Birmingham state herald., 1896-11-20
IN ANNUAL SESSION
At Rishmond, Va, the Associated Press Il Transacts Routine Business and Re
 Elects Old Officers.

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 Richmond, Va, Nov 19-The Southern Associated Press met in annual session at the Jefferson hotel, this city this morning, transacted considerable routine business and reelected the old officers. -fr M. Glennan of the Norfolk Virginia : IS added to the executive committee.
 MT. Edward Atkinson of Boston who was in the city, addressed the meeting at some length and among other things said: q need make no excuse for being here I came here for rest, but when find myself before the Southern Press Association there is a word which must be said. have my finger on the center of the nerve of the southland whence . may come influence to make or mar the mighty future of this nation. know not what all your views may have been; with some of you I have held some what bitter contest in the late war; others have been with me-'let the dead past bury Its dead at the beginning or the financial reconstruction of the nation upon you falls a stern responsibility
 Several years since the president of the largest bank of the place came to my office. He put to me this question;
 What will be the end of the purchase of silver bullion under the sherman act?' to which I replied:
 "A financial panic such as this country has never seen, and paralysis of indus try such as we have never witnesSed.
 s''When will that happen? to which l replied No man can fix the date when the doubt passes through the land Of the ability of the treasury of the united States to maintain the payments of all it's obligations of the lawful unit Of value "a dollar made of gold. He noted this nd like myself for the future. That crisis has come, and from that paralysis we are now emerging-the verdict of the nation has been rendered.
 T impute no wrongful motives to our section who have sustained the acts which brought on this contest It is ended; let the dead past bury its dead. .
 May we not join together hand to hand in the efforts to restore conditions under which all make progress to pros perity alike. Years ago I thought that had found in the restrictions upon bank ing the cause of the danger which we have just surmounted. In our section or the country we have more banking cap ital than we can use. In your sectlon and inthe far west 1t Is lacking. Your people are distrustful of banks and bank CTS, not knowing or believing in the ser vice which banks render to the commun- ity, nor subject themselves to most costly system, because you nave no other, Ou depend on tTdueTS at tIie LOut corners taking advantage from them at excessive rates of interest, put yourself upon obligation to sell their products to them at as much as they may fix, and paying to them double price for all their supplies. People cannot prosper under these conditions, and the restriction of the present bank act suitable for the period of war, and, perhaps, justihable, preventing that mutual service Which banks and bankers might render to your community.
 s.It has been difficult for the men of the north and east to comprehend the real grievance under which you have suffered, while they deplore your mistaken effort in the recent election to bring money. not only upon yourselves, but upon us money which required force bill or act of legal tender to make 1t circulate at all
 "We now ask you to formulate your needs, to state your case, and to join with us in such a reconstruction of the bank ing system of the country, as shall make this nation unit, knowing no sectional wrong to prejudice, each serving the other according to it's ability and its needs. There are many methods by which this can be done. The adjustment is matter of detail. Are we such in- capable people that possessing the great est resources of the world, of excuse by which we can serve each other? The lawful unit of value surviving centuries of struggle throughout the world is now the unit of commerce to which this and every other country must adjust It's own conditions, or else suffer loss. Shall not our unit of value, the standard of our commerce be the equal of any in the world? Then, as I said, Let the dead past bury it's dead;' let us join hands. The solid south is broken, even color line is broken. It is the most hopeful period that have witnessed since the civil war. Right-minded men may now lay away their prejudices with the struggle that has just ended. Find out wherein we may reconstruct the financial system of the country, and then join together, and by the force of the united public opinion, bring about the removal of the artificial construction to our mutual benefit Of all the issues which must come to the front in the immediate future, I believe that the reconstruction Of the banking system is the most important. Had that been undertaken when 1t became SO man. fest to the few, as it did a few years since, we should have had no silver craze, or we might have been saved the disaster and panic of recent years.
 Upon you rests the great responsibili- ty. As you may mould public opinion of your section through your press, so may be the welfare, or the illfare of the nation in the immediate future But let us remember we differ, and that, struck through the shoulder by the very sparks that are elicited the light of truth is ex- ter ed Whatever might have been our errors in the past. we may now work heartily for the honor, the integrity and tSa welfare of our common country.
 T thank you for the opportunity which you have given me, and leaving you now, | would again try to get little rest, when betake myself to the sea in going home from Norfolk"
 The members of the association spent the afternoon visiting the points of in- terest in the city and tonight were en- tertafned at the Westmoreland club. To- morrow they will take trip to Old Point and dine at the Chamberlain hotel The local members are making it very pleas ant for the visitors.