The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-19
DAILY, SO A YEAR,
CENTS A COPY.
WEEKLY 2-TIMES-A-WEEK 81 A YEAR
SOUTH MUST Reject SILVER.
EDWARD ATKINSON TALKS TO
SOUTHERN EDITORS.


Gold Standard Declared Essential
to PrOsperity-OId officers Re-EIec-
ted.
Richmond, Va. Nov. 1s.-The Southern
Associated Press met in annual session at
the Jefferson hotel in this city this morn
ing, transacted considerable routine busi-
ness, and reelected the old officers. NJ.
Glennan of the Norfolk Virginian was
added to the executive committee.
Edward Atkinson of Boston, who was in
the city, addressed the meeting at some
length, and among other things said; II
need make no excuse for being here.
came here for rest but when l 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 the influence may
come that may make or mar the mighty
future of this nation. l know not what
all your views may have been; with some
Of you have held a somewhat bitter con-
test in the late war; others have been
with me-Let the dead past bury its dead
AT the beginning of the financial recon-
stern responsibility.
Several years since the president of the
largest bank of --- came to my office. He
put to me this question, What will be the
end of the purchase of silver bullion un-
der the Sherman act?' To which I re-
piled "a financial panic such as this coun-
try has never seen and paralysis of in
dustry such as we have never Witnessed
when will that happen? To which I
replied, No man can fx 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
its obligations in the lawful unit of value
"a dollar made OF gold.
He noted this prophecy and went away
preparing, like myself, for the future.
That crisis has come, and from that pa
ralysis we are now emerging-the verdict
of the nation has been rendered. in1-
pute no wrongful motives to those Of
your section who have sustained the acts
which brought on this contest. 1t Is end
ed; Let the dead past bury its dead
May we not join together hand to hand in
the efforts to restore conditions under
which all may make progress to prosper
ity alike?
Years ago, thought that had found
in the restrictions upon banking the cause
4 of the danger which we have just sur
| mounted. In our section of the country
we have more banking capital than we
| can use In your section and in the far
west II is lacking. Your people are dis
! trustful of banks and bankers, not know
| ing or believing in the service which
| banks render to the community, yet sub
| ject yourselves to the worst and most
| costly system, because you have no other.
/
| four corners, taking advances from them
| at excessive rates of interest, put your
| self 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 restrictions or
| the present bank act suitable for the
| period Of war, and, perhaps, Justinable,
! preventing that mutual service which
| banks and bankers might render to your
| community
at has been difficult for the men of the
north and east to comprehend the real
/ grievance under which you have suffered,
| while thew deplore your mistaken effort
| in the recent election to bring bad money,
! not only upon yourselves, but upon us
money which required a force bill or act
| OF legal tender to make 1t circulate at
| all.
I'VE now ask YOU to formulate your
/
| us in such a reconstruction of the bank
| ing system of the country as shall make
| this nation a unit, knowing no sectional
| wrong to prejudice, each serving the
| other according to its ability and IT'S
| needs. There are many methods by which
this can be done. The adjustment Is
/ matter of detail. Are we such incapable
people that, possessing the greatest re-
| sources in the world, we are to be smoth-
cred In our own grease, because we can
not organize for the purpose OF serving
| each other?
.sThe 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 its 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 l saids
Let the dead past bury its dead
LET us join hands. The solid south is
| broken, even the color-line is broken. 1t
is the most hopeful period that l have
| witnessed since the civil war. Right
| minded men may now lay away their
prejudi3s with the struggle that has Just
| ended Find out wherein we may recon-
| struct the financial system of the coun-
! try, and then join together, and by the
| force Of the united public opinion, bring
about the removal OF artificial construc-
/ ton to our mutual benefit. OF all the is
/
! the immediate future, I believe that the
reconstruction of tho banking system is
the most important Had that been under
| taken when 1t became so manifest to the
few, as It did few years since, we should
| have had no silver craze, or we might have
been saved the disaster and panic of re-
cent years.
Upon you rests the great responsibility.
| AS you may mould public opinion Of your
| section through your press, so may be the
welfare, or the ill-fare of the nation in the
| immediate future But let us remember we
| differ, and that struck through the shoul-
der by the very sparks that are elicited,
the light of truth Is extended. Whatever
might have been our errors In the past,
we may now work for the honor, the In
tegrity, and the welfare of our common
| country.
II thank you for the opportunity which
| you have given me, and leaving you now, 1
would again try to get a little rest when I
betake myself to the sea in going home
| from Norfolk"
The members Of the association spent
| the afternoon visiting the points OF inter-
/ Ia tbq cifv and to-nfphf were enter