Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-10-16

been often assailed, but no party has
dared to repeal it. AS a result we
have the largest and cheapest coast
wise trade in the world. The Detroit
river floats more tons OF American
freight than all the foreign commerce
that enters London, Liverpool, and
every ton is ship built of American
materials, by American workmen,
owned by American capital, operated
by American enterprise, and over
every pound floats the stars and
stripes.
practically half century ago the
present minority party inaugurated,
and the present majority party adopt
ed, a policy of liberality to the pro-
moter 1t gave subsidies of money, or
subsidies of land, or both money and
land, to encourage the construction of
translate and transcontinental rail
ways. The Union Pacific, the South
ern Pacific, and the Northern Pacific
railroads each received government
aid. These roads opened an empire
Of matchless resources, and here our
eyer-increasing population found am
pie room and abundant opportunity.
They improved farms, developed
mines, and builded states yielding
commerce which has made these
roads in turn self-supporting, SO that
no country, state, or the general gov
eminent, longer grants aid to new
roads. We not only have the largest
and best railroad system in the world
but the cheapest rates in the world.
Not only has the general government
subsidized domestic commerce by di-
rect appropriations from the public
treasury in aid of railroads, but 1t ;tii-
nually subsidies commerce, both do
nestle and foreign, by large appropri-
atoms for the Improvement of rivers
and harbors.
'"The government is now charging
not only the scope but also the
amount of it's bounty. It. has paid
S5oO,00O,00O for the right to dig
ditch in aid Of international COM
merce, AMI proposes to pay $20O,OOO,-
0OG millions more, if necessary, in the
construction of that international
ditch. other millions in it's mainte-
nance and no end of millions, if nee
essary, in its defense. Then after all
this outlay we are under contract to
grant it's use, for all time, to all the
people of the United States. At first
blush one might expect partisan oppo-
sition instead of nonpartisan cooper
aticn But so manifeStly wise is the
enterprise, so abundantly able is the
government to bear the expense, and
50 many are the advantages to be de-
rived therefrom, that throughout the
length aud breadth of the nation no
voice is heard against it. i
"The markets of South America,
south Africa, and the adjacent ISLANDS
are just being developed. The eyes
of the world are upon them. The mer-
chant nations of Europe know where
they are located, and they are estab-
fishing banks and warehouses within
them, and they have already estao-
lished regular and fast lines OF steam
ers to them. The United States has
neither banks, nor commission nous
es, nor warehouses in these ports,
nor has it means of communication
with them, except through old, worn
out, dilapidated ships, sailing under
foreign flags and making eight or ten
knots an hour.
81 have received letters, for in
stance, from certain commercial asso-
Citations, the principal officers of
which are interested in foreign steam-
ship lines, calling my attention TO the
fact that means are at hand for caT-
rying to these southern ports all the
merchandise that America sends
thither. Gentlemen, I have never
taken the position that what goods
we ship to South America do not ul-
timately reach those ports. | have
sometimes called attention, however,
to the fact that the quickest way to
go to South America, or to send mail
to- South America, or to ship freight
to South America, and the most usual
way. is to send first to Europe and
thence to the ports of destination A
large share of our paltry commerce
with those countries does actually go
by way of Europe. rather than in
these old scows, owned by the men
who take the position that because
there are ways in which goods oau be
sent thence, therefore no occasion ex-
lists for improving the means of com
munica;ion.
There arc no such agents of COM
merce aus the representatives of traus-
portation companies. Senator Proctor
once told me that his company had n
large Australian trade in marble, but
he said it was through no Skill O."
f,resight of tho tomn:i.-. A line O.
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