Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-04
A Card In Answer 10 Mr.. J. Thompson
Browns Speech.
Copy OF letter sent to the Real Estate
Association)

(Copy or n letter cent 10 tnc heht A<"s"s~
Association)
BALTIMORE. August 2. 1884,
Real Estate Association. Richmond. Va:
GcntIemen.--In to-day's issue or the
Richmond papers ! note report made ny
Mr.. J. Thompson Brown on the Conven-
ton Of Northern and Southern business
Men held at the Fifth-Avenue Hotel III
New York. June 2st. AS TINS reportn ,rn
fers to one or two points upon wnicn
/ am able to give some Information,
which / should have been very gao ~
give TO Mr.. Brown " had known tnas
he was seeking II, l take tne hos,y %
sending you this statement in order 70
correct a misapprehension. Mr.. brown
suggests that the convention SHOULD hhye
been organized by delegates WIN eI eusn
tails from corporate bodies ana asso.,
lions The call for the convention as l,su e.,
through the Manufacturers Record py
the New York people was a genera en- III
issued TO every one. and all OF the
statements sent out through tns ,hjs
ciated Press were TO the eueSt sna' Js,a.
gates from associat lions. or simply Ihu,
yiduaIs who desired to attend the nee,.
ing. Under the circumstances IL VOLT ,ua5
have been impossible to have . Grsand, sie.
the meeting by simply recogniZihs .uei'
gates appointed by special bodies .s
The main point. however TO when i
wish TO refer Is the following: The oiiIy
special speech was by CONGRESSMAN , III
lowed By resolutions offered BY panNe.
formerly handling the stock or the saine.
The statement made IN this fnisht III. -
some to suppose that the delivery OF ,ne
speech and the Offering OF the resoiu-
tions were a part OF prearranged pan
on the contrary, they had no connectlon.
During the day Mr.. Courtney De hai/
a well-known engineer, Nirginian ny
Central America. and during that time
has carefully studied the Nicaragua Ca
nal; who has probably written more upon
the canal and its advantages than any
bility OF having the convention discuss
the Nicaragua canal, and urge It's value
TO the South at this meeting. l told nm
that II he would prepare some resolutions,
would offer them. II ne could not pc
on hand AS he was unable TO attend
the evening meeting. he sent a copy OF
the resolutions to me. During the course
Of the evening Mr.. Hemphill. formerly
n member Of Congress from south caro-
lima. suggested the desirability OF the
convention asking Hon. Josiah Patterson,
of Memphis, who was In attendance, 10
set forth the importance to the Soutn
of having the Nicaragua canal buiit. l
doubt whether a single man IN the n9use
had any idea that any speech wouiu pe
made on the Nicaragua canal; but TOT
tunately Mr.. Patterson made speech
that deeply impressed upon every oI,e
who had studied the subject the import
Hnce OF the W Tue
ing at the time from cold. ] turned 10
Mr. John SHELTON Williams. OF tichn0hu,
who was near me twho had had no iue.
of Offering any resolutions on Inc cahai
question:. and asked him II ne WIN ~.
read the resolutions handed me by MT.
Courtney De Kalb. At my request ne
did SO: thus the seeming prearrangsd
plan for a speech on the canal 20 pe
followed by resolutions offered 10y d
banker. Is shown to have been purely
usboliV accident
1 have taken the trouble TO make thls
exclamation thus explicit. because thinK
II all other business done at the meeting
had been carefully investigated. MT.
Brown would have seen that the meeting
was one free and open to everybody, ana
that the best thing about II was tnat
il was not talked to death Ike nearly al
other meetings that have been held IN
he interests Of southern advancement.
Considering the character or the men
who are responsible for the management
of the Southern Exchange Association !
should deem IL renection upon tnenl -
even attempt 10 show that Mr. Brown
fear that somebody might have an axe
TO grind Is without foundation. :,
II may be well, however. TO add one
word more: The most important speech
made at the convention was NOT the
one made by a congressman In behall
Of the Nicaragua canal, nor by secretary
Hoke Smith. but by Mr.: Stuyyesant flsn;
the vice-president of the Park National
Bank, PROBABLY tne idIbts' S''' a.
of the South in the world and who Is
also president Of the Illinois Central ran,
road. Speaking from the bankers point
of view. Mr.. Fish stated that the nis,pIy
of the Park National Bank showed mat
the South maintained its credits better
than any other section. and that ms
bank had had fewer losses In the sonth
than anywhere else. He also; IN us
cussing the South as raiiroau 1iii ,aas
stated that his road had had much less
trouble from unwise laws in southern
states than from unwise laws In western
States.
n. II. EDMONDS
Editor and General Manager.