The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-11-06
Hon. Finis ]. Garrett.

great thing. The distinguished but very
partisan philosopher from Ohio [Mr.
FessJ, n company with a number oi
other gentlemen, has declared against
the preamble to this bill. They say in
one breath that they are against it be-
cause it means nothing, and say in the
next breath they are against it because
it means so much. Measuring their ut
terances in the light OF the speech deliv.
cred by the gentleman from Illinois
LMr. Mann] few days ago, l am con-
strained to believe that the expression
in the latter breath presents the reason
for their opposition.
Gentlemen know that the passage oil
this bill, with its preamble. means the
taking Of decisive and definite step
toward the consummation OF an event
which will be not only epochal, but un-
precedented in The history Of human
kind-the voluntary and willing with
drawal of sovereignty by one people
from over another people. LApplause
on the Democratic side.
Strange as it may seem and is, every
step which has beed taken toward hui
man liberty, the natural state OF man,
has been taken across the forms OF bat
tle-sIain dead, and blood-stained flags
are the only emblems that signal across
the centuries the accomplishment OF
fundamental governmental things. lap
plause on the Democratic side. Not
from fear, but because we are just, we
are ready to take this step toward the
reversal of that age-old rule OF cruelty
and barbarism and selfishness. Zap
plause on the Democratic side.
The issue has been clearly drawn here,
il ii had not been drawn before, by the
utterances OF the minority leader Mr..
Mann in his terse but comprehensive
speech made upon this floor, and it has
been suggested again and again through
out the course of this debate that his
speech has not been answered save by
sneer. Mr.. Chairman, shall not un-
dertake to answer it with a sneer. /
noticed that while the gentleman from
Illinois was delivering that speech be
looked not once upon that portrait Of
Washington yonder, or upon that por-
trait OF La Fayette there. Applause
on the Democratic side.l The central
thought Of the gentleman's speech was
that we must hold these islands forever,
because great contest, either military
or commercial, is to come. II, sir, it is
to be military contest, who does not
know that those islands present our one
source of military weakness2 Applause
on the Democratic side.l II it is to DO
a commercial contest, what then?
Mr.. Chairman, / know something OF
life. / have known men in
the commercial world, from the small
est merchant up TO those somewhat
euphemistically termed great captains
of industry" and my observation has
been that that merchant, whether great |
1r small, that commercial man, whether
arge or little, was the most successful, ,
was the most honored in life aud death,
Who acted upon principles OF justice and
sept his pIighted faith. Applause on
he Democratic side. Nations are made
I'D of individuals. The type is as the
,erson. And / say now to the gentle
nan from Illinois that that nation will
rave the fairest chance in the future
contest for commercial supremacy which
ives by the principles of justice and acts
n the light OF superb and splendid
deals. lApplause on the Democratic
ide
But i need not in my poor way at-
empt TO answer the gentleman from
illinois. That speech was answered long
efore it was ever uttered. 1t is not
necessary to 70 back through the misty
ges that are gone and read the philos-
ply OF the ancients; you need 20 no
urther back than the adoption Of the
declaration Of Independence, wherein
, was declared that all governments
erive their just powers from the con-
Bnt Of the governed. z Applause on
be Democratic side. The speech of
be gentleman from illinois was an
wered by every sword ring in the hand
an American soldier in every battle
the American Revolution. Applause
n the Democratic side. Ii
The darkness has not yet fallen. The