Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-21
ONR MERCHANT MARINE.

Since Senator Hanna's statement that
he considered it the most important mat
ter to come before congress this winter,
increased interest is manifested through
out the country in Senator Frye's bill
to provide auxiliary cruisers, transports
and seamen for government use. Recent
ly it was shown that about 5000, 900, 900
is the amount paid annually, under ex-
listing conditions, to foreign vessels. by
this country for freight alone, while
the proposed subsidy to American YES
, sells would amount to about So coo. 900.
Upon this. a democrat pounces on
the Boston Journal with a demand for
an explanation as to why the United
States treasury should be taxed $9,0OO,-
900 in order that the $500. 900. 900 could
be paid to American ship owners rather
than to foreigners. The Journal covers
the whole question briefly in these an
SWers:
1. Because it is contrary to public
policy and perilous to he national in
terests to nave our own so
heavily taxed, as it is now, for the sup
port of foreign marines that may be,
and actually have been, employed
against us in war.
2. Because the 50, 600, 900 Of subsidies
will provide for US more cheaply than
could be procured in any other way,
as the title of the Frye bill states,
auxiliary cruisers, transports and sea-
men for government use, when neces-
sary."
3. Because, as the experience of Bos-
ton has proved during the British-Boer
war. foreign ships which now convey
nine-tentns of our trade, are liable to
be withdrawn when we need them most,
to the grave injury of our commerce..
4. Because it is as important to the
farmers of the west as it is to the mer-
chants of Boston that there should be
regular and adequate communication
with our foreign markets, and, there
fore, a subsidy expenditure, benefting
all classes of producers as we'll as the
shipowners and sailors of the seaboard,
is in its economic as we'll as in it's MILL
tary aspect a genuinely national ex-
penditure for national purposes.
s.. Because every one of our mari
time competitors subsidies it's shipping
in some form or other.
6. Because it is folly to expect Amer
lean ~shipoWners, unaided, to fight
inst both foreign cheap labor and
foreign treasures.
!. Because the substituting Of ship
ping is the historic policy of the United
States, practised with great success dur
ing the decade when our merchant mar
inc was most active and most prosper
nI,c and a~han1nna6 at the iao1ol1S dir
tation of the secession-plotting south,
which dreaded the war power" that
was being built up in the shipyards of
New York and New England.
s. Because the trial of mail subsi-
dies on a limited scale since 1891 has
saved to the flag several important
steam lines. has created new lines to
Europe and the West Indies, and has
launched a small fleet of the most eff
cient merchant steamers in the world,
which gave invaluable aid to the gov
eminent in the war with Spain.
9. Because equity, prudence and pa
triotism demand that the national pro-
lection now given to a few privileged
American shipownerS should be extend
ed to every man among us who wishe.
to build and sail an American ship il
foreign commerce.
These are a few of the reasons-the
Journal could name many more-wh5
the republican party, the party of pro-
lection, controlling both houses of con
, gress, will proceed to fulfill the pledge
of it's national platform and the belle
: expressed in President Mckinley's lette
, Of acceptance, that I'VE ought to own
the ships for our carrying rade with tn
world, and we ought to build them il
American %shipyards and man them Will
American Sailors"
Cyrus e. Dallin, the Utah artist, WIFI