The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-02
THE RUSSIAN AND THE AMERICAN
WAY.

STA fOrbdS the carrying OF trade by sea
in foreign vessels and under any but the
Russian flag between all Russian ports of
the Baltic and the Black sea and the Pa
ciic coast" The correspondent who sends
the information characterizes the new law
as IAN important and far-reaching one
1t is indeed, and it might be further char
acterized from a Russian point of view as
aggressively patriotic in its purpose to dis
criminate in favor of the Russian CONNER
cial marine against that of every other ma
ton. The law is more than discriminating
for it positively forbids trade between any
port of the Baltic or the Black sea and
the Pacific coast from being carried in
any but Russian ships and under the Rus
sian flag. The enactment of such a law as
this without long winded discussion par
ty opposition is almost calculated to make
one wish that some of the methods of abb
solute government could be engrafted upon
our system. Republican government and
government by majorities have very great
advantages, but promptness of action and
vigor of administration are not among
them. When these are needed the one-nnan
power shows by contrast to great advan-
tage. When the Gar wants a law enacted
prohibiting commerce at certain ports in
any but Russian ships and under any but
the Russian flag, he has no trouble in get
ting speedy legislation to that effect, and
when the law is passed no protest, injunc
ton decision of a supreme court lies
against it's enforcement. That is the Rus
sian way and it has some advantages. The
American way is very different In the
first place, it is next to impossible to get
Congress to consider any question of do
nestle or foreign trade as purely ma
tional question and entirely distinct from
party politics. Congress, as a body, can
not be brought to look at such questions
from national point of view and to rec
ognize the paramount duty of legislating
for American interests to the exclusion and
disregard of all others. When such ques-
ton is presented the first impulse of every
member is to ask what effect his vote on
the question will have in his district, and
next what effect it will have on the party.
BY the time several weeks or months have
been consumed in settling these two ques-
tons to the individual satisfaction of every
member of both parties, national interests
have been lost sight of and the question is
decided at haphazard. The Russian meth
cd is less in accord with the principles
of popular government, but it has the merit
of recognizing Russian interests as para
mount to all others and of accomplishing
results instead of wasting time.
There is no question before the American
people to-day of greater Importance than
the upbuilding of our commercial marine.
The right settlement of the tariff question
and the money question are equally as I'M
portant, but not more so. The merchant
trade" said Prince Bismarck, when in
power lis the handmade of all other in
dustries, and of agriculture, manufactures
and commerce. On the day when the
freight trade is given over to foreigners
mortal blow will be dealt to all the indus
tries of the country" The freight trade
of the United States has been given over
to foreigners, and the effect upon the in
dustries of the country has been disastrous
beyond expression. 1t is stated on good
authority that during the last thirty years
there has been paid an average of $780,
OO00O a year to foreign ships for ocean
transportation to and from ports of the
United States. This would be an aggregate
of $4, SOC, O00 600 paid to foreign ships for do
ing a carrying trade under foreign flags
that should have been done by American
ships under the American t1ag. If that
money had been paid to American ship
builders, ship owners and sailors, it would
have contributed enormously to the enrich
ment of every branch of industry. Yet in
the whole thirty years that this work of
giving our freight trade to foreigners has
been going on Congress has not made an
intelligent effort to remedy the evil nor
even shown that it realized remedy is
needed. Volumes could be filled with the
speeches that have been made during that
period on irrelevant subjects or for bun
combe." and the wasted time has run into
months and years, but not an intelligent
law has been passed for the revival of
American shipping, and if a voice has now
and then been raised on the subject it has
fallen on deaf or Indifferent ears. We do
not want a Gar nor an absolute govern
ment but it would be q great thing If Con-
gress could sometimes get above the at
mosphere of peanut politics and legislate
for great national interests. The absolute
mower of an autocrat intelligently exercised
is more fruitful of results than the abso-
lute power of popular majorities frittered
AWAY or expended on trivialitieS.