The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-11-18

Pinkham, Lynn, Mass Write her,
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ration, an infinite spirit directs and
controls the individual mind and heart
and judgment, so THAI while we say
''Lo here, and 10 there we find that
the things we have been worrying
about and the problems we have been
struggling with are settled. we know
not how. If I did not believe this l
should despair of the permanency of
our institution, and the prosperity Of
| our country. Believing it, I have an
abiding faith in the complete triumph
| of republicanism in the United States,
and finally in all the earth.
But this is trade gathering; meet
ing OF business men; men of affairs; a
commercial dinner. Naturally the prob
lem you are considering, the question
| to which you desire an answer, is how
trade and commerce and business are
to be profitably enlarged and extended.
| WE'LL that Is a question, but it Is not a
new one and it scarcely requires new
answer; "the thing which hath been,
that 1t shall be-"
Your organization is century old; II
we may judge the future by the past,
it is yet in its infancy. Marvellous ex-
pansion and progress has occurred dur
ing the period of its existence; but why
should we suppose that the limit has
been reached or nearly reached? Why
should we fear that Industrial and COM
mercial progress Is in any danger Of
being arrested? I suppose the question
whether trade and business and COM
merce could be much enlarged and ex-
tended was asked as earnestly when
this chamber of commerce was organ
lied as it has been since or now is. I
suppose it's first promoters, a dozen or
more OF them, when they sat down to
their first dinner perhaps in Isaac
Beers tavern, ate that old-time repast
and slipped their New England or ia
maica rum, were as doubtful about the
possibilities of the extension of trade
and commerce as anybody is at the
present time. / suppose the same ques-
ton has been asked and never satisfac-
torily answered at every annual dinner
down to the present one. And If you
ask it now l reply, read the answer in
the expansion and development ofithe
fascinating and all but miraculous
changes which have taken place When
the members of this body first met there
were few weak cities scattered along
the Atlantic coast; few sparse settle
ments scattered along narrow island
belt and up a few rivers Then bust
ness men were limited in means, in ap-
planes and in the field Of effort. Now
the prophecy that no "pent up Utica
contracts our powers" has been realiz-
ed, and we'll nigh boundless continent
is ours The two and one-half or three
millions of people are now seventy-five
millions. In resources, in strength, in
a free population, In ef-government
and citizenship, we are the mightiest
nation of the world, past or present,
but the limit is not reached. The
thoughtful man sees that we have but
Just begun to develop our resources;
that we have, as ii were, only just open
ed the door of natures storehouse, and
that the world of opportunity and priv
ilege opens and widens with every COM
ing year.
Things have changed, to be sure. One
may almost say reverently "old things
have passed away, all things have be-
come new" but the old is passing away
and the new is being ushered In as
truly now as a century ago. Let no one
attempt to set bounds to what man may
do and will do until he can fathom the
infinite mind and the infinite purpose
respecting man.
Let me illustrate our progress, our
expansion, the enlargement and devel-
opnent of business by one example.
When this body was organized in 1874
there was, I suppose, somewhere along
the streets of the city Of New Haven a
modest gun shop, where a gunsmith
with the help possibly of a single APP
prentice, pursuing the trade, taught him
by his father and practiced by his
grandfather in England, turned out for
the little community in which he was
located fowling pieces for hunting and
muskets for defence. The little shop
where the gunsmith toiled has disap-
peared, but out yonder not far away
acres are covered by the strong and
striking buildings of the arms factory.
The old hand bellows and forge and
anvil are no longer seen, but clouds OF
pour Jul VI Lie tctll SllltuHCy .
and mighty engines with unceasing
clang and restless force drive the al
most sentient machines by the aid of
which a thousand gunsmiths are turn
ing out weapons more accurate for
sport, more deadly in defence, than the
old gunsmith ever dreamed of; and
there is no field or wood in all this wide
land of ours, no country that comes
daily under the light of the sun, where
the crack of the Winchester is not
heard. 1t is an illustration merely, but
as we study it We may look at least a
little way along the path of future
progress.
During all this century of develop
ment the opportunities for happiness
and comfort of the whole people have
been on the increase. If a few have
acquired great wealth, the many have
had their condition bettered at the same
time. knowledge has been increased,