The Polk County Republican. (Ducktown, Tenn.) 1914-191?, 1914-10-23
FIRST AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE

For wears before 1908 the American people had desired and sought
sman Canal but the Spanish and the the Oregon
made that canal certainty So the great European OF 1914 Will
certainty of American merchant trade
We had such merchant shipping The story OF how we Sc
cured and of how lost may help to understanding now
surely be reganed The War the Revolution so"u
the maritime genius of the American John Paul Jones veto
Yankee merchant sailors and fishermen and the crews
of prvatees aoa in TIT almost equaed tho strength OF the
Continental Army under Washington Never had British commerce
ercess haed right the chops of the Channel and the
Irish Parliament in alarm ordered special investigation OF the
pratearmed cruisers which captured three times many OF the
enemy's vessels did the entire Continental navy
But these Incompatible ships and could make Roadway IN
competition with weather. British merchantmen after the war had
ended The period from 1888 1879 of desperate poverty
for the of the republic In 1889 the hrs year I'M
der the Federal Constitution only $4,000 tons OF shipping were reg
sered under flag for trade and all but = per cent our
imports and exports conveyed by foreigners
That shipping when George Washington be-
President of the United States decade later IN 0Oo
fully 100000 of shipping bore the Stars and Stripes foreign ports
carrying 80 cent Of American commerce Another decade ana
1910 American vessels for business registered 9oOOO TONS
ing OILS per of external trade The mercantile history the world
parallel the swift expansion of the American merchant marine IN
the first twenty years OF our national existence Wv :.
happened 1889 this Congress- the initiative OF Washing
Jefferson had made the merchant marine nationally pro
tecd ndusthe vigorously protected industry IN America ms IS
and there space for academic discussion OF tree trade am
ship permitted land h imported on the pay
brought in foreign ship years almost free sal
every foreign article duebe An American ship paid tonnage
special develop direct East India trade, tea imported in an
ship straight from the Orient paid duty Of 20 cents pound
variety while foreign ship paid from ID 40 cents
This pohbe protection: intended be such No came
America except under Boston, Salem and New York
Vhted the Indian with their adventurous sails.
after the War 1872 Astute British diplomacy out
and cessation of the protective customs and tonnage
rates in the direct Kingdom But elsewhere Washing
tons policy was unchanged and American shipping which had
SCI 23O 1870 again 1923 to Is 1913 TONS carrying
of almost much 1870 In
1927 amenng Americas maritime growth exclaimed
flag conspicuous every and will soon defy our
thunder"
atefu confidence Congress passed the socaed reel
procy opening carrying trade om other countries the
ships of Britain and other European competitors ls was zone
the by the agricultural States against the protests the
and shpowners and Prof Solely his Maritime Industries well
and lasting injury The proportion of American
conveyed American ships begun almost Immediately to fall and
falling until has almost reached the point OF exn
ton"
This extract taken the Scientific American explains how the
founders of this country viewed protective tariff and shows that
ship subsidy the thing needed to stimulate commerce IN
American bottoms We need few such