The Republican journal., 1905-01-26
"As Democrat, l say that the Demo- |

"The Democratic party In It's plat |
form, in its campaign text book and |
its candidates and its leaders |
last year, called attention to the la
decline in American shipping
in the foreign trade and pledged them
selves to its upbuilding. l believe that
the Democratic party, its candidates
and its leaders are sincere, to the ex-
tent that they have now come forward
with a plan; its qualifications and ex-
ceptions render it impracticable, be-
cause in operation it would be ineffec-
tive. And they offer no other. When
the Democrats therefore oppose an eff
fective plan, such as the Merchant Ma
rine Commission has just recommend
ed, it should be prepared to offer one
equally effective or cease its opposition.
Provisions of the Commissions Bill in Brief.
THE Merchant Marine Commission
in its bill proposes: 1. To create a
naval reserve corps of volunteers COM
posed of officers and men engaged in
the merchant marine service of the
United States. 2. To require Ameri-
can vessels to carry an increasing pro-
portion of these volunteers. 3. That
these vessels shall, if not engaged in
carrying mails, receive S. per ton per
year, if engaged for the whole year in
the foreign trade, a sum that it has
been shown just offsets the difference
in the cost of constructing American
as compared with foreign vessels. 4. To
establish lines of mail steamships where
there is chance of extending the mar
kets abroad for American products, to
which lines certain specified sums, Just
sufficient to attract capital into the
construction of the needed steamships,
are to be paid. 5. That there shall be
an increase in the tonnage taxes col
lected from all vessels, American and
foreign, entering our ports, to an
amount about equal to that charged by
such nations as England and France.
g. That American vessels carrying
American boys shall have related to
them so per cent of the tonnage taxes
collected from them, as England does
in behalf of British ships carrying
British boys as apprentices and cadets.
This is plan that would use the sur
plus money received from sea postage
for the payments required for the mail
lines, and that would furnish enough
from the tonnage taxes to pay the S.
per ton proposed to the vessels that do
not carry the mails but that do engage
In Lne foreign TRADE.
'The creation of an American mer-
chant marine, with American officers
and seameD, is essential to the national
defense, and therefore deserves the
support of the Government, which will
be benefited by such a reserve" This is
plan that l know, as practical YES
sci owner, will be effective, that will re-
suit in building up large tonnage of
A upSso1c. hot Oft Trcfo
able us to wrest from the foreigners
who now monopolize it the trade with
the West Indies, Central and South
America, Africa and Asia, and finally
place us in position to fight for fair
share of the transatlantic trade, of
which foreigners now monopoljZe 81
per cent. That is why | am for the bill
offered by the Merchant Marine Com
mission, and which | believe that Dem
ocrats and Republicans should join
hands in asking Congress to immedi-
ately pass.
81 look at this question from the
point of view of a vessel owner aud a
life long Democrat. While my view is
not precisely that of ''The Journal of
Commerce ard Commercial Bulletin
nevertheless many of my views coin
eide with those advocated by your jour
nal. But the matter appeals to me in a
thoroughly practical way. | am inter
ested in vessels engaging in the foreign
trade, vessels that l have had built in
the United States at an expense
much greater than they would cost
if built in Nova Scotia or elsewhere.
In addition to this higher cost for build
ing | am also compelled to expend
much higher sum in operating my yes
sells in the West Indian, Central Amer
lean, South American and African
trade than my rivals under other flags
are compelled to meet. 1t might be
said that l could buy Nova Scotia built
vessels and put them into that trade,
but / am disinclined to do so, perhaps
not on economic, but on sentimental
grounds, and there is where it is that
my views diverge from those of your
journal. 1.-The journal of Commerce
and Commercial Bulletin seems to
think that if a business proposition is
economically unsound there are no
higher reasons justifying its undertake
ing. With that view differ. l desire
to see American labor employed in build
ing the vessels engaging in our for
terials employed in their construction;
American citizens. 1t may make no
difference to me financially whether
these vessels are so constructed and
manned, or rather it may mean, and in
fact it does mean, substantial financial
loss to me, but | am nevertheless so
convinced that it is to the interest of
our country, to our workingmen, to
have our own ships built, differed and
manned nv Onr own npOn1p that I rp
fuse to buy foreign built vessels; re-
fuse to have the vessels require in my
business built in foreign countries, and
| refuse to employ alien officers on
board of them. 1t might be difficult
fol me to explain the feelings, apart
from sentiment OF patriotism, that
prompt me to entertain and hold these
views, but there they are, and l live up
to them, and keep on trying to do
business in accordance with them"
OAsToRIA,
Bear. the n1hs Kind You Have Always Bag1