The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-23
OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
J. 4. Kerr Pays Uncle sam q De-
served Tribute.

]. A. Kerr was then introduced by the
CHAIRMAN 20 respond 10 the Toast our
Merchant Marine" He said:
''If you hsve followed the current OF
political Thought, az II has been exen1-
plified by the proceedings of the Fifty
NTH and Fffty-sixth congresses. you have
observed that the party out of power has
literally beaten every bush and explored
every rat-hols In It's effort to discover
some issue upon which IL might hope 10
wage successful national campaign.
''F1gurativeiy speaking, its chief medi-
cine man has gone from wiswam TO wig
wan and persistenfly performed his in
platform. and harrangued tho Sioux Of
Democracy and the Flatheads OF Popu-
lism until now the great combination
'sun-dance' Is about to begin In earnest.
-Four years OF sunshine. OF marvellous
prosperity, OF an Industrial activity that
has touched every home and frightened
every nreside; OF earnest and Intelligent
effort that has developed the latent com
mercial energies Of the republic. and
promises to eliminate In our mastery OF
the carrying trade and markets OF the
would, has not operated to dispei the
gloom that enshrouds the mind Of the or
binary advocate OF political vagaries.
The party out OF power. after having
made the treaty of Paris a sacred COM
pact after binding this nation 10 Spain
to restore peace and establSh and main
tain an effective clvIi government In the
Philippines; after having authorized the
enue TO transport our troops. now evfnces
its loyalty by denouncing the CONNER
eialtsm % the age and the militarism Il
helped TO create and under the cry OF
imperialism threatens to so cripple tho
commercial interests Of tho country that
an American merchant marine could have
no excuse for an existence.
The people of Washington will not he
deludcd BY such political pessirutsnl This,
my friends. "a the greatest century IN the
history OF the world The Republican
party Was born to ilberate. not 70 en-
slave. II wrote into tho constitution the
rights 81 the black man. and IL will es-
tAblish IN the Orient civil government
al once fair. Just nd humane.
The cry OF Imperialism IL Hypocrisy:
the contention that the constitution Is
bar 10 our national progress IL pretsnss.
Tia who never walks save where he secs
mems tracks makes 10 discoveries
Fer many years the party out 90 power
has originated nothing or value, suggest
e1 nothing wise. accomplished nothing ma
tertal II has logged the footsteps 81
progress, ieered and Cavilled at the heels
Of men Of action, went when it should
have retoieei. and shouted lou5est whom
b. It's avn brief action times were hard.
esj and bread was scarcest
The TssourcefNi manufacturer of polif-
Teal rplsraFns, whose recent uttrrances IN
this city were the subject ~ local esli-
torlaI comment. the man vho inxulted tie
living ard slAudorei tho deceased pa
triots OF the FfrS' Washington regiment
ty SUGGESTING that our patriotic dead bal
been inundated ON the altar Of CONNER
eiahsul. wound up his TRADE amid the
plaudtts ~ thoughtlcss mon with the de,-
iatation that man was greater than the
dollar u r. the doctrine Of the party
in power that when the national faith has
nnce heen DNgAted by congress. II should
be kept even though heroes must she'd
their blood under cur starry aag. We
advocate the doctrine that man With tAr
dollar "a greater than the nan without e..
that while Poverty NAV not - crime
q 81 not virtue. provided such eco
neHie conditions prevail mat u exists
without excuse
'-Tfe forced issue q imperialism urr-
ossagiiy emboSies within Itself the Ia ger
qAastton % cur prestige un IRE sea- Spr
tha prcpl0 OF ihs Coast kenunst0a nlsw 81
eesenflslly a bssiaeSs proposition. Tn t1a
development % trsnsqac!Hc CON 9nFr-r be-
i1vulVea car immeaiats Commercial dee
ttay The party in power II CpraEitfcd 60
81 J Ast year We paid 20 foreign Snip
swucys eno1Ea money 20 have NcugAt p1i-
rlEht every vessel % every usfiauaL %
uav navigating ire pacthc Oar traae
with the East las guasvupied IN Ave
years wftb oar own shlrpiag We VII.
muitiFly ~ ten before issa
1t Is commerce thAt builds AA3 main
Ja.ux cities 4 thousand miles q Tag
S,d mountains lie Between as and car
sFfst certrrs % trade Water transGor-
I t1tiar te lraxpenssNe. Win sh3ps ~
wheat }a fNtra ~ a Tess TONNAGE rcst
yhan We 1te s1iP 4, .ruul tho PasoA1se
country 90 s1.t wafer
The t3sor "a comine whom the deserts
of Eastern Washington VIE hF made 90
I s.osSotn as the ross, Tie mineral wealth
O. she i-Asg a. drs MI riNai rhe treas
urv~ OF ArNco. and the finest shirs tast