/to gress at Washington. Many had accepted, when Garfield’s death slopped negotiations. This plan will be of mutual benefit. Our decline in shipping has been startling. In 1856 there were carried in ships, built, owned and commanded by Americans, over $482,000,000, and by foreigners only one third as much; in 1880 we carried only $280,000,000, while foreign ships carried five times as much; over one thousand three hundred million dollars worth. The percentage of our carrying in our own trhde in 1856 was 75 per cent.; in 1880 only 17 per cent.! Of the 1190 steam vessels which crossed the ocean last year, carrying over 44,000,000 bushels of grain, the United States cannot lay claim to a single vessel. Great Britain carried 15,000,000 more bushels of grain than all nationalities combined. We do not permit England to carry our goods for us on the land, why should we on the ocean? The Democratic party is accustomed to say that the whole * decline has come under Republican rule, and, if they can come into power, they will restore the shipping. Their platform reads: “Under a long period of Democratic rule and policy our merchant marine was fast overtaking, and on the point of outstripping, that of Great Britain.” Let us see. The decline began in 1855, five years before the Republicans came into power. In 1855 there were five hundred and seven vessels, of the class usually employed in foreign trade, built in the United States; in 1859, only one hundred and seventeen. The decrease in our exports and imports carried in American vessels was 16.4 per cent, before the war began. With a decrease of 16 per cent, every five years, how long would it take the* merchant marine, under Democratic control, to “overtake and outstrip” Great Britain, which has $570,000,000 invested in ships? Perhaps some of the Democratic managers can answer!! The first cause of decline was the use of iron steam vessels instead of wooden sailing vessels. As soon as England began to use iron she had the advantage, because her mines of iron and coal are near the sea, and her labor is very cheap. Democracy, under the control of the South, did nothing to help our shipping. Jefferson Davis and Judnh P. Benjamin were active advocates for abandoning our carrying trade to the British, and stopping the Government aid which our new vessels were receiving. The second cause of decline in shipping was the Civil War. During the four years from i860 to 1864, the decline in the carrying trade in American vessels was 38.8 per cent. A third
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