The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-25
The Voice of
The People

SHIP BoUNTIES AND SUBSIDIES.
Editor Providence News:
No country on the face OF the earth
compares with the United States in the
number and cost OF its vessels. Great
Britain herself being far behind us.
Why? Because our coast and inland
commerce is protected as no other ooun-
try's coast marine Is protected. An &C
count OF our commerce on the great
lakes. rivers and coast reads like a tale
from the Arabian nights. The story is
the magnificent dreams of washington
and yefferson. not merely realized, but
magnined sixty and q hundred fold. In
iact. the spiendor of our achievements
IN inland and coastway commerce has
become the wonder OF all nations, and
the glory OF It fills the whole earth with
wonder.
1t is for this reason that our sh,pyards
are busy, our plants enlar ging and men
employed multiplying and sprlnging into
h,,s hfe and activity hke Highlanders at the
But the moment we turn to our vessels
engaged In foreign commerce we hang
our heads In shame and humiliation. Why
almost driven from the ocean Why do
we do merely per centum OF our ocean
carrying trade I.j Why do We pay foreign
carrying trade by virtually telling foreign
ship owners to do our business for us?
The answer Is plain and the cause we'll
known.
Free traders are. Just as they have
been for more than generation. opposed
10 reviving our ocean commerce In
ameriean vessels. commerce. we lost
ers oppose revival OF our ocean carry
ing vessels? Because by doing so In
twenty years, 1t would furnish constant
employment for Ave millions more wage
earners. In manning vessels, building
them, supplying the materials for them
and FEEDING the sailors. shipbuilders and
vast benefits. And IL there is anything
on Gods earth that free traders oppose,
IT is anything that will furnish jobs for
needy bread winners.
During the last 50 years Great Britain
mas paid s3oo,Wooo0 on steamship subven-
tlons alone, The ocean bottoms OF
Great Britain are protected as those OF
no other nation are protected, and the
result is that II can be said Of our Anglo
Saxon cousins that Britannia rules the
wave In commerce. as well as by war
ships and simply because those who
oppose subsidies want Great Britain to
France and Germany. Italy. Russia.
ocean commerce by bounties and sub
sidies.
But, such is the lack of national pride
among free traders, such the want OF
patriotism, and. more than ALL such Is
the Intense hatred OF free traders for
wage carriers. that they have success.
luly OppOfeu TOT TWO 0tCaues any move
ment 10 build up our ocean carrying feet
because by II our bread winners would
have fivo million more jobs. Strange as
II may seem. and Will appear, TO our
posterity, free traders even oppose the
paltry sum OF s9.0t0.000 per annim to re-
vivc our ocean shipping. because It would
prove such n boon to bread winners.
Nevertheless, mark how free traders pre-
tend 10 love wage-earners while doing
all In their power TO rob our toilers OF
employment!
Free trade. they true name is hypoc-
ricyl ALEX =. ARNOLD
Life Long Defender OF Bread winners.
Woonsocket. Nov. 20. 1902.
ONE INSTANCE ASKED FOR.
Editor Providence News:
have been very much interested In
w W.'s letters on the present tariff.
hoped ne was a free trader but was bad
ly disappointed when he uttered this die
tum: He CIV. WDAs well aware that it
Gree trade)) Is impracticahle. etc"
| would like TO ask him why A. s i'm
practicable? To me II Is the most prac-
iicabe thing in the world. 7 wish ne
would give one. just one instance. witch
would prove that free trade. land when
1 say free trade mean exactly what
say: The untrammelled freedom OF trade
between this and cay or every other
country IN the world and ohlige. yours
truly, j. Al