Year: 1876

An American "Continental System"


The resolution introduced in the House
of Representatives some time since by
General Ward of New York, for the
appointment of commissioners to ascer-
tain if we cannot re-establish trade with
Canada on more favorable terms, opens
up very large and important question, to
which we should like to see the attention Of
Congress seriously directed. We ought to
control the trade, not only of Canada but
Mexico also, and not only of these, but of
all the Central and South American States.
To some of these We are already their largest
customers, but we sell them comparatively
small quantities of our products. Yet they
are not manufacturing countries, and we are.
We buy some Of their raw products, but our
mistaken laws keep out many others and
compel them to seek European markets,
where they are allowed to exchange their
products for the manufactures Of those coun-
tries. This in spite of the fact that by
nearness, by political sympathy and by COM
mercial advantage, if only our laws were
more liberal their trade would naturally
come to our ports


Our own country is at this time in o
peculiar situation. We are suffering from
plethora of production With the help of
the most ingenious mechanics and artisans
in the world and Of an almost universal
application of the best labor saving ma
chinery used by any nation we have so far
advanced our power to manufacture raw
products into finished articles Of consump-
ton that we cannot ourselves consume all
we make. At the same time, by reason Of
the war and of mistaken laws we have lost
our foreign trade. Hence our surplus manu-
factured products remain on our hands and
demoralize our markets and check produc-
ton and ruin manufacturers and throw
thousands of workmen out Of employment,
The surplus is not large, but so long as it
remains here and is not sold it clogs
the home markets and prevents resump-
ton of steady industry. We produce
it is estimated, only about fifteen
per cent more cotton goods than we
can ourselves consume; no more than Chill
alone would take Of us, perhaps, if we would
take her copper, wool and other useful raw
products But while this fifteen per cent
not work regularly, but only spasmodically,
and subject to severe losses and this makes
the lives of thousands of operatives precari-
GUS and unhappy.


What we need is to open new markets ;
and fortunately. if we did but consider. we
have almost boundless markets, to which we
are more favorably situated than any other
manufacturing nation. We are the only
people on the two American continents who
have brought manufactures to perfection or
who possess the machinery, skill and capital
necessary for these pursuits. We ought to
supply Mexico, with its ten millions Of peo-
pie /; the Central American States, with
nearly three millions Brazil, with about
twelve millions Chill. with two millions,
Peru, with two and half millions Vene-
zuela, with million and quarter, and all
the other South American States, not to
speak of Canada. None of these countries
manufacture upon large scale. All pro-
duce articles which we need, for we can
either consume them or can turn them into
other forms by the help of our skilled labor
and resell them.


We have thus constituency Of about fifty
millions, besides our own population, be-
tween whom and ourselves there ought to
be the most intimate and mutually profita-
BILE commercial relations to whom we ought
to be able to sell our manufactured goods
cheaper than England or any other European
country can sell, and for whose raw products
we have abundant use. Can Congress do any
thing wiser or better calculated to give re-
newed stimulus to our industries than to
relations with all these countries? Every
body acknowledges that nothing has done so
much for our own prosperity as the free
interchange of commodities between the diff
ferent States of the Union. 1t has, in fact
so stimulated our industry and the skill and
ingenuity of our artisans that to-day We
make more than we can use within the limits
of the Union We need wider markets. we
need more people to sell our goods to. But
fifty millions Of consumers live upon the two
American continents with whom we may
trade If only we permit ourselves to. They
are our neighbors; they do not compete with
us nor we with them; they want what we
make; we need wha. they mise. Why should
we not try 10 include the whole Of North and
South America in a grand customs union
Xh,,o this traJe2 ho
it is task for statesmen, and it would make
the glory of those who do it, for it would
give stimulus to every branch of industry,
not only in this country but in all the
countries which should be included in such
q union.


We hope General Ward will nsk for q
broader commission than that now petit