The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-12-12
THE MERCHANT MARINE BILL.

- ENATOR FRYE is reported TO have stated
- that he has to believe his merchant
~ marine bill will be found to have met all the OBJ
jections made by certain Republicans to the measure
submitted at the last session of Congress, and
sequently he looks forward to prompt adoption of
it by both houses. That the Senator is over
sangune is made evident by criticisms which have al
ready been pronounced upon the measure by Re
publican critics. 1t is clear then that
we are to have prolonged discussion the subject
and it may be another postponement of the adoption
of system of promoting merchant marine.
1t is not easy understand why loyal Republicans
should persist year after year in demanding a ner
chant marine bill that will suit everybody No such
demand made of the trainers of the tariff de-
signed to protect industries upon land. Had it
been made and insisted upon there would never have
been tariff Party unanimity can be attained on
matters of detail only by mutual concessions and
such concessions right and proper. When men
are agreed that certain policy is wise, right and
needful it would be foolish for them to refuse to
undertake it solely because practical measure of
accomplishing it could be devised which in every de-
tail and respect accorded with the judgment or wishes
Of every individual.
The Republican party has been able to enact
legislation upon every important issue except
that of providing for merchant marine Every
pledge made IN the platform upon which Mckinley
was first elected to the Presidency has been fulfilled
| except that relating to American shipping Mem
bers of Congress managed to agree upon every other
subject but upon this there has been a persistent
disagreement and now after the stanch advocates of
upbuilding our marine have endeavored to concilate
all, there arises the old cry that the bill
| is Objectionable in this feature in that
A merchant marine bill that will suit the individual
ideas of every Republican in Congress is not to be
expected If we are to wait until such bill be
! framed we shall never have American merchant
marine upon the high that is at all commensurate
with our needs. In making up tariff Republicans
did not wrangle particular schedules They de-
sired protective tariff and in due time they enacted
one 1t may be Objectionable TO this or that in
some one particulars, but a whole it sat-
isles the country. 1t protects industries. 1t
brought immediate return of prosperity to capital
and to labor If, however, that policy had been
treated in the the principle of protecting
American commerce on the seas has been treated we
should be to this day exposed the competition of
European cheap labor, and our. prosperity would be
measured by much lower standard than it is.
In his address at the Charleston exposition Sena-
tor Depew in referring to the failure OF the United
States to obtain fair share of South American
trade, said: "Our failure capture or hold what is
legitimatey own is due to the fact that we have
abandoned the sea. Our country, with its superb
energy and limitless productive powers but without
an adequate merchant marine, is like Hercules
chained to his forge eagle clipped of its wings
Until ships under the American flag are carrying