The Indianapolis journal., 1901-05-01
DOWN IN DIXIE.
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CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGED
counted for by an extension of your limits
[applausej by an act of the Legislature and
without the consent of the governed.
Laughter and long-continued applause.l
This city, with it's magnificent river,
with its early history and environments.
could not fail to have the true instinct of
commerce. You were born to commerce
here in the city of Memphis. [Applause.
Ii your early training. You saw the
ships go with your products and the ships
return with the products OF other countries
for your use and comfort. You early dis
cerned the possibility of this great Repub-
lie and you have been in the vanguard or
advancement and progress and expansion
from the earliest years of your history.
TApplause.1 You early learned that max
inns were not as profitable as markets.
Laughter and applausel And that the
only way to get markets was to encourage
commerce and transportation by sea and
by land.
A JOINT RESOLUTION.
1.-THE State of Tennessee shares in the
sentiment and spirit of the people of Mem
phis, and on the 1st Of December, 1917. the
Legislature of this State. by joint resolu-
ton, instructed its senators and members
i'm the Congress of the United States to
vote for a great transcontinental line to the
Pacific coast to be aided by the government
of the United States. [Applause.l In the
preamble of that resolution Is the spirit
and the purpose of the American people to-
day. IL has been nowhere better expressed.
and let me read IL TO you:
Whereas, The construction OF a railroad
across the continent Of North America
would make the United States the great
highway between Europe and the populous
and wealthy empires Of Asia. would greatly
facilitate our intercourse with those re-
gione. would tend 10 consolidate our Union.
would connect and bind Oregon and the
Pacific coast To us. and would give frean
impulse TO our great agricultural. manu-
etess aud all al
whereas this atupendous work can be ac-
complished and the public lands constitute
a fund apIropriate FOR dsfrayinE the ek.
psnEca OF such an undertaking, ~ small
part OF them would furnish the means and
the value OF the remainder would he greatly
enhanced thereby lapplausel and whereas
in It's great outlines, is In our opinion, the
only practicable scheme for the accom-
plishmcnt OF this great undertaking. which
should be commenced as soon aH practic'
able, therefore,
Resolved. by the General Assembly OF
tho State OF Tennessee. that they approve
ol Mr.. Whitney's plan as explained by
himself 90 them OF constructing railroad
from Michigan TO the Pacific ocean.
"That was on the LIST day OF December.
lAl. hffy-four years ago, Three years
afterward the Legislature then assembled,
not approving OF this particular route 10
the Pacific coast, suggested that oil OF the
plans should first be laid before Congress
before any action was taken and that the
route that would do the most good for all
the interests OF the people should be the
one that ought 10 be adopted. lApplause ]
Let me read YOU the preamble OF the sec
Ond resolution.
=" Whereas. As the attention of the peo-
pie and government of the United States
is now being directed 10 the Improvement
and practicability OF constructing a rail-
road across the continent OF North Amer
lea as the means Of making the United
States the great highway betv cen Europe
and the populous and wealthy empires or
Asia, of facilitating our own intercourse
with those regions. OF connecting and bind
ing California and the Pacific coast TO our
Union and of developing our great agri-
terests, and,
Whereas. This stupendous work, If ac-
complshed by the aid OF the general gov
ernment ought 10 be SO constructed as to
confer it's inestimable benefits as equally
as possible upon the people or the United
States and To consolidate the union OF those
States as we'll as that OF the states with
the Western Territories by making II the
means Of more intimate and lasting con-
nectlon Of the North and South, rendering
the interests Of each dependent upon and
tributary TO this magnificent thoroughfare
of the commerce OF the world lap
plausc.
FIVE TRANSCONTINENTAL LINES.
THAT was the thought that was the
purpose. that was the spirit of the people
of Tennessee fifty years ago [applausei-
no question as 10 whether IL was to be the
central line or the Southern line or the
Northern line; the real question was the