The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-05-01
GREETING THE PRESIDENT.
President Harrison's Fine Speech at Bir-
mingham, Alabama.
fRirminchaln Sneciu!. J


to the firing OF cannon and the simultan-
cous screaming Of hundreds oi locomo-
tive and factory whistle. and the chthus-
iastic cheering Of The c0ncoursc that
throngcd the station and adjoining streets
Governor Jones and bis staff, in full uni
form, and committee Of citizens met
The Presidential party at Henryellen and
escorted it 10 the city, where the prosI-
dent was welcomed hy the Mayor and
other municipal officers Drawn mp in
line in and near the station were the
Grand Army Post, and Confederate eter-
ans Association. the local militia. repre-
scntatives Of The militia of Selma and
Montgomery. and rublic-School children;
and behind them was masScd an immense
crowd of pcoplc. The city vas elaborate
" decorated with the national coIors and
beautiful white dogwood blossoms, ANA
business was generally suspended. Ad-
dresses of welcome were made at the
station by Governor Jones and Mayor
Lane, and when the President arose TO
respond he was greeted with dcaicninS
cheers When quiet was restored he
made the following address:
Gorernor Jones, Mr.. Mayor. nnd fciiom-
Citizens: The noise OF your industries
will not stay themselves, fear, sufficient
" TO enable me TO make myself heard by
many in this immense throng that has
gathered to welcome us. | Judge from
what we have seen as we ncarcd your
station that we have here ut birmingham
the largest and most enthusiastic con-
course Of people that has met us since
we left the national capital. Great and
prolonged chcers) For all this | am
deeply grateful. The rapidity with which
we must pursue this journey will not
allow us to look with any detail into the
great enterprises which cluster about
your city; but if we shall only have op-
portuiity to see for moment these
friendly faces and to listen TO these friend
" words sc shall carry away that which
will he invaluable; and, | trust, by the
friendly exchange of greeting we may
leave something to YOU that is worth
cherishing. Great cheering
have read OF the marvellous develop
ment which in the last few years has
been stirring the solitude Of these South
ern mountains, and remember that not
many years after the war, when had re-
sumcd ny Law practice at indianapolis,
was visited by gentleman, known, ! e3-
pcct, to all of you, upon some profession
al business; but he seemed TO be more i'll
tercstcd in talking about Birmingham
than anything else. (Laughtcr.) That
man was Colonel Powell, one OF The early
promoters of your city. (Chccrs.) | lis
tened to his story Of the marvellous wealth
Of iron and coal that was stored i'll this
region, of their nearuess to each other
and TO the limestone necessary tor smeit-
inc. to his calculation rs to the cheapnesS
with which iron could he produced here,
and his glowing story of the great city
that was to be raised, with Il good deal ut
incrcdulity. (Laughtcr.) | thought ne
was visionary, but have regretted since
that did not ask Kim TO pay me my Zee
in town lots in Birmingham. Laughter
and cheers
Ny countrymcn, we thought the war a
great calamity, and so it was. The dcs-
truction of life and property was great
and sad beyond expression: and yet we
can sec now that God led us through that
Red Sea to a development in material
prosperity and to fraternity isat was
not otherwise possible. Cheers The
industries that have called to your midst
many toiling men are always and every
where the concomitunts Of freedom. Cut
Of all this freedom from the incubus OF
slavery TIE South has found q Kew indus
trial birth, once almost wholly agrcultnr-
AL You are not NOW the less fruitful IN
crops, but YOU have added to all this.
Cheers You have increased your pro-
duction of cotton, and YOU have added an
increase in ten years of nearly ''0o per
cent. TO the production OF iron. You
have produced three tourths OF the cot
ton crop oi the world. and it has brought
YOU since the war about eight billion dol
lars of money to enrich your people: but,
as vet, you are spinning in the South ON y
per cent. of it, Why not. with the help
We will give YOU in New England and the
North, spin it all! (Chcers.) Why rot
establish here cotton mills that shall send
not the crude agricultural products to
other markets but the manufactured pro-
ducts? (Chccrs) Why not, while sup
plying sixty-Gvc millions of people, reach
out and take 4 part wc have not mao III
the commerce Of the world: (Chcers)
| believe we are TO see now renals-
sance in American prosperity and III the
upbuildinr again OF our American mcr-
chant marine. (ChecrS.) / believe that
these Southern ports that so tavorably
look out with invitations to the States OF
Central and South America shall yet see
our fleets CARRYING the American flag and
the products of Alabama to the markets
of South America. Great cheerng)
I'm all this we are united. We may differ
as to method, but if YOU will permit me
will give an illustration to show how we
have been dealing with this shipping
question. can remember when NO
wholesale merchant ever sent drummer
into the field. He said to his customers:
Come to my store and buy But com
petition increased, and the enterprlsinG
merchant sent out men to see customers
and so his fellow merchant was put to the
choice to put travelling men into the field
or 10 get out of business. 1t seems tC
me that, whatever ne may think of tho
policy OF aiding our steamship lines, since
every other nation does it we must do il
or stay out of the business, for We have
pretty much gone out. (Cheers.)
am glad to recprocate with the yer!
fullness of my heart every fraternal ex
preston that has fallen from the lips
these gentlemen who have addressed nj
in ,your behalf. (Cheers.) | have no
been saved from mistakes; probably
shall not be. am sure Of but one thing
| can declare that have simply at hear
the glory of the American nation and tn
good Of all its people. Great and pro
longed cheering.) thank these compan