The Elbert County tribune., 1899-07-27
SAID BY A RAILROAD MAN.

must be of superior quality. and tho
demand Tor American manufacturers
began to incrcsse and is Increasing
with each day. until hundreds Of our
,se'ories are row running night aaa
uay' and busiu ess In the United States
was never in a more prosperous CON
oition than 1t is on the 2Ist day OF
June. 1899.
1t has been said by great AmerI-
can writer that trade follows the
nag Our war with Spain has placed
our nag upon the Islands OF the Pa.
cine. directly in the natural track be.
tween the Pacific coast OF the United
states and japan and China. and as we
eontem plate our growing commerce
with these old nations we are remind
ed OF the prophetic statement made at
ihe complexion OF the first continuous
ine OF railroad between the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans, by tho Joining OF
the Union and Central Pacific rail-
roads. more than thirty years ago. by
mat prophet OF his time, Thomas H.
Benton. who. standing on the summit
OF the Rocky Mountains and pointing
toward the Pacific ocean, said: There
is the East; there Is India" Mr..
PRESIDENT. since the meeting at Lake
George. four years ago, the fortunes
OF war have placed the United States
In the front ra nix among the powers
OF the world. and we can no more shisk
the responsibility which these events
have brought on us as a nation. than
we can shirk our responsibility as prl-
vate citizens.
There are some who seem to think
that we might get along without trade
with China. and that II Is a new fan
gled notion that Chinese trade can es-
pecially benefit the United States.
Commerce with China is much Older
than many suppose. for II began lis
years ago. the frat vessel sailing from
New York on washington's birthday,
In the year 177t. This vessel returned
TO New York May IL. i775. The sue
cess of the venture was such as to war
rant its repetition. and from that day
to this. trade between the United
States and China has continued with
out material interruption. until II Is
now greater in Importance and value
than that OF any other nation trading
with China, with the single exception
of Great Britain. II We are to continue
as one OF the great nations OF the
world. we can hardly afford TO Ignore
country that comprises one-twoltth
OF the land area and nearly one-fourth
of the population OF the globe.
The influence OF the press. partlcu-
larly in this country. is Immense. and
it is growing year by year. and with
reasonable cooperation and reciproc-
ity between the press. the transporta.
tion companies and the commercial
and Industrial interests OF the country.
there can be no doubt about our su-
premacy.
At times there have been perlods OF
legislation adverse TO the great tranA-
portatlon interests OF the country. al
most Invariably the result OF misun-
derstanding OF the real sitration, and
the hasty legislation OF such. times has
usually been repealed upon the sober
second thought OF the people. for In the
language of our great Lincoln; You
can fool all the people some OF the
time, some of the people all the time.
but you can't fool all the people all
the time" There are still some people
who fear that consolldations. especial
ly Of transportation companies. will
result disastrously to the general In
terests OF the country. There is one
example to which ! wish to call your
attention, and which, l think, each Of
you will appreciate. Forty-seyen years
ago. there was issued an annual pass
over the Central Line OF Railroads. be-
t-1een Buffalo and Boston. and by the
PeoploS Line Of Steamboats, to New
York this pass bearing the following
signatures on the back thereof: Eze-
klel C. Mcintosh. President. Albany
and Schenectady n. II. Co; Erastus
Corning, President, Utica and Schenee-
tady II. r. Co.; John wilkinson. Presl-
dent. Syracuse and Utica II. II. Co;
Henry b. Gibson, President. Rochester
and Syracuse n. n. Co., Joseph Field.
President, Buffalo and Rochester II. II.
CO.: william II. Swift. President. Wes-
tern r. II. Co.: Isaac Newton. Peoples
Line mboats; Job Collamer. Wa
tertown & Rome II. r. Co.
Mr.. e. d. Worcester, Secretary of the
New York Central, says he rode on a
ticket OF this kind from Albany to Bos-
ton in the summer OF 1852. and he re-
members distinctly the signature of
each Of these Presidents. What would
you think II in preparing to attend
your annual meeting you mad to write
TO eight different persons to secure
transportation from New York to Nj
agara Falls? ! am sure you appreciate
the fact that II does not require eight
letters to secure such transportation.
nor does II require seven changes Of
cars to make the Journey as II did In
1859.
SHe g,.r~a