New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-28
cprsr SPEECH on GREAT THEME.

GREAT SPEECH ON A GREAT iHH"D
Sopo,or Frye's speech on Wednesday nlght
- ,ror,hv NJ his theme That is high praise
,,or,ons the highest that could be given; but IL
Is fully merted The theme Involves the ina'e
nal weIl-belng of the Nation DouptIess -
true. as Emerson said, that the truest test vi
.,-,,,xo,,on Is not the census nor the crops but
.,a hind of man the country turns out. IL Is
eoually true that the kind OF man proouceu oe'
,,ends largely upon the standard OF materiai HE
afforded. that the latter depends In turn upon
the encouragement of industry and promotioh
of prosperity. and that finally these last depehu
IN great measure upon the development OF the
Nations commerce with the world at large
Hermit nations do not, as rule, produce nien
tvpes of manhood. The brain and heart OF the
nation MS we'll as its muscles require FOR their
nroper nourishment and growth the Vivliyins
rfehlood of commerce. 1t Is for the increasing
Of that blood in quantity and the enrichment OF
II in quality that Senator Frye has long beeh
earnestly and theoretically striving. II was III
recognition of his services in that direction tnat
the dinner Of Wednesday night was given. IL
was not in the spirit of him who puts his armor
ON. nor vet OF him who finally lays it off, that
he smoke. but rather In the spirit Of him who in
mid-conflict, tho tide of victory setting In his
favor, gives a report of progress and then turns
him again 10 the fulflment Of his task.
The speakers reference TO mere technical de-
tails was brief, but to the point He believes In
American commerce under the American flag
Our domestic trade in vessels on lakes rivers
and coast waters, he points out, Is greater than
that OF any other three nations In the world put
together More ships sail the Detroit River
than enter Liverpool or London" and the traffic
Of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal is about twice
that of the suez. II such volume is attained by
our protected commerce, what might not be
done In ocean commerce II II, TOO, were pro
tected or otherwise encouraged? He believes in
n deep waterway from the Lakes to the Allan
tic. and. since New-York must be the ocean out
let of such a highway, in Improvement of this
ha-bor commensurately with the requirements
o. our trade. 1t was chiefly In recognition OF
what he has done toward securing such i'm
movement that Senator Frye was honored with
the dinner of Wednesday night. He has as
sured splendid initial step toward the i'm
movement which this harbor needs. He has
secured appropriation for a channel two thou
sand feet wide and forty feet deep. But as he
himself saws ample dockage room is also
needed. and the outlet of the waterway from,
things are yet to be done. In SO far as the do
ing of them is a matter Of National concern
New-York may confidently depend upon the
continued aid OF the Maine statesman. whose
services have thus far been Of so great value.
For the Senator's face Is turned toward the
future. The dominant note Of his address was
that of prophecy. or at least OF provision. That
n Is which largely distinguishes the true states
man from the mere time serving politician. The
inter sees only the present and deals only with
sts opportunities for gain. The former looks to
the future and makes provision for its require
ments. The one looks at the greatness OF our
present commercials years the greatest In
the worid-and Is Herewith satisfied. The
statesman sees that conditions will change, r.
vslr1es increase and new markets be opened or
old ones be closed, and he plans in advance to
deal with those changed conditions so that our