Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-08-08
WILSON SPEECH
OF ACCEPTANCE
Continued from page -.

isthmus. We must revive our mer
chant marine. too. and fill the seas
again with our own fleets. We must
add to our present postoffice service II
parcels post as complete as that of any
other nation. We must look to the
health of our people upon every hand
as we'll as hearten them with justice
and opportunity. This is the cOnstruc-
tive work of government. This Is the
policy that has vision and hope and
that looks to serve mankind.
There are many sides to these great
matters. Conservation is easy to gen,
eralize about. but hard to particularize
about wisely. Reservation Is not the
whole of conservation. The develop
ment Of great states must not be stay
ed indefinitely to await a policy by
which our forests and water powers
can prudently be made use Of Use
and development must go hand In
hand. The policy we adopt must be
progressive-not negative merely. as II
we did not know what to do.
s"Hs WHY WI
With regard to the development of
greater and more numerous waterways
and the building up Of II merchant ma
rine. we must follow great constructive
lines and not fail back upon the cheap
device of bounties and subsidies. In
the case of the Mississippi river that
great central artery Of our trade. 1t Is
plain that the federal government must
build and maintain the leveeS and keep
the great waters In harness for the
general use.
The question Of merchant marine
turns back to the tariff again. to which
all roads seem to lead. and to our reg
lstry laws, which. II coupled with the
tariff. might almost he supposed to
have been intended to take the Alneri
can flag off the seas. EOuntiea are not
necessary If you will but undo some
of the things that have been done.
Without a great mere hant marine we
cannot take our rightful place In the
commerce Of the world. Merchants
who must depend upon the carriers Of
rival mercantile nations to carry their
goods to market are at disadvantage
in international trade too manifest to
need to be pointed out. and our mer
chants will not long suffer themselves
ought not to suffer tllemselves--tO
be placed at such Il disadvantage. Our
industries have expanded to such a
point that they will burst their jackets
If they cannot find Il free outlet to the
markets of the world, and they cannot
find such an outlet unless they be
given ships Of their own to carry their
goods-ships that will go the routes
they want them to go-and prefer the
interests Of America in their sailing
orders and their equipment. Our do
nestle markets no longer suffice. We
need foreign markets. That is an
other force that is going to break the
tariff down. The tariff was once a
bulwark: now 1t is dam. For trade
Is reciprocal; we cannot sell unless we
also buy.
The very fact that we have Mt last
tle uudIuu CuudI SeTlOuHiy
hand and are vigorously pushing It to-
ward completion Is eloquent Of our re-
awakened interest In international
trade. We are not building the canal
and pouring out million upon million of
money upon its construction merely to
establish a water connection between
the two coasts of the continent. i'm
portant and desirable as that may be,
particularly from the point of view
Of naval defense. 1t Is meant to be a
great international highway. 1t would
be little ridiculous II we should build
1t and then have no ships to send
through 1t. There have been years
when not single ton Of freight pass
ed through the great Suez canal in an
American bottom, so empty are the
seas Of our ships and seamen.
Industrial Education.
There is another duty which the
Democratic party has shown itself
great enough and close enough to the
people to perceive. the duty Of govern
ment to share In promoting agricul-
tural, industrial. vocational education