The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-09-18

tion widely separated peoples and
made them better acquainted. Geo,
graphic and political divisions will con.
tinue to exist, but distances have been
etfaced. Swift ships and fast trains
are becoming cosmopolitan. They in
wade fields which few years ago We're
! impenetrablc. The worlds products are
exchanged as never before, and with
increasing transportationfa facilities come
Increasing knowledge and larger trade.
Prices are fixed with mathcmatic pre-
cision by supply and demand. The
worlds selling prices are regulated by
market and crop reports.
We travel greater distances in a
shorter space of time and with moro
ease than was ever dreamed of by the
fathers. Isolation is no longer possible
or desirable. The same important news
is read, though in different languages,
the same day in all Christendom. The
telegraph keeps US advised of what Is
occurring everywhere. and the press
foreshadows with more OF less ac-
curacy the plans and purposes Of the
nations. Market prices of products and
of securities are hourly known in every
commercial mart. and the investments
of the people extend beyond their OWE
I.national boundaries into the rcmotcst
parts of the earth. Vast transactions
are conducted and international eX-
changes are made by the tick of the
cable. Every event of interest is imme-
diately bulletined.
The quick gathering and transmits
sion of news, like rapid transit, are of
recent origin and are only made pos
sible by the genius Of the inventor and
the courage Of the investor. 1t took a
special messenger Of the government.
with every facility known at the time
for rapid travel, nineteen days to go
from the city Of Washington to New
Orleans with a message to General
Jackson that the war with England
had ceased and a treaty of peace had
been signed. How different now! We
reached General Miles in Porto Rico
by cable, and he was able through the
military telegraph to stop his army on
the firing line with the message that
the United States and. Spain had sign
ed protocol suspending hostilities.
We knew almost instantly of the first
shots fired at Santiago, and the subse-
quent surrender of the Spanish forces
was known at Washington within less
than an hour Of its consummation. The
first ship of Cervera's fleet had hardly
emerged from that historic harbOr
when the fact was flashed to our cap
ital, and the swift destruction that fol-
lowed was announced Immediately
through the wonderful medium Of te
legraphy. So accustomed are we to
safe and easy communication with dis
tant lands that its temporary Interrupt
tion even in ordinary times results in
loss and Inconvenience. We shall never
forget the days Of anxious waiting and
awful suspense when no information
was permitted to be sent from Peking
and the diplomatic representatives Of
the nations in China, cut off from all
communication inside and outside Of
the walled capital, were surrounded by
an angry and misguided mob that
threatened their lives. nor the joy that
thrilled the world when single mes
sage from the government Of the Unit
ed States brought through our minister
the first news of the safety of the be-
sieged diplomats.
At the beginning of the nineteenth
century there was not mile Of steam
railroad on the globe. Now there are
enough miles to make its circuit many
times. Then there was not line Cf
electric telegraph. Now we have
vast mileage traversing all lands and
all seas. God and man have linked
the nations together. No nation can
longer be Indifferent to any other, and
Us we are brought more and more in
touch with each other the less occasion
is there for misunderstanding and
the stronger the disposition when we
have differences to adjust them in the
court Of arbitration, which is the no.
blest forum for the settlement Of inter-
national disputes.
Unexnmplcd Prosperity.
My fellow citizens, trade statistics in
dicate that this country is in q state Of
unexampled prosperity. The figures
are almost appalling. They show that
we are utilizing our fields and forests
and mines and that we are furnishing
profitable employment to the millions
Of workingmcn throughout the United
States, bringing comfort and happiness
to their homes and making it possible
to lay by savings for old age and dis
ability. That all the people are par
ticipating in this great prosperity IS
seen in every American community and
shown by the enormous and unprece-
dented deposits in our savings banks.
Our duty is the care and security Of
these deposits, and their safe invest
ment demands the highest integrity
and the best business capacity of those
in charge of these repositories Of the
peoples earnings.
We have q vast and intricate busi-
ness, built up through years Of toll and
struggle, in which every part Of the
country has its stake, which will not
permit Of either neglect or Of undue
selfishness. No narrow, sordid policy
will subserve it. The greatest skill and
wisdom on the part of the manufac-
turers and producers will be required
to hold and increase it. Our indus
trial enterprises which have grown to
such great proportions affect the homes