The Greenville times., 1881-11-12
TIiE IlltER CONVENTION.
speech of Judge Taylor.

htAN7f'NtFFt Aifti tNhfftAH1tWHf WNN
then introduced lie spoke as
follows.
Mr.. President and gentlemen Of
the Conventiou-My associates
from the commission have asked
me to speak for them and myself
II Is with q real sense Of embar
rassment that comply with .your
kind invitation.
am burdened with an intense
solicitude with regard to the dc
liberations of this convention, and
yet being heVe your invited guest
merely; do not feel at liberty to
say the thoughts that are in my
mind as freelyas | otherwise could.
But you will allow me, gentlemen,
first to congratulate you upon the
success which has thus far attend.
ed your deliberations, upon the
number and variety, and the gen.
eral excellency of the resolutions
that we have heard read. 1t is an
old saying, you know, that the
road to hell is paved with good
resolutions" Laughter. We have
had enough of them to-day to
macadamize the whole route.
Laughter. But when it is done
we will travel the road the other
way.
The members of the Mississippi
river commission look with con
cern upon the outcome of this con-
vention. Two years ago they en-
tered upon the discharge of the
duties imposed upon them by law.
They have been during two years
engaged in work preparatory only.
have been engaged in an extensive
system of surveys, in careful ex-
animation and observation, in the
comparison of all the data that
could be gathered from previous
surveys and observations, in con-
sideration of all that is known
about the river by engineers, by
river men and by all. They have
under the appropriation made by
congress prepared for active exc
cuti0n of the work committed to
them, they having in hand a fleet
of nearly 200 vessels, great and
small, with which to execute that
work, and have already great
preparations of machinery of the
most improved kind. They stand
to-day upon the threshold of'their
work. Whether they shall 90 on
to complete it or not will depend
upon the measure that may be
taken by congress, and congress
is a body which moves as it is
moved upon; and the commission
recognizes in this convention a
force to move upon as any other
body can. Cheers.
There are some things would
like to say, therefore, if ] felt at
liberty to do so, as to those mat
ters | wouldolike to see done and
those matters that hope may not
be done by this convention. Sew
eral voices: "Go on! 90 on!pI
There is one thing | shall not
hesitate to say, and that is this
That this gret convention will be
sensibly felt in the legislation OF
congress and in this great work OF
Improvement, if it shall make no
mistakes hereafter. The conven-
ton itself speaks louder than any
words it can utter. The presence
in this city of this vast body of
representative men is the great
mountain in the landscape which
affects by the breadth of its base
and the sublimity of its height,
and you might go to your home
and say nothing, feeling assured
that your presence here had not
been in vain. tits most important
of all things that in the proceed
ings of this convention there shall
be final unanimity and harmony.
The voice of this convention to be
effective, must be like the verdict
of a jury-unanimous. You have
heard from the gentleman who
spoke yesterday beautiful illus.
tration of this law drawn from the
great river itself. Let me borrow
it and cary it a little further. The
great river, the father of rivers,
having traversed the continent,
having built up a great inland sea,
at last made one fatal mistake at
its mouth-it divided into four OF
five channels, neither one of which
was sufficient to carry its waters,
and so at last it shut the gate be-
tween itself and the great sea,
Let me hope that this convention
shall form no delta at its mouth
and that the voice OF it shall come
forth from one throat and speak
with one voice.
There are some other things
gentlemen, of more delicate
| oIo,ootor ~ xrb;oh fool I miuht