The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-12
THE BANKERS CONVENTION
Henry Watterson's Address on the
Past and Future of the South.
A Speech Which the Moneyed Men Could
Appreciated Resolution Calling for
National Bankrupt Law.

bankruptcy, which, owing to its length, was
not read, the author saying it would be pub
lished
Following the submission of this paper,
this resolution was adopted:
Resolved. That the interests of the country
demand the speedy enactment by Congress OF
some regulation OF commerce among the states
equivalent to national bankrupt law, equ1ta-
Bile in its provisions for debtor and creditor in
all sections of the country"
Mr. Davidson, of Cincinnati, submitted,
without reading, paper containing digest
of the laws of all States on exemptions and
preferences, which will be subject of future
discussion by the association.
Then came what might be called an expe-
rience meeting, in which delegates from the
Southern States gave interesting sketches of
the material prospects of the various South
ern States, with statistics which supplied
startling information to those who were not
personally familiar with that section. The
speeches were full of spirit and humor and
put the association into fine humor. The
speakers were Judge Carroll, of Texas;
Printup, of Georgia; Lockwood, of Virginia;
Snead, of Kentucky; Parks, of Tennessee;
Colonel Nelson. of Alabama, and the inin.it-
able Logan H Roots, of Little Rock, Ark.
The following officers for the ensuing year
were elected, Mr.. George S. Coe declining a
unanimous reelection rendered him: Presi-
dent-L. J. Gage, of Chicago H.; vice-presi-
dents-New York, Logan c.. Murray; Ala
bama Thomas Henry; Arizona, NJ. w. Kales,
OF Phoenix; Arkansas, Creed T. Walker;
California, William Alvord; Colorado, Will
lam B. Berger; Connecticut, George A. But
Ter; Dakota, e. c. Eddy, of Fargo; Delaware,
Edward Belts; District of Columbia, John
A. J. Creswell; Florida, D. G. Amber; Geor-
gia, L. J. Hill of Atlanta; Idaho, John
Hunton, of Boise City; Illinois, Calvin 7.
Wheeler, of Chicago; Indiana, w. H. En-
glish, of indianapolis; Iowa, F. H. Griggs,
National Bank of Davenport; Kan
lucky, J. W. Proctor of Danville;
Louisiana, J. ]. Tarleton; Maine, William
w. Thomas; Maryland D. H. Thomas; Mas
sachusetts, VIM H. Foster; Michigan, Henry
p Baldwin; Minnesota, Henry p Upham;
Mississippi, W. H. Perkins, Missouri, Rufus
J. Lockland; Montana, Samuel IT. Hauser;
Nebraska, Fl. Kountz; Nevada, J. W. Eckley;
New Hampshire, J. E. Fernold; New Jersey,
Z. f. c. Young; New Mexico, Jefferson Ray
nolds; North Carolina, VIM. E. Anderson;
Ohio Hon. Benjamin Eggleston; Oregon,
Henry w. Corbett Pennsylvania, Joseph
Patterson; Rhode Island, J. w. Vernon
South Carolina, Andrew Smmonds; Tennes-
see, Nathaniel Baxter, jr; Texas,
Benjamin A. Belts; Utah, L, S.
Hills; Vermont, Hon, L.. p. Poland;
Virginia, John B. Branch; Washington, Dex-
ter Horton; West Virginia, j. Nelson Vance;
Wisconsin, N. B. Vansl1ke; Wyoming, Ed
ward Ivison. Executive council-George 1.
Coe P. R. Jacobs, D. Vermillie, Edmund D.
Randolph, Morton McMchael jr. Edward
Tyler, J. w Lockwood Henry Martin, Will
liam G. Deshler, Edward B. Judson; Freder-
lex D. Tappen John Thomas Smith R. B.
Langdon, William E. Gould Cashier of the
First National Bank of Portland, Me-, Hoel
H. Camp, William H. Rhawan, Logan H.
Roots, Augustus H. Moss, J. H. Lndenberger,
r. NJ. Nelson, Edward S. Butts Treasurer,
George |. Baker; general secretary, Edmund
D. Randolph; corresponding secretary, George
Marsland.
Hon. Henry Watterson being introduced,
was received with applause. After some
very pleasing illusions to banks and bank
ers, which put the convention in good
humor, Mr.. Watterson said:
at was NOT. however. to hear of banks and
bankers and banking that you did send for or
call me before you. 1 am told that you are con-
sidering that problem which disturbed poll
ticians the South, and that you wish me to talk
to you about the South; tie South; the South! 1t
is no problem at all. Gnank God that at last
can say with truth, it is simply geographic
cal expression. [Applanse.l The whole story of
the South may be summed up in sentence
She WIS rich, and she lost her riehes she was
poor and in bondage. she was set free. and she
had TO go to work. She went to work, and she
is richer than ever before. Applause You
see it was grounding case. Laughuer.l Soil
was here; the climate here, put along
with them was curse-tne curse of slavery
God passed a rod across the land and smOte the
people; then in His goodness and mercy he
waved the wand of eGchantment and TO- like "a
flower, his blessing burst forth. Applause
Indeed may the South say, as in the experience
of men 1t is rare for any to say
With with perfect SINCERITY st;, :, Sweet are
The South never knew what independence
meant until she was taught by subsection to sub
due herself We lived from hand to mouth We
had Olr6 dor al, al nd ha nj
system paid our debts and walloped our
''niggers." Under the new we pay our "niggers'
and wallOp our debts Laughter and applause
We have no longer any slaves, but we have no
longer any debts, and can exclaim with the old
darby at the camp meeting. who, whenever he
got happy. went about shouting, "Bless the
Lord: am getting fatter and fatter." Laugh
teri The truth is that behind the
great ruffie the South wore to
superb manhood-that is a manhood that was
covered. That II wasted its energies upon
trlties is beyond dispute that it took pride in
and cultivated what it called "the vices OF gen.
tlemen" must be admitted; but at heart it was
sound. From that heart flowed honest Anglo
Saxon blood, and when 1t had to lay aside its
brOadclOth and put on Its jeans il was equal to
the emergency. lGreat applause.l And the
women of the South took their place beside the
men of theSouth, and with spinning wheel and
plOwshare together they made stand against
the wolf at the door That was fifteen years
offered IN a single Southern State for
wofskins. The fact is the very wolves have got
ashamed OF themselves ana gone TO work.
Laughter and applause.
beg You 10 believe that In saying this my pur
pose is neither to amuse or mislead you AL
though my words may seem to carry with them
an unbusness-ke levity assure you that my
design is wholly business-like. You can for
yourselves, here in Louisville, what the South
has done. what the South can do. All this has
been achieved without credit and without your
powerful aid, and 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 aggregations
OF capital i'll the fiscal centers
should add this land of wine, milk and honey to
their fields of investment and give the same
cheap rates which are enjoyed by the nearer but
not safer borrowers. The future of the South is
not whit less assured than the future of the
West. Why should the money which is freely
loaned to Iowa and Illinois be refused to Ala
bama and mississippi L perfectly understand
that business is business; that capital is I'M
sectional as unsentimental l am speaking from
neither spirit. You have money to loan; we