The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-30

England in 1s12-1A, determined that
national rights should be respected.
For this. at the cost Of lives and prop
erty, they fought the civil war, for
otherwise American unity would have
been destroyed.
What is the prospect today, with the
Union unimpaired and the country
prosperous from ocean to ocean, with
a population of 100000 ,00O compared
with 100000 when independence was
declared? What can be done by Eu-
rope or any Of it's nations to check our
prosperity and turn our wealth into
its own Golfers? Manifestly. to destroy
our ambition to be our own carriers
and merchants, to reduce ns simply
TO producers and consumers, leaving
to them and to their loyal agents all
the cream OF trade.
We enacted laws regulating com
merce in the interests of the people
In the first congress. We preferred
ties and differential tonnage taxes in
their favor. We provided for the
healthy development of shipbuilding
by limiting the right to fly our flag to
American buiit vessels.
Yet when we wish TO return, to these
policies. unwiseiy abandoned after
they had demonstrated their wisdom
ty S1idOiiHS OS III carly more imam ~
per cent of our own products in our
own vessels, we are told such policy is
useless and that 1T lis undemocratic.
And Vet this wise policy was based
upon Jefferson's mastery report on
commerce.. and the bill was drawn by
Madison. 1t was the idea that the
father of our constitution had of the
meaning or the power of congress to
regulate commerce.
90 ttn h ~
ed our foreign carrying that not one,
but all means, must be employed to re-
store 1t. Remission of tolls in favor of
our own vessels is in direct line with
the wise and successful policy of our
led by jefferson and Madi-
son; yet, to take advantage of the
feeling against subsidy, this lis called
a subsidy.
Were Jeffersons discriminating du-
ties and differential tonnage taxes a
Is putting an article on the
free list subsidy to the European
maker whose product displaces that of
our own manufacturer In the home
market that he is taxed to develop?
Even this little encouragement OF
the toll remission on eoasting vessels
has filled FOUR shipyards as they have
not been for years. I have heard men.
by the sophistical flow of
worda tell that the remission OF tolls
will not benefit the people. yet we
hear the president of the American
Hawaiian Steamship company among
others here In New York tell us that
he LIS quoting rates via the canal plus
toll charges IL exacted. Volumes
could not answer this argument more
We need most remission OF tolls in
the foreign trade. This ls because 1t
will quickly rehabiIitate our marine In
such trade. or course, our people Will
nave foreign influences telling them
hat this liz not SO. that these same
Influences prevailed on the weak
xneed economist to put ships on the
rec list, knowing that the only way
n which this could benefit our marine |
would be at the cost OF the destruction |
II our shipbuilding industry.
Where are the foreign ships that we |
we're assured would rush to our flag? /
Where are they7 The very men who /
advocated this policy knew 1t was a
lead letter or else were too ignorant |
o know anything We may eventually I
ret the fruit carrying fleet, but that Ia
bout all OF Importance.
But to cover your flank In good tao
les 80 for fear that we might ba
suiIty Of some Intelligent legislation
he TOTES Eucceeded in getting In :