Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1902 — A Sound Protectionist Measure. [ARTICLE]

A Sound Protectionist Measure.

“Qur present dependence upon foreign shipping for nine-tenths of oar foreign carrying is a great loss to the industry of this country. It is also a serious danger to oar trade, for its sadden withdrawal in the event of a European war would -seriously cripple our expanding foreign -commerce. The national defense and naval efficiency of this country, moreover supply a compelling reason for legislation which will enable us to "recover our former place among the trade carrying fleets of the world.” The above is not an extract from some of Senator Hanna’s or Senator Frye’s arguments in favor of the 6hip subsidy bill, but an extract from the Republicannational platform of 1900. We look upon this ship subsidy bill as an honest attempt to carry out this square-toed declaration of the Republican party, and an attempt to carry it out in the only practicable way that it can be carried out. The Republican platform favors the bill, MeKinley, the archprotectioniot and the aroh-patriot favored it, the present Republican administration favors it. Yet because it is a strongly protectionist measuror the Democraticend Mugmump press is against it, and: frightened by their cries of ‘‘subsidy” “robbery” “special privil-; eges” etc., many Republican papers are following in the wake of these free trade leaders. The strength of this Republican opposition to this strictly Republi- j can measure in the interior part of! of the country would be more I surprising than it is, if we did not remember that in these sgme: regions of the country the same; narrow minded views prevented for years the building up of a modern \ uavy, and still prevails to keep us j in a fifth or sixth rate position among the naval powers of the world. It is this same narrowminded spirit as led Senator Ingalls to publicly declare in 1884, or about that year, that tho money spent on one of our first modern .and efficient war ships, the Charleston we think it was. that the money spent in building her might better have been sunk to the bottom of the ocean. It is also the same olass of papers and politicians who are opposing the shipping bill now, as opposed the tariff on tin plate ten or ff dozen years ago; —They declared it was impossible to successfully manufacture tin-plate in this country, just as they now declare it to be impossible to compete with other nations in boilding and sailing ships in the foreign carrying trade. The tin-plate tariff was finally fought through, however, and its result was the most wonderful developement of a great industry in the history of the world. But what protection did for tin-plate then, would be mere than surpassed by what protection would do for ship building and sailing now.

But the only way possible by which the sailing of American ships in the foreign carrying trade, and consequently the American building of ships for that trade, can be protected from the 'direct competition of foreign cheap^labor, is the method proposed in this much reviled ship subsidy bill. We favor the bill and are standing squarely on two successive national Republican platforms in so doing; and are standing squarely on the tried principle of protection which has been the very corner-stone of all American prosperity from the foundation of the nation down to this year of grace, 1902.