The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-07-18

fully. not because of an excessive tariff.
superinducing unnatural trade condi-
tons. but in spite of it The evil Incl,
enterprise and of the nations wealth In
a few hands, and the corresponding and
resultant evil of industrial monOpoly
brought about through the crushing out
of competition and the enforced surren-
der to the trusts OF weaker rivals, are
laws. These laws ought to be radically
revised in the interest of common
justice, common honesty and a square
deal. The revision of course should be
made wisely, carefully and conservatives
Iy 50 as to do Justice alike to manufact-
urers, -wage-earners and consumers. The
rights of all should be conserved as far
as possible. but laws which operate as
a shield TO monopoly must be wiped
Again / ask, when can the country
reasonably expect a reasonable revision
under republican auspices? In fact, can
that party has been in undisputed power,
and cIamorous demands have been made
from every quarter for a revision and
from no quarter have these demands
come in greater volume or with more
sources in the great agricultural states
of the west. Blu year after year, and
Congress after Congress, these demands
nave Deen ignored. Men k Cannon,
Payne, Dalzen and other leaders of the
House, and men like Aldrich, Galhnger,
Lodge and other leaders of the Senate,
have turned a deaf ear to all appeals.
There have been Republican representa-
uves in both houses from the middle
states, who, knowing the sentiment of
their constituencies, have urged a revis-
ion upon their party colleagues, but TO
Democrat, one Of Speaker Cannon's most
admiring friends, whose Washington cor
respondent had interviewed the Speaker
on the subject. declared that:
The speaker gives no encourage
ment to tariff revision agitation.
Neither does he assent to a g
AfaU nrre 800 Eannnr1 that Nhn.
next Congress conmit itself to future
revision by resolution
That is a fair statement of Mr.. Can
mons attitude. If the next
be the speaker again He would again
name the committees organize the house
arbitrary methods which have distin-
guished him in the past Congressman
Dalzell of Pittsburg, one of the ablest
members of the House, and Mr.. Cannon'S
chief lieutenant, recently declared in
substance against tariff agitation as the
height of folly. and proceeded to say
the work would be done by those who
believed in protective policies and along
vision would more likely be upward h
downward 1 could quote perhaps a
hundred similar expressions from almost
as many men potent IN republican coun-
ellis. With such Influences dominant In
the House. and like influences dominant
in the Senate, what sort OF gray matter
has a tariff r~evisionist in his head who
votes the republican ticket In the hope
that these men have in some mysterious
of reform2 OF course, / am conscious
that even with a democratic president
and house Of representatives, any tariff
act possible of passage would, because
of the republican senate, be in the nature
of a compromise But one thing is sure.
IL the presidency and the House should
be given to the Democrats, a tariff bill.
drawn with the greatest possible care
and framed on just lines, would be sent
to the Senate. and public sentiment
would compel some measure of public
revision is through the Democratic
party. Il
THE MERCHANT MARINE.
Not long since the Kansas City Journal
Goals because Of something I said to a
reporter OF that paper about the Amerl-
he interviewer was somewhat upon the
Inc of the observations I intend now
o make 1 said then that our merchant
except for coastwise purposes,
vas a thing of the past, and charged that
he destruction Of the splendid CONNER
which was one of the glories of the
was the outgrowth Of RepuD
lean policies, as stupid as they are
,eifshl With due respect to the Journal,
repeat that statement. 1t IS q tacL
which none can disput that outside OF
ave no merchant fleet worthy the name,
nd It Is a fact that as a maritime
over we have fallen from the top 70 tne
DOT in the list of nations NO sineere'
Intelligent man Will c~ontraYene n5 az !
uracy OF that declaration But IN
ormer times it was different one o. III
hines that commanded most the atten-
ion and excited the anxiety OF Inonds
emerson concerned our maritime inter
ste He was an ardent advocate of a :
trong merchant marine. lie DehevSu {
nothing would add more 70 ie s
r the people than a great merchant Z
Ieet, going hither and thither across the ]
bearing the American nag INTO We s
,orts of the world, exploring marh6S ]
IA Dromotfng commercial exchanges. I
Jot only did he regard such a ueet as OF \
he highest moment because OF ITS sreat {
'alue as a commercial fundamentally, I
nut he also regarded 1t as OF the greatest /
in times of war, for IN {
lines of war merchant vessels may not )
My be used for purposes of military I
transportation, but many may be con- /
wise guidance Of Mr.. Jefferson and +
who followed him in the presidency
he American merchant marine grew T
pace until the young republic became I
rival of Great Britain. then, as now, \
leading maritime power of the world 7
These are historical facts, known OF All t
which none will dispute Under r
democratic policies, which prevailed an I
erior to the civil war, the merchant ma I
inc grew steadily until it ranked as one s
f the first il the world. Under Repub 7
lean policies, which have prevailed since
hat war, the. merchant marine has de- 0
erioriated and wasted until now 1t re i
mains as little more than a memory In +
hese simple statements OF u~ndisputed
act. two pictures are presented which +
ny American with eyes and the con- q
power of observation may look :
Ipon. Even my caustic friend, the editor I
4 the Kansas City Journal, can see s
hem without the aid of spectacles. /
True we AVE a passably good mer- $
liant feet engaged in the coastwise
rade. This fleet is made up of vessels Z
in carrying cargoes and pas 3
,engers along the coast or across the Z
from one American port to an I
1 do not underestimate its value, v
local IN its operations. 1 recog- Z
dice in its prosperity. But is 1t any (
that we have a fairly creditable 1
~service2 Under the law ves-I I
els engaged in that traffic have an alb 1
olute monopoly. Only vessels owned and y
luilt in America can obtain American 1
egistry or fly the flag, and none other :
convey passengers or freight from 7
ne port TO another The situation in 8
Hawaii furnishes a striking example of G
scope Of this monopoly. Under the I
aW as it stands. no person can go In a I
oreign vessel to or from Honolulu or {
ny port of the Islands to san Francisco j
n any port of the mainland without first {
laying a penalty to the government or c
200. The Hawaiian Islands are Ameri- &
an territory, and ports established there I
re American ports. All American ports, [
of the islands or mainland. are /
the operation of the coastw1Se I
avs, and foreign vessels are forbidden, I
nder heavy penalties, to carry paSSen- I
or freight between such ports 1t I
happens that passage can not be q
btained between San Francisco and G
honolulu on an American vessel for $
weeks a. a time Last summer Senator Y
oF Washfugfou Secretary Strauss, :