ITS CAUSE AND REMEDY 27 



is astonishing, but that does not advance 

 the correct position for America to take. As 

 long as our best customer, Great Britain, 

 who takes from 500 million to nearly one 

 billion dollars' worth of our produce, and 

 from whom we take less than 200 million 

 dollars' worth annually was carrying the 

 goods, it helped make the principles of reci- 

 procity possible between the two countries, 

 but now under the subsidy the French Gov- 

 ernment is giving her merchant marine, a 

 large part of our carrying trade goes to a 

 country that only takes about 80 million 

 dollars' worth of our produce and of whom 

 we take 100 million dollars; the trade bal- 

 ance is greatly augmented in France's fa- 

 vor. And because the foreign merchant 

 man carry freight from Portland to China 

 75 cents per ton cheaper than the American 

 ships can carry it to San Francisco from 

 Portland does not signify that we ought to 

 let the foreigner have it, unless he was 

 granting us some return reciprocity. The 

 Oregonian has had a little experience on 

 that Hne. The Daily Journal has been sold 

 on the streets at two cents per copy, which 

 every one believes to be at a loss under the 

 principles of high protection. The leading 

 daily papers in the city of London, Eng 

 land, are now sold for one cent per copy on 

 the street. Would the Oregonian thrive 

 brought into competition? No, not any 

 more than the American merchant ship 



