The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-18

ulatIO0S.
The first link of commercial union be-
tween the south and west was forged yes
terday in this city by the national grain
congress.
A movement was commenced that, In
the estimation OF every delegate. will keep
on progressing till the prairie state will be
emsncipated from the vassalage OF the
North Atlantic seaports and the railway
corporations that extort from the western
people excessive freight rates for the
transportation of the products Of western
soil.
The national grain congress met in the
hoard of trade hall at 1:30 promptly, aud
although the local attendance was not rs
good as the Importance OF the movement
To Wichita deserved, nevertheless the
spacious hall was well filled with dele
gates from nearly all the seapoTts
OF the Gulf and South Atlantic coast as
well as from the states OF the west which
are SO deeply interested in the movement.
Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Kansas
Iowa and Minnesota were represented as
well as all the cities of southern Kansas.
In addition to these nearly all the rail-
roads having terminal stations at The
gulf coast lad representatives present.
Ex-Mayor Clement called the meeting
to order while 4. w. Oliver read the call
for the congress.
It was announced that Mayor Cox who
Intended to be present TO tender the free
dom of the city had been called away sud-
denly and unexpectedly, but City Attor
oey Wyatt represented him.
lu behalf of the board of Trade, Presi-
dent Clement extended q cordial greeting
to the visiting delegates. He begged them
To believe him that his words were Ut
tered with the GOODNESS of conventional
formality, but that they were the express
sion of hearts that beat in unison with
the visitors IN their common purpose to
develop and make graudsr the two sec
tlons of the country which they repre-
sented. he informed the delegates that
they had done honor TO Wichita In accept
ing an invitation TO join with them in this
grand movement. EX-Mayor Clement
then traced the eyolutions of time 10 dem
onstrate the reasons for the desire of the
south and west to come togsther in COM
mercial union, and did so In tAe most elo-
quent manner. He said that the products
of the west have too long sought the
markets Of the world through a long
and costly overland haul, and stated that
this order of things must be changed, and
that rapidly ut entails on the people of
can no longer submit"
Mr.. Clement, in speaking further, said:
1t is eminently proper that this first
grain congress should assemble In Wichi-
Ia. In 1892 Kansas produced 30 000 900
bus heels of wheat and A, 000 600 bushels of
oats. More than one-half the wheat and
one-third the oats were grown in twenty
countles surrounding and tributary TO this
city. No other large city is surrounded
with such a wonderful grain producing
territory and having such facilities for
concentrating 1t at given point. Rail-
roads radiate from this point in ten differ
eht directions reaching all these counties.
One single system has J, 200 miles within
loo miles of this city, and this system
teaches all these counties. Not long ago a
gentleman WAS in this city who has had
large experience in the grain elevator
and milling business. Upon being in
formed of these facts, he said. This grain
cannot much longer go to the east, the
day viii soon come when IL will go to the
Cult" He further said: Here is the
place to concentrate your grain, iu stor-
age elevators. aud not at the waters edge
Chicago, ST. Louis, Kansas City and even
New York are awaiting with no little con-
Germ the outcome of this Congress. Chica-
go understands the situation and an edi-
tOrial in one of her late papers says: The
objecr of the gathering Is To promote "A
scheme for dlvIsing the freight traffic
of the west from the channels il has fol-
lowed for years, in finding its way To the
markets of the world.
"'rEe south is particularly interested in
The promotion of the scheme, because il is
to be the chief beneficiary by its accom-
plishment. New Orleans especially would
be an immense gamer, should success at
tend the efforts of theSpromotes of the
movement. and other Gulf of Mexico ports
=. L.. 4fst.. l.. i
gree.
Shall success attend our efforts |
take il gentlemen you are not here for
your health. You have not left your bust
ness aud travelled seven or eight
hundred miles to view the land scape
o'er." The same editor further says,
Chicago is largely interested in the out
come of this convention. A successful
outcome to it would mean an immense
loss of trade by number of industries in
this city. All the elevator Interests located
here would be mutual sufferers by such
diversion" Their loss would be our gain.
think the business men of the gulf ports
assembled here today have as keen an in
sight into the situation and the results as
has Chicago The "Old South" has gone
and "New Southn has come upon tbs
field Of commercial conflict to contest for
supremacy. The Great American Des-
ert" of the old time has gone, and II New
West" has come in its place.
We ars here 10 forge chain with links
of gold and hooks of steel that shall bind
this "New South" and New West" to-
sether in a commercial union that shall
never be broken asunder. the sweeping
winds of the prairies shall mingle with
the soft and balmy breezes OF the gulf and
their united forces shall watt the white
wings of our commerce TO the uttermost
parts of the earth.
His speech was received with enthu-
siAsm.
A SECOND GRADY.
Mr.. Clements address was responded to
by Colonel Roland Day of the staff of the
New Orleans Picayune, who made one of
the most remarkably graceful speeches
listened to in thiscity. He is a finished
orator and Il brilliant scholar, and it is
generally conceded that he is the legiti-
mate heir 20 The mantle of the late la
mented Henry Grady. Their style of ora
tory is very similar and Colonel Days sen
timents with reference TO the position OF
The new south towards the rest OF the
union are strikiugly like those OF the dis
tinsuished SON OF Georgia. HIS speech