Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-11-20
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SENATOR McLAURIN IN ATLANTA.
Delivers . Great Speech on Exten-
sion Of Foreign Trade.

Delivers . Great Speech on Exten-
sion Of Foreign Trade.
The annual convention Of the South
ern Cotton Spinners association was
held in Atlanta last Thursday, and af-
ter the business Of the day was trans
acted notable speeches were delivered
by DR.. ]. H. McAden, ex-Secretary
Hoke Smith and Senator John L. Nc
Laurin. Senator McLaurin's subject
was the Extension Of our Foreign Trade.
When the senator arose to speak, ac-
cording to the Atlanta Journal, he was
greeted with vociferous applause. He
spoke in part as follows:
1 appear before you tonight not for
the purpose Of entertaining you with
pleasing words or an expression Of the
grateful welcome with which you are
received in the Gate City Of the south.
I feel that my presence here would be
in vain II in some way cannot assist
in making the important object of
your meeting more successful than 1t
would be had I not come. I feel the
Limitations which surround me; but ad-
dress you in the hope that some sug-
gestion Of mine will assist in your
deliberations, make the work Of your
convention easier or lead to q discus
sion of matters which would not other
wise be discussed.
To my mind the meeting Of this as
sociation upon southern soil is fraught
with great possibilities for future good,
not only to my section but to all Sec
tions.
I realize that .am talking to men
who have made q life study of the
manufacture Of cotton; and it would
be presumption in me to attempt to ex-
plain or direct them in the avocation
about which they are much better in
formed than I could be.
What has been done in the manufac-
ture Of cotton goods in the south is but
commencement Of the work that
there is to do. The necessities Of man
kind are generally defined under two
heads: Food and clothing. The basis
Of clothing is cotton and wool. When
the country adapted to wool and cot
ton growing is utilized for that purpose
throughout the United States, as In
the future it will be, the United States
will control more than half Of the
clothing supply Of the entire world. 1t
now produces the material which con-
trolls the cotton clothing supply Of ma
tions.
| Atlanta in It's infancy was hemmed
In on all sides by older and larger cities
within short distances, it seemed i'm
possible that merchants enterprising
enough to build up trade could be in
duced to locate here. Without water
transportation and not in the section
Of the great southern staple. with no
coal or other minerals, there seemed to
be nothing upon which to build for the
future. But the men Of Atlanta in
vited the men Of the north to cooper
ate with them In the upbuilding Of the
town. Both worked together and the
result Is a city Of which If any citizen
Is not proud he should be banished from
1t. There Is no limit to the possibil-
tiles Of this object lesson as to what
can be done when north and south
work together in a common enterprise.
II the gentlemen who are now confer
ring together for their individual good,
which. II attained, will bring about
general prosperity, will consider this
matter wisely and the south and the
east will combine their efforts, they can
control the cotton industry Of the en-
tire world.
| We are at the dawning Of a new day
Of progress in the history Of the world.
Until very recently commerce was not
deemed a proper subject for govern
mental consideration. The moving
considerations prompting the settle
ment Of the Chinese trouble were COM
mercial. The time will come when the
best minds Of every country will be
called upon to adjust the complicated
questions Of foreign trade. We, as
Americans, must prepare ourselves for
the new duties and responsibilities de-
volving upon us as citizens Of the re-
public. We have successfully met the
diplomats Of the world. we have van
quished their armies and navles; and
we must now meet their fnanciers and
their operators Of great business enter
prises in this conflict for supremacy in
commerce. They are upon US and we
must meet them. To those who fail to
see and give heed to the signs of the
times, I can only say that they have
my earnest sympathy and my hope
that they will awaken to the new con-
ditions before it is too late to take ad-
vantage of them. This new CONNER
cial movement is not going to stop and
If individuals stop, it will simply pass
them by. If we as a nation stop, the
other nations will so surpass us that
none will be so poor as to do us rev.
erence.
| I announced myself during the last
session Of congress as in favor Of a
subsidy for an American merchant ma
rine, because felt that 1t was essen
tial to adequate material defense and
DEVELOPMENT. Our weakness upon the
sea is the one great danger that con-
fronts the nation.
If ships could be built in the United
States as cheaply and operated under
our flag as cheaply as they are under
other flags it would be unnecessary for
n do mora than TO