The Forrest City times., 1897-09-03
COL. JOHN c. FLETCHER
aiks 10 the Bankers Convention Al
 Detroit. Michigan.
"he who Has Witnessed It Tells of the Ap,a rrogress Made By Great
 state-A United People.

! by Col. John c. Fletcher tho ysll saown Little Rock banker, before the American Bankers convention at De- troit' which he attended as delegate. Noi' fIetchers remarks elicited ire quent applause from the delegates: MT President. and Gentlemen of the Amer,-
 can Bankers Association, Ladies and Gen.
 tlemen:
 The history of this country shows that Arkansas and Michigan are twin sisters, they having been admitted into the Union under the same act of con- gress, on the same day, and by the same vote. Consequently, Arkansas feels kindly toward Michigan; not only kind ly toward Michigan, but kindly toward every state in this great Union. Mich igan has led Arkansas in the great race in the progress of states. Why? Nature planted Michigan along these great lakes, while Arkansas was planted west of the Mississippi river with forty miles of swamp on the east side, and the national government, believing that Arkansas was the jumping-off place of creation, planted the Indian
 
 that alone, but Texas was on our south ern border, when it was republic of its own, and was the resort for refugees from other states. We had all this to contend with, but thank God, Arkansas is today on the road to progress. In 1870 Arkansas had 400,00 population, in 1880, S00,0 and in 1890, 1 1,25O, ,000. Her products were about 100, ,00O bales of cotton annually then, while today we are raising crop of over 500, 900 bales, and plenty of corn, wheat, meat, rye, barley, and lots of watermelons for the colored race, too. When the war ended there was not regularly organized bank in the whole state. Today we have 9S banks and banking institutions, and as rule they are all well managed and give facilities to the people to raise their crops, build their houses, churches and school houses. Arkansas was once derided, but such is not the case today. In 1850 she had little stretch of rail- road about 40 miles long. Now we have 2,544 miles of railroad, and if we have ordinary luck this year we will build 500 miles more. 1 would say to some of my friends who have thought evil of Arkansas, that there is no such thing as killing niggers before breakfast and having them to eat the rest of the day. One-third of our population is colored, and we live in harmony together. We work together, and there is no ill-feel- ing between the land owner and the former slave. We recognize them un- der all the rights which the constitution and the amendments guarantee them.
 ''We are all one people today. The bankers have the same interest in this country that the toiling man has, and I can say to my good friends of the north, we have no strikes down there, and no dissensions between employer and em- ployed.
 I've work together for the upbuild- ing of our country, and you will see the day when Arkansas, instead of having six representatives in congress, will have fifteen. Why? The tide of emil grafton is southward, and the young man who comes to Arkansas, and will pull off his coat and go to work, will make a home there which in time he will be proud of. and his children after him"
 II speak to you as a native Arkansan, one who never lived in any other state, and never expects to. That country is good enough for me, and for my chil- dren after me. Not that I do not ad- mire these other cities. It has been my good fortune to mix with this people h2yLAoIs | frannantlu " tn Boston and other larger cities of this country, and I love the people and the institutions.
 s "I speak as a Confederate soldier, too, who shouldered gun at the outbreak of the war, fought it through to the bitter end, and when 1 went home said, All l ask of the government is to let me alone and protect me in my rights, and I will show the world that the Confederate soldier will defend the national flag if it is ever assailed again I stood in front of Gen. sherman On his march to the sea. and met him after the war was over with grasp of the hand which meant the finest sympathy of my heart for the government. l escorted Gen. Grant from Memphis to 
 Little Rock some years ago, where we gave him grand banquet, and l want to tell you that I revere the name of Grant equal to that of any man who ever lived in this country. A man who does not love his whole country, his soul is dead to the warmest impulses of an American citizen. Now, my time is up. I hope this convention will do no foolish thing. but will do many things to advance the interests of the whole country, and that peace may reign in this country, and that we may have united country for all time to come.
 Upon retiring from the Little Rock postmastership, Prof. James Mitchell was presented with magnificent gold. headed cane, the gift of employees of the postoffice, as 8 token of the high