The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-09
PRESIDENT AT
 CHARLESTON Banquet to the Chief
 Executive. SOUTH CAROLINA VEL COME Felicitates His Hearers Over
 a Reunited Country. An American Worth His Salt is at Home in Any section of tho
 United statss-oratiAed ' by Greeting. =

c.harleston. s. C., April s.-The pam nuet tendered to President Roosevelt to- night at the Charleston Hotel was a n,- t,nr close to a day full of incidents ana served to gather together men prominent in the affairs of the State. having soieis in mind a greeting to the President which would prove the sincerity and the warmth of feeAng existing for him as the chiei executive of the nation. The oanQue' hau was d bower of roses, pinks ana smilsx, artistically arranged. while loosely strevn over the tables were thousanas of violets, whose fragrance could only put suggest that spring time had arrived.
 Over three hundred specially invited guests were present and the President was at his best. In few well cnoseh remarks Mayor Smyth welcomed Presi- dan, Roosevelt to Charleston MT. RooseveIt's response was listened 10 "ieh the closest attention and was interrupted bv loud and continuous applause. The. Presidents remarks were as follows:
 <..Mr. Mayor and you. my hosts and my fellow American citizens: should inoeeo be a poor American myself if were not deeply touched and gratifed by the way you have greeted me today in this, your Ses,,tiy,l city. and of course 1 feel at home here (Applause.) l think that an American who is worth his salt has the rieht to feel at home in any part or the United States. (Applauseo
 Around this table see many men wno took part in the great war, The war Ill which the younger among us here toos mart was a very little one because p oin not have to be any bigger. lAppiause.l ~ Hnt it had one thoroughly good enect; it nut the cap on the structure that hao bss.5 b1ifding while we were almost uriT constious of it and 1t taught us how thoro,,shly one we were. When we got thkouxh that war it did not make a Dls of difference to us whether 1t was an ao- Yniral who came from Vermont or lieu tenant who came from Alapama. tAp- ptause) If the man had done ms anty in such shape as to make us each teel an even more generous thrill of pride in our r,mron nationality, the debt that we oveS him had little to do with the see- tion from which he came. (Applause.)
 "And now a special word to you or charleston and of South Carolina. Just twelve years ago, when l hrst went 10 Wsshinston to take part In governmental work, I was immediately thrown into einguarIy close contact and intimacy witn A South Caroiinian. It was my soou fortune to work with him for three years end for the nine years since and as long as shall continue to be in public life 1t uiII he to me ever spur to try to do decent duty for the republic, because have heen thrown intimately Tn contact with as fearless and as high minded nublic servant as this, country has ever had my old frenc. your former Governor, Hugh Thompson (great spplause) ana from what I have known of YOU and or your representatives it was in no sense surnrise. but it was a keen pleasure to be greeted with the hearty and generous hospitality, the more than hearty and generous hospitality, which you have shown me today (Applsuse.)
 The welfare of any part ef this country is in a certain sense. an index of the welfare of all, and I think, gentlemen, that on the average. as as we all tend to TO up it seems to be little better to go m uniformly rather than sharper gait. for the time being and then down. and then 'up again. and then down. South Carolina seems. during the last two de- cades, t5 have definitely entered upon the path of steady progress in things ma terial as we'll as in other things. ! was much struck in looking over some of the
  lishad to gee the astonishing progress that has been made here in your State. vas prepared to see that the values of vour farm products had risen as they have a little over twenty-five per cent l was prepared to see that your farms themselves had increased In still larger nroportion; that the value Of your lands and buildings had grown up. but l did not realize the way In which your manu- featuring enterprises had increased. both as shown in the fact that your manufac- turing products had gone up over l9O per cent; that for instance, the number or spindles has about quadrupled. from less than half a million to more than two ,niIlion ain the State I did not realize that the wages paid out had increased 70 per cent Gentlemen. you talk Of prog rees of the Far West. but think South Carolina can give points to some Of the States (Applsuse). think that with such a record for the previous decade' vou were well warranted upon insisting on holding your Exposition here. tApT plause).
 And, gentlemen. l was very glad that in arranging for your Exposition you not onlv took in the Southern State, but that vou specially included the islands lying 1outh of the United States those islands with which the events of the last few years have made it evident that we are bound in the future 10 nave closer reId- lions. 1Great applause). Closer relations for our advantage. and our advantage can only be secured by making it for their advantage also. Loud applause). And about all that have said applies to the zreatest and richest of those islands, the ;s,and with which we have brought into the most peculiar intimacy and relations inc Island of Cuba Ind ask that in ouI tmada relations with Cuba we give her 8 r,arlsed and substantial advantage. not ,,arelv because it will rebound to our t,,tarest to do so, although that also is tr',a that it will rebound to our own in tsrest to do so. but ask it especially because the events have so shaped them, ssives that it is our duty. as great and .-.i.ht, nation. to help Cuba. and I hops tn see us do our duty. (Cheers and an
 'T shall not try to make you any spsecf toziRh4, fox. because for your sias. yo'