Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-07-04
SOUTH AND SHIPPING.
SITUATION VIEWED THROUGH
SOUTHERN EYES.
Aute and Post BeIIum Sentiment in
Favor of National Aid for Restora-
ton of Our Mercantile Marine to
the seas.

The rapid growth of manufacturing
Ia the South, and its beneficial effect
upon other industries, are arousing in
the minds OF the people new thoughts
and hopes for the ful ure Of their great
section Of the Union. One of the most
reliable authorities on Southern prog
ress aud development is X. ii. Ed
monds, the well-known Baltimore pub
Usher, who keeps in constant personal
touch with the up-to-date sentiment OF
the leading manufacturers, bankers
aud influential men q the South. 1t is
his repeated declaration, and as a re-
suit OF his own observations, that the
Southern business men are almost a
unit in favor of national aid in the re-
establishment of our ships upon the
seas. He finds the sentiment among
men representative of Southern indus
trial and commercial progress quite at
variance with that disclosed by their
Representatives and Senators IN Con
gress. The latter seem to represent a
theoretical opposition to the utilization
Of modern methods for the advance
ment of industrial prosperity that has
kept back Southern development for
fully generation.
In the foreign trade of the United
States, as conducted between Southern
and foreign ports, one of the rarest
sights is the American nag floating
from the sterns of the ships conduct
ing that trade That the demand has
grown In the South for national legisla-
ton for the upbuilding of our merchant
marine seems to Hr. Edmonds to be
logical. He sees in he realization Of
the growing hopes of his people in this
respect much of permanent benefit to
the section he represents. He has made
an especial study of ante-bellum senti-
ment on the subject of American mari
time development, and was surprised
to find that, as far back as sixty years
ago, the sentiment in favor of safe
guarding and promoting our merchant
marine commanded the thoughtful at
tention of the most advanced of South
ern statesmen and business men.
IA an iAAdEE&o btAbi z Lie &OllbAi pm
ners' Association at Charlotte. n. c.,
recently, Mr.. Eimonds stated that in
1915 John Calhoun presided at
convention in Memphis, at which the
subject was discussed. In 1851 a re
port was made at a Virginia conven-
ton in favor of facilitating the mails
through the establishment of steamship
lines running between Hampton Roads
and European ports. Another eonyen-
ton in Memphis, held in 1853, favored
Government encouragement and pro-
lection in the establishment of steam
ship lines between Southern and Euro
pean ports. The Charleston conven-
ton Of 1854 urged Congress to encours
age the establishment of mail steam
ships, even to the extent of granting
State bountles In the form of rebates
TO shippers employing American yes
/ sells. In 1886 Louisiana's Legislature
passed an act paying SIS per. ton bounty
OH all ships exceeding 100 tons burden
built In the State. A report made to
the Legislature of Alabama as far back
as 1898 showed that her citizens CON
tributed 81 100000 a year to get their
cotton to Europe, and contained the
query. IF this amount must be paid,
why should IL not be paid to our own
citzens" No wonder a score of years
later Alabama's Legislature passed an
act granting bounty Of 81 per ton on
all steamers built within that State.
AT Charleston. in 1899. Robert Y.
Hayne discussed the subject before a
commercial conven ton held in that
city, in which ne said that Southern
and Southwestern States were produc-
ing nearly three-quarters of the do
nestle exports of the Union, although
| importing not to exceed one-tenth of
! the foreign merchandise entering the
| United States, and that foreign COM
merce was causing cities of other
/ States 10 flourish while Southern cities
| were falling into decay" Lieut.. NJ. f..
| Maury, famous for his invaluable aids
/ TO mariners upon the oceans. was i'm
/ pressed with the immense benefits
/ Southern States would derive from the
! establishment of steamship lines be-
( tween Southern and European ports.
For many years he urged the invest
ment Of Southern capital In such lines.
/ showing the great and growing power
/ her rich foreign commerce was giving
/ to New York. and deploring the fact
I tht the South was missing its oppor-
tunities to share therein. He saw for
Norfolk, Virginia, possibilities of de-
/ velopment which have never been re-
! allied hnt which IL seems possible are
| likely of fllfillment through the grow
ing scarcity Of European coal and the
inevitable dependence of the world in
| the future for the greater rart of its
coal supplies upon the United States.
! In our trade with other American re-
publics Maury saw advantages even
| greater than those possible through our
| commercial intercourse with Europe,
and he was never done urging upon
the people of the South the wisdom of
generously encouraging American mar
iUme development through the estab-
lIshment Of steamship lines to the West
Indies. Central and South America. He
advocated ship canal across the
American isthmus and predicted enor.
mcusly beneficial results to our trade
AMI shipping to follow.
Away back in 1858 the Assembly OF
Virginia Incorporated $4,000 O0I
ste imship line under the name of the
/ Afi.,uric Steam Ferry COmDany bUt