Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-27
EDITORIAL REPLY BY THE POST.

New York Evening Post.
We publish letter from Mr.. Thomas
Clyde in which that gentleman asks
the opponents Of the present Ship Sub
sidy pill to draft and present better
measure for the revival of our merchant
marine before condemning the one now
before Congress. REVIVAL of our mer
chant marine' belongs to II class ot
phrases condemned by Aristotle. and all
other writer's on logic as the petitio
principii, or begging the question. 1t
assumes a number of disputable points
as being already proved. The phrasa
was introduced. into our political jargon
two or three years ago, when tre-
mendous effort was made to manufac-
ture public sentiment in favor of sub
sides. 1t assumes ~ that VIZ now
have no merchant marine; ~ that We
ought to have one; 49, that the only
way to get it is by government sub
sides; (4) that tie men who are now
lobbying for the Subsidy bill at Wash
ington are working for the revival
aforesaid rather than for their own
pockets.
Ali of these propositions are disputa-
BILE except the second. We agree that
\ a merchant marine is desirable on con-
dition that it supports itself and is not
a burden on the taxpayers. We con-
slider it nuisance and a national curse
| il il depends on the public treasury |;
and this for variety of reasons. 1t is
state socialism on a large scale. 1t in
troduces fundamt ntally wrong ideas
into the national lite. 1t establishes a
| dangerous precedent. 1t prompts other
industries, cliques and sections to de-
mand similar benefantions from the
public funds. 1t makes the amount of
the subsidy matter of hugger-mugger
between the henetieiaries and Congress-
men, thus tending to oorruption-wit--
ness the old Pacific Mail subsidy and
its story of sin and shame. While we
should be glad to see merchant
marine established il we had none, we
should consider it present affection
and future danger II it were estab-
lished in the way proposed.
Now as to the first example OF the
petitio principii, implying that we
have no merchant marine. If we have
one now, it ia deception to talk about
"reyiving" it. We only revive that
which is dead. To show that We have
merchant marine now 1T is only
necessary to point to the Clyde Line,
which has been in existence for 70 or
80 years. Surely that line needs no
physician. We have some merchant
marine now, and the question is not Of
reviving, but of getting mere. And
this question brings another in its
train. "What is the proper way to get
more?" Before entering upon that In
auiry, however. we shall call attention
to the progress we are now making
without the help of any subsidies. The
report of the Commissioner OF Naviga-
tion for the year 1899 furnishes unim-
peachable testimony on this point ~
its opening paragraphs, viz:
"During the fiscal year ended June
Both. 1899, American shipping indus
tries shared in the general prosperity
of the country, and the new fiscal yeal
has opened with the promise of con.
tinued activity in our shipyards.
y Our documented tonnage OF
June 30th, 1899, was the largest since
1865. Il Il Our tonnage of steam
vessels registered for foreign trade is
the largest 10 our history.
Our construction Of steel steam vessels
was greater than in 1891, or than IL
any year of our history"
! This cerulean visw of our shipping
, interests continued throughout the
year, and even grew brighter as the
, months rolled on. In his report fol
1900, just published, the commissioner
| says: 49,,
"The fiscal year ended June a0thi
1900, has been not only the most pros.
, porous known to American shipping
interests during recent years, but
) measured by absolute, not relative
statistical standards, it has been thi
most notable, year in the history o.
i American shipping. The returns fo
, the first quarter OF the current fisoa
, year and reports on vessels under con
struotion or contract give promise tina
, the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1901
Will surpass even the remarkable recort
} of the fiscal year just closed"
i Such nioture Of growth and pros