The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-08
A QUESTION OF NATIONAL I'M
PORTANCE.

One Of the most important questions for
the early consideration of Congress, and
one closely connected with our new career
as a world power. is the building up of our
merchant marine. The st. Louis platform
declared in favor of policy that would en-
able American ships, the product of Amer
lean labor, employed in American shipyards.
sailing under the stars and stripes and
manned, differed and owned by Americans,
to regain the carrying Of our foreign COM
merce." Mr.. Mckinley, in his letter of ac-
ceptance, honored this plank in the plat
form with special commentator. He said:
The declaration in favor Of the upbuilding
of our merchant marine has my hearty APP
prevail. The policy of discriminating duties
in favor Of our shipping which prevailed in
the early years of our history should be
again adopted by Congress and vigorously
supported until our prestige and supremacy
ON the seas are fully attained. We should
no longer contribute, directly or indirectly,
to the maintenance of the colossal marine
of foreign countries, but provide an efficient
and complete marine of our own. Now that
the American navy is assuming a position
commensurate with our Importance as a ma
tion we must supplement it with a mer-
chant marine that will give us the advan-
tage in both our coastwise and foreign trade
that we ought naturally and properly to
enjoy.
That this was not mere pertunctory ap-
prevail of the platform on which the con-
vention had placed him is shown by the
fact that the President required to the SUBJ
ject in his inaugural address. The address
was largely devoted to the then pressing
questions of tariff and currency reform, but
as to the duty of building up our merchant
marine he said:
CHI civ off IN
the restoration of our American merchant
marine, once the pride of the seas in all the
great ocean highways OF commerce TO my
mind few more important subjects so i'm
peratively demand it's intelligent considera-
ton. The United States has progressed
with marvellous rapidity in every field of en-
tarprise and endeaVor until we have become
foremost in nearly all the great lines of in
Land trade, commerce and industry. Yet
While this is true, our American merchant
marine has been steadily declining until it
Is now lower, boLn in the percentage of ton
mage and the number of vessels employed,
than it was prior to the civil war. Com
mendable progress has been made of late
years in the upbuilding of the American
navy but we must supplement these efforts
by providing q proper conSort for it, mer-
chant marine amply sufficient for our own
carving trade to foreign countries. The
question is one that appeals both to our
business necessities and the patriotic aSplra-
lions of great people.
We remark again. there is nothing per-
functory in this. 1t is the earnest express
sion Of a public official who has given care
full consideration to a question of national
Importance and reached a definite conclu-
sion as to the policy he thinks ought to be
pursued. The earnest language used by
President Mckinley in his inaugural is even
more applicable now than it was then, since
the possaD.Aties of our commercial activity
have been increased by the acquisition Of
new territory, the material enlargement Of
our navy and the certainty Of the early
construction of the Nicaragua canal. The
question is one Of interest to every part of
the United States, to all classes Of people
and to every branch Of trade. The States
that have no seaports or coast lines are as
much concerned in the upbuilding of our
merchant marine as are the seaboard States,
Indiana and Ohio as much as New York and
Nassac husetts, Colorado as well as Califor-
MIA. The Republican party, the only party
capable of handling national questions and
developing national policies, should see to 1t
that the question of the restoration of our
merchant marine is not allowed to lose its
place in the list of those demanding positive
action.