Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-19
BANKERSMEET
IN SAVANNAH
TUESDAY
Mr.. R. F. MADDOX, OF ATLANTA,
MAKES A RESPONSE TO THE
ADDRESS OF WELCOME BY
EDITOR ST0VALL.

| SAVANNAH. Ca, June 1s.-The Inter
/ state Bankers association, composed or
the members of the banking associations
of Georgia. North Carolina and Virginia,
convened here yesterday.
The first days session was held at the
| Savannah theater. There are about us
bankers and representatives Of banks In
attendance. The morning was taken up
with the delivery Of an address of welcome
| from Mr.. p. A. Stovall, editor of the Sa-
vannah Press. and responses by Mr. X.
/ +. Maddox of Atlanta, John f. Bruton
of North Carolina and George ]. Seay of
| Richmond, Va
Ex-Governor O'Farrell Of Virginia deliv-
/ cred a very interesting address. AT
o'clock the first mornings session came
/ to an end.
The address Of Ex-Governor O'Farren,
was a splendid one. He criticised the
| branch banking bill now before congress
and said he feared that i would not be
] any Improvement over the present bank
ing bill He also took occasion to round
" roast those Virginians who live in the
past and stand in the way Of progress.
| A resolution was introduced that the
branch banking bill known as the Fowler
bill be carefully considered before II Is
endorsed by the interstate bankers asso-
| citation. This afternoon the visitors will
| be entertained at Thunderbolt and tomor-
row afternoon they will go to Tybee,
where a banquet is to be rendered them at
night.
Mr.. Maddox, of Atlanta, made a splen-
did response to the address of welcome.
Mr.. Maddox said:
81 am sure that not since General Sher-
| man telegrapfed to President Lincoln 1
beg to present to you as Christmas gift the
| city of Savannah, with $50 heavy guns and
plenty of ammunition, and about 5000
bales of cotton has the key to this beau
4 frr1 81 ~ hon an prQ rendered. Or
so greatfully received as today. And, as
General, Sherman said his meen on that
| eventful trip had been a little loose in
| foraging and did some things they ought
not to have done, 1 hope you will allow
the bankers the same privilege.
There is but little doubt that we are
/ Indebted to Sir Walter Raleigh for the
discovery of this part of the North Amer
lean continent. and according to Mr..
| Oglethorpe the Indians said Sir Walter
/ was the first Englishman their forefathers
/ ever saw. So favorable was the impress
sion made by the gallant knight that their
chief king before he died desired to be
| taken to a high mound of earth, about
/ half a mile from Savannah in order that
he might be buried at the spot where he
/ talked with the great and good white
| stranger. We could hardly hope that after
meeting with the white strangers from
| Virginia, North Carolina and other parts
| OF Georgia, the present citizens of Sa-
/ vannah would wish to be buried on this
1 spot, but we trust they may at least
survive this convention sufficiently long
/ 70 designate their last resting place.
| Just one hundred and seventy years
i ago this month the charter was granted
/ for a distinct province between the Sa-
vannah and Altamaha rivers by the name
/ of Georgia in honor of the king by whom
/ the charter was granted, and in January,
/ Oor1a a
on the good ship Anne, and in the fol-
/ lowing February selected the site Of Sa-
/ vannah. During this year the most glow
/ ing accounts of the climate of Georgia
/ and the prosperous condition of her colo
/ nists were sent over to England, and
about this time a pamphlet appeared in
| London saying: "Such an air and soil can
only be described by a poetical pen be-
cause there is no danger of exceeding the
Il TRUTH" and quoted the following verse by
Waller, who writing of this section said:
1.-THE Spring, which but salutes us here.
Inhabits there, and courts them all the
| year,
Ripe fruits and blossoms on the same tree
At once they promise. what at once they
| give.
So sweet the air, so moderate the cline,
None sickly lives or dies before HIS time
Heaven sure has kept this spot of earth
\ uncursed,
To show how all things were created
| first"
with such location and under such in
/ fuenees It is not surprising that Savannah
1 has always been distinguished. / do not
| believe any other city in the United
i States has taken so active part in the
| defense of freedom, or more bravely
\ fought out American progress than the
I'd ff,a ,lraV-c
| from the three greatest states of the
south. From the early Creek wars through
/ every conflict i'm which the nations
/ honor was at stake, down to the late
war with Spain. her brave people have
marched from these historic commons al
ways ready to lay down their lives at
/ their cOuntry's call.
For three years six months and thirteen
days this metropolis of Georgia lay in the
! entire possession of the enemy, but when
/ peace finally smiled upon the land her
people, although greatly effected by the
| disruption of social ties during the pro-
/ longed struggle. and the depressed condi-
ton OF trade. as brave in peace as they
had been in war. at once went to work to
/ up-build this country and in councils of
state and nation did much to form and
1 foster the new republic. In proportion to
her population she has adorned her ave-
| nues and public places with more beautiful
i
statesmen than any other city in the
| south.
1t is, therefore, quite fortunate that we
| can meet on this historic ground, amid
such hospitable and progressive people,
where wisdom, justice and moderation"
has always been their guiding star. It is
| especially fitting that we should gather
under that motto at the beginning of this,
! which is destined to be, the most potential
/ century which has dawned upon the world
| since the babe of Bethlehem was born.
| The spirit of American principles and pro-
| gress which so brightly lighted the de-
clining days of the nineteenth century
| have already begun to penetrate the
shadows Of the far east and ere another
4 cycle of time shall have elapsed, the
| whole world will have adopted our faith
in freedom, and all nations will worship
| at the shrine of Columbia. In this century
we shall witness great wars. but they will
| be the bloodless battles for control, con-
ceived by kings of finances and fought out
| on the sea of commerce, where capital in
stead OF cannon will capture instead of
/ kill
We have just heard the first firing by
\ the invading army of the trusts at the
outposts OF our prosperity. The beef bar
ons have attempted to levy tax upon the
people as unjust and unfair as unneces-
sary and unwise as that which our fore
| fathers in the colonies refused to pay. The
\ tea has been thrown into the harbor, and