The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-14
Mir. shaw's Speech.


 MT. Shaw spoke in part as follows:
 Speaking for that department which Is supposed more than any other to repre- sent the business interests of the nation, I take a peculiar pleasure in bidding well come to the capital of the greatest Amer ican republic, representatives of so many of the leading commercial nations of the world. Such a gathering as this would have been impossible a century ago.
 Tn the creation of sentiment rendering this event both natural and agreeable and in the evolution of conditions making in- ternational banquets possible, commerce has played a most important part.
 The spread of intelligence and the pru- dence of commerce, he added, were mak- ing for international peace, and continu- ing he said:
 "The consent of rulers to engage in wars involving the expenditure of well nish limitless blood and treasure, has not always been difficult to obtain. States men have not always trembled as they have declared war and made appropria- tions for It's maintenance But commerce trembies. It counts the cost. Commerce Ia not wanting In ambition, but it is never anxious to suuander the accumulations Of centuries in rebuilding the injury or day. And SO, gentlemen, I felicitate you all, thank God, that the day has come when nations shall no longer war With out cause when great navies are no longer looked upon as threatening the peace of the world and when armaments and fortifcations have lost much of their terror.
 Never So Prosperous.
 "The people represented by our nosts this evening were admittedly never as prosperous as now. And naturally their .@t-v otf fY1N inability to supply needs, but also tneir desires. And so 1t Is that the United States was a larger consumer or proo- 1icts during the last fiscal year than ever in It's history. The universal recognition of the great truth that the good fortune of any one class of individuals ever re- dounds to the advantage of all, and the prosperity of the people of any one coun- try ever benefit all nations, would be or inestimable advantage to the world. But if this principle shall ever be universally recognized, commerce must be the schooi- master and chambers of commerce the kindergartens of instruction. l have met within the last few days distinguished representatives of foreign chambers and listened to eloquent speeches from their lips in the current language of this coun- try. In some instances this was not their mother tongue but they found 1t to their commercial advantage to educate them selves therein. I do not know II the miracle of Bable will ever be reversed but If it shall be, the convenience or commerce, and not the fear of floods, VIII be the occasion. I do not know that the world will ever adopt uniform standards of weight and measure, but l am con ytnced that such a course would be to the advantage of commerce.; and 1T this shall ever be accomplished, the metric system, for which we acknowledge in- debtedness to nations represented nere tonight, will of necessity afford the solu- tion. It Is evident that all Values VIII soon be measured in gold.
 Tn fact this Is already done interna- tionally, and governments that provide anything else than the gold standard Tor local use impose tax upon every inter national transaction sufficient to par their people from competition in the worlds commerce. I do not know that the world will ever adopt universal denominations of money, but if 1t shall 1 am satisfied that the unit of value will be divided Into tenths and hundredths, for this would be for the convenience of commerce. I may be dreaming when I suggest that some time, perhaps far off and possibly nearer than we think, the prices current of the world VIII be writ ten in a common language and in uni- form measures of quantity and denomin- ations of money, put IT so, my excuse then for the vision shall be that more than one dream of yesterday is paying dividends today.
 Commercial Struggle.
 'oThe commercial struggle in the years that shall follow must not be for com mercial supremacy. Supremacy must not be sought for supremacy sake. A senti ment more worthy of world people q prefer this term to world powers) woulu be the recognition of the debtorship to the world. friend of mine found him. self without the means to pay his street car fare, and a stranger came to his re- lief. When thanked for his courtesy, he replied: Pass it on; some time you will find another similarly in need Paul said: I am debtor both to the Greek and to the barbarian He had received from the one; he must impart to the other. We are debtors both to the pas. and the future. In recognition of bless ings incident to a civilization. planted by previous generations. encouraged, nur- tured and advanced by commerce let the swtftest wings of trade carry the rip- ened seed of modern ideas to all lands, under all skies, for the blessing and ad- vancement of all people,"