Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1898-03-01
me SOUND al, Eden,
,i,nntch 10 the Bnltimore Sun.

Special Dispatch to The Baltimore Sun.
TAMPA, FLA. Feb. 9.--The South and
West Commercial Congress, which met
here yesterday, continued its session to
day Gov. George W. Atkinson, of West
Virginia, made the principal address in
support of the gatherings Object-the
promotion of closer trade relations be-
tween the South and West.
Governor Atkinson's address created
Amusement as well as solid interest. He
said in part:
SIT cannot be successfully conlroverted
that we have within the Southern States
the necessary elements to cause some, if
not all of them, to become manufacturing
centres. We have natural advantages
unequaled by any other portion of this
republic, and am delighted over the
fact that our own people are now engag,
ed in the laudable undertaking of work
ing up our own raw materials into finish
ed products upon our own soil by our own
skilled labor. This, my countrymen, is
an unerring road to success. Thanks to
ourselves, we are succeeding now. H.
deed, we have already succeeded, and we
are only in the dawn of what we are yet
to be-
with harbors unsurpassed, ships
should be leaving every hour in these
ports. carrying our products across the
high seas to other lands less favored than
our own. With our practically mex
haustible forests we can furnish boards
enough to fence in the universe and have
a supply left sufficient to lay a boardwalk
to the snow-bound regions of the Klon-
dixie. With our coal we can heat the
earth hotter than the Hebrew fiery fur
mace of Shadrach, Meshach and Abedne
go and have surplus enough to furnish
steam for all the ships on all the SEAS
With our natural gas we can, if it were
concentrated, make Pluto ashamed of his
boosted dominion aud cause him to fee
to the mountains of West Virginia in
search of the cool balmy breezes which
can only be found in that charming Swift.
zeriand of America. With our crude ne.
troleum we can, if we want to, grease
every axle and cog and wheel and pinion
in this and all lands and at the same time
oil the hinges of every stump orators jaw
from Florida Keys to the north pole, hav-
ing enough left over, when properly re-
fined, to light up all the dark places on
terra firma like spectacular aurora-bc-
reals. With our cotton and tobacco
and our rice and our sugar and our semi
tropical fruits, what may we not expect
when every strong, broad-shouldered
Southern man has his back against the
wagon and is pushing all he can?
"PardOu me, in conclusion, for a spec
ial word for my own native State of West
Virginia. We think we have the richest
and best. located State in the Union
Our eastern border is within fifty miles
of the national capital. We are eighteen
hours from New York, St. Louis and
Chicago; twelve hours or less from Bal
timore, Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Richmond and Piltsburg. We have a
salubrious climate, charming scenery, low
taxes, cheap, fertile lands, good schools,
well-executed laws and a happy, content.
ed population. We have more coal, oil,
gas and timber than any other State We
produced fourteen million tons of coal,
one million six hundred thousand tons of
coke, nineteen million barrels of oil and
gas enough to blow up the Gulf of Mexi-
co-all in the year of our Lord 1897.
extend to all of these delegates and to all
the good people of the Land of Flowers
cordial invitation to come to West Vir-
ginia, cast your lots with us, and we will
guarantee to all of you health, happiness
and prosperity"
The delegates to the congress were Civ
en- reception at the Tampa Bay Casino
in the evening. About hundred dele
gates are in attendance.