Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-07-16
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB
Celebrated the Glorious Fourth at FOun-
tain Ferry Park-A Vast
Crowd Of People.

Fountain Ferry Park, there being
1000 people present, where big
platform had been built. This was
decorated with flags and bunting.
Across the platform was stretched a
banner with the words: Louisville
Commercial Club" in commemora-
ton of the day. At a o'clock the
programme was opened by President
Ed. H. Bacon, of the Commercial
Club, in speech of welcome to the
big crowd, made up of Louisville
people and many strangers. Gamer
lea" was then sung by the chorus, &C
companied by the band and audience.
Miss Katie Elliott sang "The Star
Spangled Banner" accompanied by
the Music Festival chorus and the
band.
The Hon. Edward ]. McDermott
was then introduced by President
Bacon. Mr.. McDermott alluded to
the glorious news from Cuba and the
East, and then spoke of the danger
which lay in too much success. 1t
was not great navies nor great stand
ing armies which made country
great, but its institutions Of learning
and its great opportunities for general
education. This count Z did not want
to be the greatest fighting nation or
the nation with the greatest amount
of territory. 1t wanted to be the ma
ton with the greatest freedom. AID
it was willing to aid any other nation
which was seeking to bring about
its freedom.
Judge Toney followed Mr.. McDer-
mott and delivered az sl0aqsnt and
patriotic address, in which he opposed
any entangling alliance or expansion
of territory, preferring to follow the
teachings and doctrines that have
been handed down from Washington,
Jefferson and Monroe.
Judge Toney was followed by Mr..
R. Lee Suter, who surprised his audi
ence by advocating an alliance with
England and adopting her grasping
and greedy policy, and referred
slightingly to the remarks of his pre-
decessors. His address impressed
only few of the many people present.
In an interview with Judge Toney
for this paper concerning the remarks
made by Mr.. Suter, the Judge said
that the audience was in thorough ac-
cord with the speakers who had |
spoken against territorial expansion
for the mere sake of conquest and
against the Anglo-Saxon alliance in
which America would be assigned
mere second place; that there were
lew in the audience who squirmed
ike caterpillars in hot ashes under the
ashes of their favorite doctrine, and
although the speakers were the in
'ited guests of the Commercial Club,
lnder whose auspices and at whose
expense the celebration was had, one
Gentleman got up in the audience be-
ore the speakers and called out to the
Chairman of the meeting that he and
lis followers, who opposed the views
expressed by the speakers of the day,
hould be heard, and insisted on Mr..
zee Suter being called to the stand.
The Chairman politely said he would {
ear Mr.. Suter if he desired to speak.
ZEE came forward, and for twenty I
minutes spun out an amusing set of
arms in his own captivating way.
lie said this was new America and a
ew era, and that henceforth America 7
'ould go forward upon new policy v
territorial expansion by conquest; v
lat our motto was to take all in sight \
nd hold all we could take; that we n
anted all the islands in the Atlantic O
I'd Pacific oceans, and coal stations
every island, and that it would O
lily be question of time when we Ia
ould take China; that the doctrines S
ID principles of Jefferson, Madison Of
ID Monroe and the farewell address d,
Washington were good enough in
cir time and generation, but that
ey were now worn out and moth pr