The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-10-18
Aai}eyapn yntelliyenFey,
wATERsoy BEFORE PHE BANKERS.
He Makes IA speech on tho South and It's
Work Of the Fast Few Years.

LOUISVILLE, October lin the
bankers convention to-day, after other
business was concluded, and the officers
for the ensuing year elected, Henry
Waterson, by invitation, addressed the
convention. After some pleasant allu.
sions TO banks and bankers, which put
the convention in good humor, Mr.. Wat.
erson said 1t was not, however, to hear
Of banks, bankers and banking, that you
did me the honor To call me before you.
I am told that to-day you are consider
ing that problem that has so disturbed
the politicians Of the South, aud that
YOU wish me to talk TO you about the
south. It is no problem at all thank
God that at last we can say with truth it
il simply geographical expression.
Applause. The whole story OF the
South may be summed up in The
sentence She was rich, ana she lost her
riches; size was .OOr, and III bondage, she
was set free, and she had to go to work |;
she went to work and she is richer than
ever before" Applause. The curse
of slavery was hers. God .'a-sed His
rod across the land, and smotc the pco
pie. Then III his goodness and mercy
lie waved The wand of cnchantment, and
10 like a flower, His blessing burst
forth. Applause. Indeed may the
South say, AS in the experience of me it
is rare for any to say. with - rscct sin
ccrity "Swcct are the uses of adrcr-ity.'
Applause The South never knew
what independence meant until she WAS
taught by subjecton to subdue herself.
We lived from hand to mouth. We had
our debts and our "niggcrs" Under the
old system we paid our debts and wal
loped our niggers, 'bu. under the new we
pay our "niggcrs" and wallop our debts.
Laughter, and applause. We nave no
longer any slaves. but we have no longer
any debts, and can cxc!aim with the old
darkey at the campmecling, who, when
ever he got happy, went about shouting
"Bless the Lord ; Pm getting fatter and
fatter" Laughter. The truth is that
behind the great ruiile the South wore to
its shirt there lay concealed n superb
manhood That this manhood was per-
vertcd there is no doubt That it wasted
its energies upon triilcs is beyond dis
pute; that it took pride in cultivating
what it called the vices of gentleman, |
am afraid must be admitted. But ut
heart it was sound. From that heart
flowed honest Anglo Saxon blood, and
when it had to lay aside its brondcloth
and put on its jeans, it wa, equal to the
emergency. ApplnuseI And the wo-
men of the South took their place by the
side Of the men OF the South, and with
spinning. and plowsharc together
they made stand against the wolf at
the door. That WAS 10 years ago, and
to-day there is not reward offered i'm n
single Southern State for wolfishncss
The fact is, tho very wolves have got
ashamed of themselves ard gone to work
Laughter and applause.
beg you to believe that in saying this
my purpose is not TO amusc or mislead
carry with them an unbuyness like
levity, | assure you that my design is
wholly business.like. You can see for
yourselves here in Louisville what the
South has done, and what the South can
do. If all this has been achieved
without credit and without your power.
full add am now addressing myself to
the North and East, which have feared
to come South with their money-what
might not be achieved if the vast aggre.
cations Of capital in the fiscal centcrs
should add this land Of wine, milk and
honey to their fields of investment, and
give us some cheap rates which axe
enjoyed by nearer, but not safer, borrow.
crs. The future Of the South is not n
whit less assured than tho future of the
'Vest. Why SHOULD tie money, which is
freely loaned to Iowa and Illinois, be
refused TO Alabama and Mississippi.
perfectly understand that business is
business, and that capital is as ,lnscction.
nj rs it is unsentimental. nm speaking
from neither spirit You have money
to lean. We have great country to de
velop. We have given hostages to for.
tune, and our works are before You.
know that capital is proyerbially tiuil
but what are you afraid of? Is it our
cotton that alarms you, or our corn, OF
our sugar? Perhaps it is our coal and
iron. Without You, in truth many oi
these products must make slow progress
while others will continue to lie hidden
in tho bowels Of the earth With YOU
the South will bloom as IL garden and
siliue lis Ii goil nirc, for whether you
tickle her fertile fields with straw, or
apply more violent Utilization to her fat
mountain sides. she is ready to laugh a
harvest of untold riches. Prolonged
applause. At the conclusion of Mr.
Waterson's speech, the universal com.
pliment Of n unanimous rising vote O;
thanks was accorded him.