The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-18

e
which has given the Pacific coast one %
the grandest harbors in the world W.
have also endeavored 10 get our tuil snare
of the government appropriations ior riv-
ers and harbors These are some OF VI,
few things In which we nave at'aIusS
some degree Of success. Tnere are o.
ers In which we have not been SO success
full -
Year after year we have demanded win
all The vigor OF language at our command
that we should have speedy cons uas,on
OF the Nicaragua canal, and we propOse
to keep on demanding it until we geI ~.
We have discussed irrigation IN az Iee
features, and from those VINO come iiol'
that section OF the country where irrisd,
tion is necessary we have mad wonuer w
enlightment on the subject and the Nalue
OF irrigation to the arid lands oil the srs"I
West, We have asked for statehood LOT
our Territories. We have also discussed
tariff rates. We have discussed the means
of transportation both by water and py
rail. And these are the lines along whien
we propose to work until we attain stlli
further results.
But gentlemen. what shall / say In re-
gard to the future? We stand today upon
the threshold of the most active era oI
commercial and industrial development
which this Nation has ever known, an era
OIL aCtlEIlY lar GAC6tuiib NAS
dreams of the most enthusiastic dreamer.
1t is 1.-THE tide in the affairs Of all men
which, taken at its flood, leads on 10
fortune" To rise to the full realization
of what it means to wisely utilize every
opportunity which 1t forces and careiuily
adjust our methods TO new conditions
and to adapt ourselves 10 our new environ
ment is the pressing demand oil the hour;
This Congress must broaden It's scope ana
take in these new issues, and when again
we ask and for the last time, for the
building of the Nicaragua canal, we must
necessarily consider as adjuncts to II ana
logical sequences Of the development IN
the far East other subjects. We must
consider our trade with the Orient, our
merchant marine, our Pacific cable, our
consular service. department OF com
merce and industry, and we must also
realize that our rivers and harbors as,
sumo new Importance as tributaries anu
adjuncts to the great commercial water
ways. This is a very tempting theme upon
which I dwell and already l have tres
passed upon your time Once again de-
sire to thank the gentlemen who delivered
the addresses Of welcome and the people
whom they represent for their cordial
greeting and their hearty welcome. and
when we leave your hospltable city we
trust that we shall leave with you. as we
shall carry with us, a pleasant remem-
brance of our vast, and may our inter
course serve to strengthen those ties
which bind us in sympathy with the COM
mon country
At the conclusion of Mr. Whitmore's
address. President Stanard said
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Trans
mississippi Commercial Congress--As
was coming from Fort Worth | was think
ing of something that perhaps | might say
on this occasion. but when | found tina;
Mr. Whitmore on behalf of the eGecu-
tive committee, was going to make a re-
sponsive-and an able and exhaustive re-
Spouse he has niade--l went back to the
chairman of the executive COMMITTEES and
said / thought that st. Louis would have
said enough on this occasion and begged
to be excused from making any remarks.
He said that / had to talk some time dur
ing this session OF the Transmisals sippi
Commercial Congress, and that | might
just as well do it at the opening as at
any other time. l told him that | should
be exceedingly glad, If the talk must be
made to get it off my hands as soon as
possible. Now, l am very sure that
express the views of the members of this
Commercial Congress when | say to the
people Of Houston that We most cordially
thank you for the reception which you
have given us on this occasion.
| am reminded that this is the eleventh
session of the Transmississippi CONNER
cial Congress. 1t is the third session that
have had the honor of attending, but l
have been reading about the matters
which have been under consideration for
the past eleven years and have been very
much Interested in the conclusions that
have been arrived at and in the en-
thus.asm which has been manifested in
the interest Of this great Transmississippi
country.
"A gentleman asked me few days ago
why this Congress was confined to this
Transmississippi country. 1t was rather
new feature to me, but l answered him
that the country east OF the Mississippi
river had been having opportunities for
the past 1T5 years to demonstrate its
power and to show its vigor and pa
triousm and energy, that they had made
wonderful strides and that the people
west of the Mississippi river, who we e
In new country, had not had the oppor-
tunities and privileges to demonstrate its
grandeur and It's possibilities, as have
existed east of the Mississippi river, and
II We did not do our work, II we did MOI
find out something OF the possibilities OF
this great country, who would, and IL we
did not create some enthusiasm q great
work would not be accomplished. Now
the truth is that We have In this Trans
mississippi country somewhere from 20
600 600 to 600 people, nearly one
third OF the population of the United
States. The increase in population in this
section in the past quarter OF a century
has been much greater in this region than
in any other section of the United States
We have 100000 square miles OF terri
tory west of the Mississippi river. We
have two-thirds Of the landed surface Of
the United States. How large popula-
ton can this Transmlssissippi country
stand? Texas alone claims that It can
take good care of 100000 or Ii. 600 900
people. This country has bean doubling
its population every thirty years during
the past century. In 1860, without going
further back. we mad 100000 600 people in
the United States In 1890, We had 60. :
900 900. and, at the rate we are ow going.
In 1920 there will be 100, 600 GOO people
here. or this increase In population our
section will get the greater portion there.
Of II is our duty TO follow the examine
of our ancestors who made sacrifice; as
great as any class OF people ever made IN
the settlement OF this country, Il Is our
duty, With the light which we have now
and with past experience to do what we
can for coming generations. for those who
shall occupy our places In this great