Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-12-20
COMMERCE DAY.
Celebration of Centennial Of Liberty
of American Commerce.
ELOQUENT Speech by Senator Frye on "Our
Merchant Marine"

New York. Dec 19.-American com
mercs celebrated the centennial of its lib
ertv. tonight, By a banquet az Delmoni-
cos. Tonight was chosen for the banquet
because it marked the Tooth anniversary
of the full approval by the President and
Senate OF the treaty negotiated with Great
Britain by John Jay, then chief justice of
the United States.
Z The feast inaugurated the annual OBJ
seryance OF Dec. 1 9 as Commercial day,
by ali the organized commercial bodies CT
the country, held under the auspices OF
the editors Of and contributors TO the IT =
Gently completed history entitled One
Hundred Years of American Commerce. =
DR.. Cbauncey NJ. Depew, president OF
the Empire State Society CT the Sons t
the American Revolution, presided. AT
his right sat Vim. Jay, and at his left See
retary of the Navy HeberF, Among the
Others at tie president table were Mayor
Strong. Bishop Potter, Gen Horace Por-
ter. Gen C. II. Taylor, Gen. r. A. Alger,
Senator Vim. T. Frye c. H. Cramp,
Don NJ. Dickinson and c. A. Dana.
When the covers were removed, DR..
Depew stated that he had received tele-
nraIns from Tacoma and Seattle, saying
that they were celebrating Commercial
dav in those places. He went into the his
tory of the Jay treaty
"The victory of the war of 1912, said
Dr. Depcw, was this-that the deck OF
an American vessel was the iudisputable
territory of the United States and was
inviolatle by any other nation. That
was the Monroe doctrine of 1879. Since
that time we have figured il many arbt-
trations scarcely noticed because of the
lack of sensationalism.
trust that the principle OF arbitra
tion embodied in the Jay treaty, which
has only been broken by four years OF
war in the history of the United States,
will continue to be the guiding star in
the rule of the United States during the
year 1896
This sally was received with great ap
plause.
Senator Frye spoke on "Our Merchant
Marine He said that the occasion
called for eulogies; but his speech would
be more of an elegy. Our coastwise, lake
and river fleet through the century ex
pericnced a steady, healthy growth, until
its tonnage Was 5000, 00O-greater than
that of Great Britain, Germany, France,
pain and Italy combined, employed in
like business.
In 1892, it took $500, 900 tonnage tC
carry our freight on the Mississippi alone
In 1898, there passed throug the locks
at Sault Ste. Marie, in eight months,
over 1000, 900 tonnage, or 1000, oOt
more than the Suez canal carried i'll the
entire year.
Ii the toast had n reference to our ships
engaged in the foreign carrying trade
then the picture he was compelled t'
draw was q mortifying and humiliatint
one tor "A rich, prosperous, powerful mari
| time country, once ,he only rival OF Grea
| Britain on the ocean o look upon.
The speaker portrayed our marvellous
grouwth in all but one of our industries
which had been without a parallel in thu
history Of nations. One industry alone
that, too, of prime national Importance
seemed to have fallen into state of hope
less bankruptcy.
With an almost limitless seaboard
great harbors, boundless forests, mex
haustible mines of coal and iron, splcn
didly equipped ship yards, the best me
| chanicS in the world. Il wonderful inven
tive genius, abundance of capital, enor
nous foreign commerce, we have looke'
passively on and seen the nations Of tn
world, our interiors in these regards, seiz
upon and oust Us from all the great path
ways OF the oceans.
He denied that protection was to b
held reponsible for this condition. 1t Wa
rather, be said. the logical result OF Il lacl
of protection. Low wages 70 laborcrs il
Europe and tho subsidy system were I'll
chief causes of our decadencc in shi
building. In his opinion free ships woul
| afford no relief
'Bountes and subsidies might accom-
plsh the desired object, but jlscriminat
ing duties and taxes We're once a leve
powerful enough to lift our marine iron
depths of adversely to the heights Q
prosperity Might they not be again.
Senator Frye was frequently applauded
The other speakers were Gen. Porter
Hon Don Dickinson, Richard Clark, Gen
c. II. Taylor, John Jay, great grandson
of Chief Justice Jay of treaty fame, AM
DR.. Depcw.