The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-04-06

4
ain kept iuSt such q law in force FOR
nearly TWO hundred Year,, mot reps -
I ing Il until iSis. and not then until she
had gained such advantages from IT'S
operation and other aids 20 her ship
ming that she ala not need II any long.
rr. The bill extends the principle Of
protection enjoyed by industries on
land and shipping 10 the cOaatwile
trade n American interests on the hlgn
seas. Whatever Limitation or Testric-
.tlon II imposed by the policy Of discrim-
innilng duties IS In the direction Of bet
ter protection 10 home MANUFACTURED
and home Industries and IN favor OF
shipping and building American ships
two good results.
American shipping must be built Up
| under the operation Of law, law that
| will discriminate In favor Of American
I ships In carrying our foreign trade. r."
peClaily our imports. II we had aban.
doned seventy years ago the policy OK
excluding fOreiEn-b built vessels nom our
coastwixe trade. as we did discriminate
Ing duties, that trade to-day would be
largely in the hands OF forViEn ship
owners and In a condition as deplorablc
as our foreign shipping. Had We con-
tinued the policy Of protection 70 our
carrying, our foreign shipping to-day
would be Ia as prosperous condition as
cur manufacturing interests. The poli-
! cy OF discriminating duties Is not an
experiment. II Is not uniried: on the
contrary, il was on trial Tor a long Pc
Rod under the most uufaVoruble cOndl-
tons and produced the best results
II Is believed that the adoption Of dis
eliminating duties, with such other
supplemental legislation that might be
found necessary In the light OF expe-
Tieaee. the results would b as benet-
cial as In the early history OF the gov
eminent and felt at once. First. II
l-AtyOuI give US Immediately a large share
IA carrying our foreign commerce. AFT
" our Imports and part OF our exports.
I and share IN carrying the commerce
Of countries not owning ships. Second.
II voul stimulate AhipbuildinE and eS-
tablish new shlpyards. Third. ship
building would stimulate other indus
triesOf all kinds and give employment TO
thousands OF skilled ard other work
men. Fourth. II would save 10 the peo-
Pile Of the United States annually near
/ ~ 800. 90. coo now paid 70 foreign ship
owners for carrying our imports, with
the chance In a few years Of saving an
other hundred millions by the increase
OG shipping and carrying Of u large
part OF the worlds commerce In Amer
/ lean bottoms. Fifth. Il would not only
build up shipping in the foreign trade,
but Il would b. the means Of extending
cur trade in the foreign markets OF the
world. 50 much desired by the people.
The policy Of discriminating duties as
| the best means Of restoring shipping ~
| constantly gaining In favor with the
people II was indOrsed In the plat
| forms OF fourteen state conventions
held last year. and IN the platform OF
the ST Louis national convention.
IL. : 10 TaHNRN-
yentiOn, now the houOred Executive Of
the great Republic. was triumphautiy
elected on the principle Of protection 10
| our interests on land and seq He be-
! lleyes In both. and that American yes
| sells flying the American nag should oe-
! cupy and use the seas and oceans Of
the world in common with other ma
lions. and such protection should be
granted American shipping AS VIII al
low them 90 Do so In this position he
is sustained by majority Of his eoun-
trymer.
retaliation.
One Of the reasons urged against the
passage Of the bill under consideration
IS that Great Britain and other shlp-
owning countries viii TetaIiats. But
Just how OF in what way the opponents
Of the bill do not clearly set forth. The
damage TO our shipping that might FOL
low retaliation Is imaginary. Under
| the operation of maritime reciprocity
| ard neglect, in force for nearly seventy
! years, and recent legislation. we have
scarcely any shipping left in our foreign
trade. II would be far better to carry
in American ships our Imports or 70
percent Of our foreign commerce. which
We would do under discriminating du-
ties. with retaliation against us, than
10 carry only II per cent, as We do now,
With no retaliation.
But should European countries adopt
retaliation. they must do II in \ way
not to increase the cost Of our farm pro-
ducts TO their people TTO-thlFds Of all
onr exports TO Great Britain are food
| products, and she cannot afford 20 IN
| crease the price OF these products TO her
/ people. 1t il doubtful whether Eng
land woul retaliate; TO do 50 would be
TO adopt protection and reverse her free
trade policy. Why do not England and
| other European countries retaliats
against our leyyinE duties Of from 40
10 70 per cent on their manufactured
products which We Import Simply be
/ cause IL u not TO their interest to re-
;allate; and Tor the same reason II VIII
not be to their interest 20 retaliate
against discriminating duties in favor
I OF American carrying.
Mr.. Elldns reviewed the history OF our
commercial treaties with foreign coun-
tries. the wisdom Of subsidies. proving
Il by fhe history OF Great Britain. and
argued that a merchant marine IA es-
sential 10 a navy, quoting from many
eminent authorities, and continued:
Trade Fellows the Flag.
II Is said that trade follows the flag;
that Is to say, trade follows shipping
wherever ships go trade follows.
The people Of the United States. with
out distinction OF party, earnestly de-
sire to enlarge and extend their foreign
| trade; 10 sell more OF their Iannufacur-
ed and agricultural products. The
best means to this end is TO increase
our shipping. No nation can have its
i,tst and proper share in lts foreign
| commerce and In the foreign markets
unless II Is an owner and builder OF
/ ships. The nation that owns shipping
has great advantage in extending Its
| trade and commerce over q nation that
mas no ships. The nation that carries
the products II sends to foreign mar
| kets can establish and maintain Its
trade better than a nation that simply
sells its surplus products and leaves
other nations do the carrying, Ship
ping and trade 30 hand in hand
II is generally supposed that shipping
only concerns our Atlantic and Pacific
coast states, but this Is unfounded. NO
Industry Affects the country more wides
~ and generally than shipping. The
farmer. as well as the producer OF coal,
! lumber. iron. steel. and zinc, are inter.
| ested in building up the shipping and
| shIryar is OF the country, as these Inc