Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-19

what God Intended It to be, blessing to
humanity and for the best development of
our civilization.
The south especially wants no interrupt
ton to the wonderful progress 1t has made
in the last quarter of a century. The
waters Of prosperity which were so long
confined in the middle and New England
states. checked by that invisible dam
along the Mason and Dixon line have at
last been drawn southwark. and your
strong banks through which it flows will
wisely control its course to fertilize our
fields, run our factories, and float our
products to all the world. We have had but
little help in dredging from out its channel
the ruins of long and disastrous war,
but than heaven at last the golden
stream has touched the thirsting lips of all
the southern states and their commercial
strength was never so great as today.
We belong, gentlemen, to one OF the old
est guilds in the world. From the earliest
dawn of history there has been a finan-
cial system. Job was familiar with bank
ers in his prosperity and knew usurers in
his adversely. The Bible mentions in the
Old Testament both bankers and lawyers,
but nowhere speaks in complimentary
terms of either. One reason may have
been that the ancestors of our profession
were not worthy of commentator, but l
think the better and more correct view TO
take is that ii has required nineteen hun
dred years of civilization and progress to
bring the world up to the proper apprecia-
ton of both bankers and lawyers" Some
banks. however must have been recogniz-
ed as safe places of deposit, and in the
early stages paid interest on balances, for
we learn from st. Luke in the parable of
the nobleman who on the eve or his de-
paPture gave to his ten servants pound
each and said unto them occupy until
come" We find the one who had not
- caA1 q
thy pound which have kept laid up in
napkin" was reproved by his master who
replied: Wherefore then gavest thou not
my money into the bank, that at my COM
ing might have required mine own with
usury" And although this unwise man
lost cen that which he hath by not
making the deposit there are still some
few of his descendants who prefer to keep
their funds laid up in napkin"
The standard of our fraternity is high.
Through your hands have passed billions
Of dollars. You have heard the pathetic
stories of the widows and orphans as they
deposited in your safe keeping their all.
You have heard the schemes OF corpora
tons and the secrets of firms and individ-
uals, but out of the thousands who have
been engaged in your honorable profession
those who have defaulted or been un-
faithful to their trust would not make
corporaPs guard.
i am sure our DELIBERATIONS mere VIII
be delightful and profitable. But as there
are many distinguished gentlemen who
will address you / am afraid some of
you may feel like the traveller on the
frontier who found himself out Of reckon
ing one night in an unknown region. A
terrific thunderstorm came up to add to
his troubles. He fioundered along until
his horse at last gave out. The lightning
gave him the only cue to his way, but the
peals of thunder were frightful. One bolt
which seemed to crash the earth beneath
him brought him to his knees.
BY no means a praying man. his petition
was short and to the point He looked up
into the darkness and said: "Oh. Lord, If
all the same to you please give US little
more light and a little less noise"
Therefore 1 VIII no longer delay the
light and only renew the thanks OF the
Georgia Bankers association to your gen.
erous- city for your cordial greeting, and
hope that this tri-state convention may
bring pleasure to all present and result in
much good to the large interests which
we represent.