The state herald., 1902-05-02
TO GENERALIZATION
EVOLUTION OF GOVERNMENT.
Speech Of Secretary Shaw at the Pitts
burg Banquet in comnemoratlon
Of General grants Birthday.

Pittsburg, April 2I-The sixteenth
| annual dinner of the American Repub-
llcan Club Of this city, in commemora-
tion of the birthday of General Ulysses
s. Grant, WAS held last night, and be
cause of the many bright oratorlcal
stars present. was one of the most
brilliant of the many banquets given
by this well known organization. p. G.
Knox, attorney general, officiated as
toastmaster and among those seated
| about him We're l.. NJ. Shaw, secretary
of the treasury: ii. c. Payne postmas-
| ter general; Congressman Littlefield of
Maine and John i. Elkin, attorney
| general of Pennsylvania
Mr.. Knox, after thanking the mem-
bers of the club and their guests for
their cordial reception, said he was the
bcarcr OF a message from President
Roosevelt regretting his inability to he
present. At the toastmasters sugges-
tion standing toast was drunk to the
health of the President of the United
States, which was followed by silent
toast to the great general In commem-
m0ratlon of whose birth the celebra.
tion was held.
Congressman Littleheld responded to
the toast, Grant"
Mr.. Littlcfield's eulogy was received
with rapt attention, and at its cOnclu-
sion Mr.. Knox introduced l.. NJ. Shaw,
secretary of the treasury, whose re-
slaaVnso to the toast. '"rhe Government
Evolution was greeted with applause.
Secretary Shaw traced the develop.
ment of the country from colonial days
down to the present time, to show. as
he said that the trend of thought has
been ever toward n central govern
ment." He continues:
'Therc is now pending in the United
States Supreme Court n suit begun hy
n representative of the executive de-
partment of this country TO enjoin n
great corporation, organized under the
laws of certain state, from owning,
holding and voting the capital stock
and controlling the policy of certain
transportation companies in n distant
portion of the country. Without eN-
pressing an opinion as to probable re-
suits, 1t is Interesting to note that the
most pronounced disciples of state SOW
erelgnty complain not of this action.
and utter no other criticism than that
1t should have been commenced ear
lier
Note the demand for national regu-
lati0n OF railways, OF express compa-
MES, of telegraph companies, Of insur
ancc and of trusts. Note the demand
for uniformity in labor laws, divorce
laws. interest and taxation laws. The
trend of events aud the trend of
thought seems TO be still toward
greater and more centralized govern
ment.
AS after the Civil War the nation
entered upon IN extensive policy of in.
ternational improvements, subsidizinG
so long as necessary transcontlnental
lines of railways and permanently con
tlnulng the subsldlzlng OF rivers and
harbors, so after this later war we ap-
pear To be entering upon an equally
progressive policy Of external improve
ment. Not as the crow flies. but as
ships sail, 1t is nearer from Liverpool
TO San Francisco via Cape Horn than
from New York TO the same port via
the same southern extremity. Start
two ships Of equal speed from Liver
pool going TO our Pacific coast, one
through the SucZ canal and the other
by Cape Horn. and two vessels OF the
same speed from New York. one going
westward and the other eastward, and
bpan N'Sr'lN VIII
destination before either of ours. Cur
the Isthmian canal. and 1t Is nearer
from New York to Hong Kong via Me
aragua than from Liverpool 10 the
same point via the Suez
Gentlemen. we must have the
largest merchant fleet ever kissed by
ocean brcezes, and these carriers Of in.
ternatlopnl commerce must be built By
American material, In American yards,
by American labor. They are TO hc
manned by American sailors. fired ~
American coal. or more probably on.
and they are TO float the Stars cpd
Stripes. Whether this viii be accom-
pllshed through direct aid. or by en-
ergy, cannot say. Whether this c0u.
summation viii be contributed TO by
statesmen or achieved by iinanclcrs Is
immatcrlnl compared with the import.
ancc Of tue thing Itself.
american wealth, American energy,
plus Hawaii. which Is ours, plus the
Philippine Islands. which are ours,
plus the Isthmlan canal, which we Will
surely construct. plus n merchant ma
rlnr, which we VIII surely build, Will
transfer the sovereignty of the Pacific
ocenn from the Union Jack TO the Stars