The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-16
WHY NOT FREE SHIPS,


The President in his speech at the
Omaha exposition. and in his speeches on
his way to Washington from Oma-
ha, has had much to say about
the necessity Of new markets for
our products. There is no DOUBT
that we are really in need Of new
markets. not only for our manufactured
products, but also for our agricultural
/ products. There is no reason why the
! South should not manufacture pretty near
/ ly all of the cotton goods needed by the
world. Instead Of sending our raw cotton
TO Europe and to the North TO be turned
into cloth, cotton goods should be dis
tributed from mills situated in sight Of
the fields in which it is grown.
! But in whose ships are our products to
be carried to new markets? The Presi-
dent hasn't a word to say on that sub
| ject. No one OF those who are insisting
on the policy of territorial expansion in
order that our manufacturers may have a
wider market ever has a word to say in
respect to the advantages of owning the
ships which carry our products to foreign
markets. And why is it that they are
silent on that subject? Is Il not because
it cannot be discussed without the fact
becoming apparent that our protective
policy puts the carrying of our immense
commerce in the hands of foreigners?
Last year the balance of trade was in
our favor to the extent of more than $780,
900, and yet this was largely Offset by
the freight bills which we paid to have
to Europe, and the merchandise purchas-
ed by us in foreign countries brought to
us. There was a time when we did our
own carrying trade. We had the fastest
and best ships in the world and foreign
shipbuilders found their models in our
shipyards. In every port there were mer-
chant vessels carrying the American flag.
Why should there not be the same con-
dition of affairs now? Why should we
continue paying millions of dollars an
nually to foreign shipowners. Why not
keep this freight money at home? 1t
will not be many years before our foreign
commerce will be greater than that of all
the rest of the world combined. The cost
of carrying it will be hundreds of millions
of dollars annually. Is 1t our purpose to
put all this money into the pockets of
foreigners or turn it into the pockets of
our own people? This is an important
question-fully as important as the build
ing of the Nicaragua canal.
If we could not build ships as cheaply
as they can be built elsewhere in the
world there would not be so much oppo-
siuon to the present policy of hiring for
eign ships 10 carry our commerce, but we
can build as good ships as can be built by
any other nation-better in fact-and we
build them Tor less money, because
we have cheaper materials. 1t requires
no more skill and no more costly materials
to build a steamship than it does to build
a locomotive. Our locomotive builders
are not protected In any way, and yet
they are building locomotives for the
whole world. Change our navigation
laws and it would not be many months
before new shipyards would be project
ed. and the shipyards we now have would
have more orders than they could fill
No doubt there would be some buying
of old, foreign built ships on account of
their cheapness, but our people would
see to 1t that very little money went into
the pockets of foreign shipbuilders. They
would demonstrate their ability to beat
the world in shipbuilding.