The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-27
HON. JAMES 5. SHERMAN.
welI-NnOwn New York Representa-
tive Talks on "Our Country"

tive Talks on sour Country"
Judge Grosscup was followed by Repre-
sentative James S. Sherman, of New York,
whose toast was "Our Country" He said
in part:
I'VE hear much to-day Of commercialism.
The. carping critic decries against it; SEEM
ingly deplores he fact that financial and
economic questions so much engage the at
tention of our Congress. The subjects that
engross the attention Of Congress to-day
are largely commercial. They do SAVIOR of
pounds and ShillingS and pence; they are
humdrum to a mind trained in school
where martial music resOunded, where the
shock of battle was felt and the fierce pas
sions engendered by the civil war swayed
the mind. The ways of to-day are the ways
of peace, and peace hath her victories. too.
Shot and shell do not alone tell of conflict.
The massive merchantmen peacefully rid
ing the sea is object quite as picturesque
as the bristling battleshp. The captains
and generals of industry marShaling forces
vaster than were ever modified in the field
are not less imposing than the uniformed
hosts of nations. There are eras of COM
merce well conquest. The struggle
for commercial supremacy is waged on sea
and land. In the one case ii is for the car
rying trade. in the other for markets. In a
time of peace. with its home markets pro-
tected from foreign invasion by the Dingley
bill. the United States has invaded the
markets of Europe We are carrying coal
to New Castle; cotton goods to Manches-
ter: iron and steel TO Birmingham and tin
Dlate to Swansea. we were electrified by
the dramatic incidents of Manila and San
Juan, but what OF the American conquest in
the Sudan, where Outbdding English rivals
in price and time American workmen con-
structed the ALBANIA bridge? What of the
American conquest of Egypt in the building
of the trolley lines through the streets of
Cairo and to the very base of the pyramids?
Listen to the musical click of American
harvesting machines as they reap and
gather and bind the golden grain on the
hills of Scotland and the plains of Hun
gary
Beneath the surface of London and
Paris American invaders are supplying Eu-
ropes two greatest cities with the means
for future rapid transit. We have bridged
the chasms of Burmah. equipped the rail-
way ines of India and Siberia and supplied
the machinery for deep mining I'm the Rand.
Surely the cooling dove of peace is quite as
attractive as the embatted eagle is grand.
The Spanish war but accumulated our tend
ency to look seward; to reach out for for
eign markets. No longer are our exports
composed almost wholly of products of the
soil lndustrially as well as politically the
United States has become a world power.
lnexorabe fate has compelled US to take
possession of Hawaii. the LadrOnes and the
Philippines; to join in the march on Pc
king; to add diplomatic prestige to military
and naval fame in the Orient by insisting
on the maintenance of the open door into
China. Manila shall be our Western out
post whence we shall guard with Jealous
care our trade privileges with the East.
Strategically the United States dominates
the mat domination Snall ne mace
more secure by the laying Of a cable from
California to the Philippines and by the
construction Of isthmian canal It's con-
sruction Will stimulate trade beteen our
country and both coasts OF South America.
IL VIII be no mean factor in procuring for
the United States the possession of the
markets Of the world We must become
sea power. Buenos Ayres must not for
ever be reached via London and trade with
the Argentine be conducted in English bot
toms. No nation has ever been CONNER
claIly great that has relied upon some other
TO conduct its commerce.
II Is not possible that the mighty energy
that has developed a continent. gridironed
II with railroads and telegraphs, improved
its rivers, dug it's canals, all I'm the interest
OF trade, will rest until the stars and stripes
supplant dozen different flags in annually
handling over two billions of foreign trade.
Our commerce must be carried in our own
steamships. To steamship facilities must
be added banking privileges, not alone with
cur new possessions, but with our Pan
American neighbors. London shall not for
ever be the clearing house between North
ana South America. We must enlarge and
extend our consular service. Let the spirit
of commercialism pervade our foreign serv-
Ice and assist in the conquest OF the world
markets. Our continental isolation is of the
past. Providence has changed the trend of
our development and our history. There
snail be no retreat. Our course shall be
onward, onward onward. In the navigation
of the ship OF state the loftiest patriotism
and the most profound skill are required
and are found I'm American genius. which is
capable of meeting every crisis. What our
ultimate destiny will be, what mighty work
in the uplifting of humanity yet remains
for us to do is known only to Him who sees
beyond the ceaseless motion of the waves
and the fury OF the storm and pilots to vic
tory the cause of eternal right.