The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-07-17

in America, / do not admit that th'
growth would not have been substanti
ally as great. as II would certainly nav
been far more healthful, IL II had beei
based ON aounder and more enlightened
economic principles. The advocates o.
the existing system give undue
credit TO To-, the prevailing poisis ,;
fully. not because of an excessive tariff
experimenting unnatural trade condi
tions, but In spite of IL. The evil Incl
dent TO the concentration OF industrial
enterprise and of the nations wealth IL
few hands, and the corresponding ant
resultant evil OF industrial monopoly
brought about through the crushing ou
OF competition and the enforced Hurren
der to the trusts OF weaker rivals. ar,
things easily traceable to our tariff
laws. These laws ought to be RADICAL,
revised In the interest of common
justice, common honesty and square
deal The revision OF course should b'
made wisely. carefully and conservative
~ so as to do justice alike to mapufact
urers, wage-earners and consumers IN,
rights OF all should be conserved as fai
as possible. but laws which operate al
shield to monopoly mug. be wipee
from the statute books.
Again / ask, when can the country
reasonably expect reasonable revision
under republican auspices? In fact, car
IL ever be expected? For twelve years
and clsmorous demands have been made
from every quarter for a revision; and
from no quarter have these demands
come In greater volume or with more
vigorous insistence than from republican
sources In the great agricultural states
of the west. But year after year, and
Congress after Congress these demands
have been ignored. Men like Cannon,
Payne. Dalzell and other leaders of the
HouBe, and men like Aldrich, Gallinger.
Lodge and other leaders of The Scnnte
have turned a deaf ear to all appeals
There have been republican represents
tives In both houses from the middle
states who, knowing the sentiment OF
their constituencies. have urged revis-
ion upon their party colleagues, but to
no avail. Not long ago, the Globe
admring friends. whose Washington cor
respondent had interviewed the Speaker
Oh the subject, declared that;
The sneaker gives no encourage
ment to Tariff revision agitation.
Neither does he assent to sugges-
ton put forward recently that the
next Congress commit Itself to future
revision by resolution"
That Is n fair statement of Mr.. Can
mons well-known attitude. II the next
house should be republican, Cannon will
be the speaker again. He would again
name the committees organize the house
and conduct its business by the same
guished him in the past. Congressman
Dulzell OF Pittsburg, one OF the ablest
members OF the House, and Mr.. Cannon q
chief lieutenant, recently declared In
substance against tariff agitation as the
height OF folly. and proceeded to say
that II n revision should be had at all
the work would be done by those who
believed In protective policies and along
protective lines, and added that the re-
vision would more likely he upward than
downward. / 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 rcvisionist In his head who
votes the republican ticket in the hope
that these men have In some mysterious
way become inocuiattd with the spirit
of reform? OF course, i am conscious
that even with q democratic president
and house of representatives, any tarin
act possible of passage would, because
of the republican senate, he In the nature
of n compromises But one thing is sure,
II thc presidency and she House should
be given to the Democrats, 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 pubic
relief. The only hope of an honest
tariff revision Is through the Democratic
party.
THE MERCHANT MARINE.
Not long since the Kansas City Journal
ralSed me with rough hand over hot
GOALS because of something ! said to q
reporter of that paper about the Amerl-
can merchant marine. What l said To
the interviewer was somewhat upon the
line of the observations ] Intend now
to make / said then that our merchant
marine. except for coastwiso purposes,
was a thing of the past, and charged that
A.. 81 eF,la 1nF
cia fleet we formerly possessed. and
which was one of the glories of the
Republic. was the outgrowth OF Repub-
lican policies, as stupid as they are
selfish, With due respect to the Journal,
| repeat that statement. 1t is fact
which none can dispute that outside of
vessels engaged In constwise trafflc we
have no merchant fleet worthy the name,
and 1t is n fact that as maritime
power we have fallen from the top tc
the foot In the list OF nations. No sincere.
intelligent man Will contraNene the hc
curacy of that declaration. But II
former times II was different One OF the
things that commanded most the atten
tion and excited the anxiety of Thomas
Jefferson concerned our maritime inter
ests He was an ardent advocate OF 9
strong merchant marine. He believed
that nothing would add more TO tht
prestige of the nation or the prosperity
of the people than great merchant
fleet. going hither and thither across the
ports of the world exploiting markets
and promoting commercial exchanges.
Not only did he regard such fleet as OF
the highest moment because OF Its great
value ms commercial instrumentality,
but he also regarded 1t as OF the greatest
consequence in times of war. for In
times of war merchant vessels may not
only be used for purposes of military
transportation, but many may be con-
verted into fast auxiliary cruisers. Under
the wise guidance OF Mr.. Jefferson ana
those who followed him in the presidency.
the American merchant marine grew
apace until the young republic became
the rival of Great Britain, then. as now,
the leading maritime power OF the world.
These are historical facts, known OF an
men. which none Will dispute, Under
democratic policies. which prevailed an
terror to the civil war, the merchant ma
rine grew steadily until IL ranked as one
of the first In the world. Under Repub-
lican policies, which have prevailed since
that war. the merchant marine has de-
Perforated and wasted until now IL re-
mains as little more than u memory. In
these simple statements OF undisputed
fact two pictures. are presented which
any American with eyes and the con-
scious power of observation may look
upon. Even my caustic friend. the editor
OF the Kansas City Journal, can see
them without the aid OF snectacles.
chant fleet engaged In the coastwise
trade. This fleet is made up of vessels
employed In carrying cargoes and pas
sengers along the coast or across the
lakes from one American port to an
other. do not underestimate Its value,
although local in Its operations. / recog-
nize It's Importance and shall always re-
joice in It's prosperity. But is II any
wonder that we have n fairly creditable
coastwlse service? Under the law yes
sells engaged in that traffic have an alb,
solute monopoly. Only vessels owned and
built in America can obtain American
registry or fly the flag. and none Other
can convey passengers or freight froiT
one port TO another. The situation ir
Hawaii furnishes Il striking example OF
the scope of this monopoly. Under the
law as 1t stands, no person can go In 9
foreign vessel to or from Honolulu OF
any port of the Islands to San Francisco
or any port of the mainland without frs
paying penalty to the government o.
5000. The Hawaiian Islands are Ameri
can territory, and nOrts established thor