Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 10.djvu/286

 THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS

must be relieved through a foreign outlet, and we should sell everywhere we can and buy wher- ever the buying will enlarge our sales and pro- ductions, and thereby make a greater demand for home labor.

The period of exclusiveness is past. The ex- pansion of our trade and commerce is the press* ing problem. Commercial wars are unprofitable. A policy of good will and friendly trade rela- tions will prevent reprisals. Reciprocity treaties are in harmony with the spirit of the times; measures of retaliation are not. If, perchance, some of our tariffs are no longer needed for revenue or to encourage and protect our indus- tries at home, why should they not be employed to extend and promote our markets abroad? Then, too, we have inadequate steamship service. New lines of steamships have already been put in commission between the Pacific coast ports of the United States and those on the western coasts of Mexico and Central and South America. These should be followed up with direct steam- ship lines between the western coast of the United States and South American ports. One of the needs of the times is direct commercial lines from our vast fields of production to the fields of consumption that we have but barely touched. Next in advantage to having the thing to sell is to have the conveyance to carry it to the buyer. We must encourage our merchant marine. We must have more ships. They must be under the American flag; built and manned 246

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