Show FREE SHIPS AND FREE TRADE the democratic platform embodies in oneff its resolutions the two pro gies sive measures of free ships and i tariff for revenue only these two planks alone should form n bridge wide and strong enough fo to cross from governors island to the white house in washington the demand for free ships implies the repeal of the laws of 1792 according to which no ships but such built in the united states may carry the american hag and revenue tariff is a tariff the aratea of which are not fixed with a view to the protection demanded by home manufacturers for their manufactures fac tures but simply with a view to covering the expenditure of the federal household these two pies are progressive aroid and liberal consistent with the bessoni de riad from history and with the cum mou sense of unprejudiced people if protectionist republicans undertake to persuade us that our navigation laws and protective tariffs have made the country great and rich and that a change of this system signifies the ruin of the nation they are in dulling in the unprofitable exercise of rais rag empty wind what benefits has has our shipbuilding trade derived from the ab solute monopoly system of nearly 90 years we have come so precious fur wilh that protection that our flag has almost wholly disappeared from the seas and coasts in the year 1837 75 percent of tho imports and exports were shipped in american vessels now when the traffic has ilou bled there are hardly 23 percent conveyed under the stars and stripes americans send their and make their voyages almost exclusively under foreign flags this esthe way in which our shipbuilding has prospered under the au protection reminding one of tho chinese fashion of shaping girls feet the building of sea vessels has been almost abandoned there are only small vessels built for use on the inland waters john roach and his companions of the navy maids are importuning congress aver year for subsidies to procure at least a few ocean steamer for united states service which now is preferable to adhere to this ironbound iron bound things paralyzes trade or to permit our marinero mariners ma to build and buy ships where they are to be had cheapest and best in order to man them with americans to fly the stars and stripes at the mast head and thus to what has been lost by tho bat like shortsightedness of the last twenty or thirty years the citizens of the united states are annually losing hundreds of millions of dollars which could be earned by them as maritime freight and thousands of young men who might find remunerative employment on these vessels are crowding into other trades glutting the labor market where there be an equable distribution this the democratic party have seen and they therefore declare for free ships and will give them to the nation if they secure the national ance but somebody says the maity strides which conr industry has made the last few years are to bo traced bick to the protection it received by the high tariff and a repeal of this protection would terminate in the ruin of our great industrial du enterprises to him we might reply with the wag who corn pared the united states with amstrong vigorous man who has a tumor on one spot of bis body and imagines this to be the seit and source of his vigor such a tumor on our acono mical body is the projective tariff system sy tem true our industry has developed itself enormously but the protection has rather disturbingly and oppressively alib foundation of our conquests in industrial du fields has got to be found in the inexhaustible natural resources and the energy of the individual fostered and promoted bythe free in of the country the protective tariff has had as much to do with these two litter factora fac tore aa the republican party with resumption or the catholic church with the revival of enters inters and sciences in the cinque canto if the protective prote clive tariff icalla had brought up apo industries this would be the best reason to vote for its repeal just like medicines which have done their duty in removing disease will hardly be recommended for the healthy organism but although the republicans are always pointing to the great achievements of american industry under republican administration and that all our great national branches of in dmitry can successfully foreign enterprise they still demand that tho high duties which viere re to feed and nourish our in dusley in its infancy bo retained as necessary with pride they point to the fact of the steadily increasing exportation but what does thia aay but that oura laboring masses aro reduced to competition with the pauper labor of europe our working ruen to produce lures which cin be sold in the european markets to an advantage including earitt dues must put in so much harder and more continuous work if they ure faill enjoying higher wages than th eiren t is not tb e protection of the hiu bul alio protection afforded by tho improved machinery and by the civil constitution of the country chich saves them from the grinding bur dena of our dorco and growing strength lies in agriculture alie farmer is the kernel of our population the greatest portion of our exports are tho produce of the abil mostly in the hipo they leave the farm but in order to a moneyed aristocracy oc a few and a clasa of pauper working people wi make all the articles the farmer needs and forty to fifty per cent dearer nd thus a few manufacturers at the expense of the millions of honest thrifty and industrious tillers of the soil it han injustice of ho few the many an abuse and evil unworthy of the free country and which ve are s apt to boast in the elated spread eagle strain of fourth of july orations the democratic party is to le l e thanked and supported for putting the knife to ulcer |