce the Mon,
roe doctrine.
And it should be remembered that
the only possible danger that now
confronts the United States isupon our
seaboard, Dr. the sea, where, strangely
enough, the United States is not only
weak, but almost impotent, both in a
navy and a merchant marine, the lat
ter being a necessary recourse for the
former, both in ships and in men, in
times of National peril.
In the hope, therefore, that your fur
ture speeches will not fail to include
8 me reference to the proposed restora-
ton of the discriminating duties policy,
in the interest Of American shipown-
ing, in the interest of American work
ingmen, in the interest of protection
and a strengthened Treasury, 1 have.
the honor to remain sincerely yours,
A. r. SMITH, Secretary.
This is the policy that we RepubH-
cans believe in and will advocate, " said
Major McMelvey yesterday, 'but I
think it will seem odd to the Populist-
Democrats, who favor free trade, that
Arthur Sewall's association is work
ing in the interest of R9publicanism.
ITO advocate protection would be,
Of course, so much work for our
but it seems as if Mr.. SewalI's associa-
ton is willing to work against the
Bryan party in order to protect it's
ships. New York Times.