Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-03-19
The Shipping Bill.
fBnncOr Com l1sercidl.)

What is known as the ship subsidy
bill which passed the Senate on Mon
day is a measure in the direct line of
national progress, and the building up
of the American merchant marine.
For more than a generation past the
calling in of capital and the trend of
legislation has been in the aid of rail-
roads to the neglect and loss of ship
ping. Thousands upon thousands of
miles of railroads have been construct
ed, several lines connect the con-
tinent from Maine to California, and
they extend south to the gulf and
northward to the far American and
British possessions. During this peri
cd of railway building the interest of
capitalists has been given to those
great schemes of interstate and inter-
continental enterprise.
But under the leadership of our
Maine senator, Hon. William Z Frye,
this bill, of which he may be said to
be the originator, has now been given
a passage by the Senate, Senator Frye
is legislator of long experience, a
man OF broad views ana possessing
qualities of the highest order of states
manship. This has been recognized
by the New York chamber of COM
merce in the complimentary banquet
given in his honor which was no less a
compliment to the man than an honor
to the State of Maine which he so ably
represents upon the floor of the Senate.
There has been an unjust opposition
to this bill from the interior states
which has been founded upon wrong
conception of national unity and
national welfare. 1t is as true in mat
tiers of national concern as in matters
affecting the human well-being that
what helps one section of the country
helps every section.
If the hand shall say: 81 am not of
the body" is it not of the body? Can
the arm say to the foot: 81 have no
need of thee"-has it not therefore
need of the foots Can the body sub
sist without its several members
No more than can the West subsist
without the interior, or the South sub
sist without the North. The Atlantic
and the Pacific coasts have like inter
ests in our great body of states. The
public policy which benefits one coast
benefits the other. So the interior
states which unwisely held opposition
to this bill in its original form acted
wisely in supporting its final passage.
This country. more than ever since
the spanish war, needs to have
its merchant marine enlarged and
strengthened that the millions of dol
lars OF the ocean carrying trade now
shipped in foreign bottoms be shipped
by our own vessels. To accomplish
/ this we must do for our own country
what the emperor of Germany and
other governments have done for their
powers by encouraging our own ship
ping interests. We have the money
with which to accomplish this and it
cannot be put to better or wiser use.
Not that il should be wasted, but that
prudent use should be made of it. 1t
is not the part of good policy to re-
main inactive while business becomes
paralyZed, or To pull down any public
/ interest that can serve the good of
government.
The Frye bill has for its objects the
upbuilding of the entire country
through one of its greatest industries
the shipping or merchant marine, the
building of those vessels by this coun-
try winch carry our trade and agricul-
turai products to the great marts of
the world. While we do not want free
ships, foreigners may if they choose
come to our own shores and build their
vessels. taking their own chances for
taxes with our own people.
We are not working to become a
| world power-we are world power
already. This country is So magnifi-
cent and prosperous that our business
must be done with other powers,
directly, in our own ships. and not
with other nations as with China via
Liverpool. We build the best war
vessels and battleships in the world,
as witness the magnificent Oregon"
and other ships forming our splendid
navy, and there is no reason why we
should not also build the best merchant
vessels of any nation on the globe.
This bill will help rs to do it.