Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-03-01
HENRY 5. WALKER.
An Eloquent Speech by the Kauawhs Val
Law OrAtOr.


An Eloquent Speech by the Kanawhs Val
ley Orator.
At this point there were loud cries for
Henry S. Walker, mingled with calls for
Mr.. c. B. Hart. Mr.. Hart came to the
toOtlights and said he was deeply sensible
Of the honor conferred upon him, but he
did not desire to make u speech. He re-
jOiced to see so many of West Yirginia's
business men present, and he desired to
say that, as one who had taken an hum
bic part in the movement. he would rather
stand before the gathering there assembled
than to fill the chair OF the Chief Magis-
trate of the nation. lie Was not born in
West Virginia, but he had come into the
State to give his life and labors TO advance
her welfare. If anything remained for
him to do, he would be glad to contribute
his effort TO the cause.
The cries for Mr.. Walker were then re-
DeSed, and in response to them, the Secre-
tary OF State came to the front of the stage,
and was most enthusiastically received.
Mr.. Walker said il was one Of the proud
privileges OF his life TO greetand be greeted
by this magnificent convention. Without
any pretense of making a fitting reply 10
the call, he desired to congratulate the
State upon this uprising. Ever since June
20, 1868, the people of the State had been
sleeping quietly eide By side, except, he ad-
mitted, that part Of the people who had
gone abroad aud engaged in negotiations.
OF q slightly bellIgerant nature. LAp-
plause The people had been living
among the greatest array OF natural gifts
God ever bestowed upon a nation, and had
done but little with them. Now, for the
irst time the people had come together to
look over their possessions, and take
sci al TO how they could be turned TO the
best advantage.
Mr.. Walker spoke of the favorable eli
mate enjoyed over the entire territory, the
absence.of billiards, etc and said this was
a great inducement to capital and labor
seeking fresh fields. What, said he, have we
to offer the enquiring immigrant? think
we can say to the frOst-bitten victims OF q
Dakota winter that we have here a genial
climate, and are favored by fresh mountain
air, breathing which, with ordinary care,
more people should die Of old age than
from all the ills flesh is heir to. The soil
Is equal TO the best, responding quickly
to the kindly hand Of patient tlllage.
The farmers OF West Virginia could
not, in the ~extravagant language
of q Western prospectus, raise
one hundred bushels Of potatoes, or forty
bushels of wheat, or three tons of hay to
the acre; but he could promise that as
every maj sOwed, SO should he also reap,
and the sgIiCulturist need have no lear
that the clinch bug or the grasshopper
would modest him or make him afraid. lie
dwelt upor the tine live stock of the State,
and said the West Yirginisns could point
with pride to the perfection OF everything
wearing horns or hOofs raised in the
State.
Referring again TO the advantages the
State offers to the outside world, he said
10 the lumbermau was held out 5000 900
acres of magnificent timber, untouched as
vet by the axe; to the manufacturer there
was rendered hundreds of miles OF I'M
tanned water power, and the rivers
with their dimpled pools and roaring
cataraets; TO the miner there was
an unbroken line of coal depos-
its, extending from the pennsylvania
line through every county to Wyoming
and Mcdowell, inviting the great world to
come to it for its coal and coke. To men
of every class there were offered unsur-
PASSED advantages.
He referred to the great progress which
had been made OF late years IN the State,
notably in the Kanawha Valley, when in
1871 they mined 5000, 900 tons OF coal,
while in 1887, Is, 900, 900 tons were sent
west. and %, QQQ, 600 tons east. The gen
eral government had done much to benefit
the Kanswha region, by expanding 81, 0OO,-
OOOip improving the navigation, and from
this and other causes, real estate had In
creased in value from 100 to LOO per
cent. in the last fifteen years.
Mr.. Walker eulogized the people Of
West Virginia, saying that among
them slept the mother Of that great,
silent soldier, General Grant, lcheersl
and the mother of that noble warrior,
Stonegall Jackson. [Cheers Recurring,
howeyer, to the natural wealth OF the
SFats he said those were value
Iess miles, the people made up their minds
m helm themselves, and he then referred 10
Mr. Stephen b. Elkins as a gentleman OF
n~at;onai repute, and said he was glad to
near that be had ahdicated his position as
the Warwick OF n OF The great political
~narties IN order to found a material en-
hire on West Virginia soil.
He then referred to the subject OF land
t;tIss saving that the belief had become
S"nU,on hat he who bought West Virginia
SNnI bouUht one law suit sure, and per
hans half dozen. Eewanted to compose
ar nnhlie mind on this suhjest.
He plead with his hearers to reconstruct,
raorganized and reform the the present
systsu Of public road construction: lie
aid the attempt 20 make roads by the un-
Maid labor of the masses OF the people was
q failure. If the psople wanted Sood roads,
thew would have to pay for them, as they
had to pay for anything else. Here, he
Thought, might be a solution OF the COZ
ssSs 7sS5s qdesuon. Condned IN prisons,
the convicts were a source of alarm TO the
honest labor OF tho State, bat in working
upon Che roads they would come in con-
tact with noas, and would at the same
time be selfsGpportak. ne tl:an turner
his attention to the public schools, insist
ing that the Stane had done well by her
children IN this respect, and pointed out
in detail what had been done and made
comparisons with other states. His peror-
alton ESS = s4ost eloquent thing, and the
audience listened in Ereathlsas SILENCE, and
when he concluded he was cheered bGE,
the building rang again.
OTHER SPEAKERS.
Addresses by Hon. A. w. Campbell, and
EN-Goy. PierpoInt.