The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-24
|THOMPSON'S | ABLE SPEECH He Tells Why He Brought Republicans. FRIENDS OF THE SOUTH Wanted to Inform Themselves on Southern Conditions. The Fifth Districts Representative
 Made Forceful Reply When
 His Party Was welcomed in Mobile
FRIENDS OF THE SOUTH

Hepresentauve CharieS W. inoupsoh Mobile speech has been the subject Of such favor able comment in the quaint ofu Gulf City that demands for its publica- tion have been general. and The. Arver- tiseris enabled today to reproduce 1t in full for the benefit of it's readers through out the State.
 Colonel Thompson is the Fifth Districts able representative in Congress. He has been for the past week host for twenty eminent statesmen from the East and West on tour through Alabama. The party was in Montgomery yesterday.
 The occasion for the speech in Mobile was during the exercises at the welcom- ing of his guests by a committee of rep- resentative citizens. Colonel Thompson was called on to say something on the occasion. and he made the following forceful and eloquent address:
 This occasion seems to me to be un- Questionably of no ordinary significance The North and the South have met be- fore, ladies and gentlemen. They have met In emnity and in amity. Republican statesmen from the North have been seen in the Southern States before now, on po- litical errands and also 'on pleasure bent. But the distinguished and representative Congress and others. who are with us this evening. have not. come on political in- vestigation, nor on 8 mere business tn- vestigation, nor yet on a mere pleasure excursion. They come In a spirit of frank and honest inquiry and desire for inform ation in regard to the South. Many of 'tkem have never visited the far South be- fore; at least. have had no opportunity for careful observation of matters in the South. They realise that there are two sides to the political questions which di- An Hn fxxy< mar an fhav sincerely desirous of becoming personally acquainted with the Southern point of view. so that they may hereafter sec with a wider and clearer vision and judge with a broader and more impartial judgment. Tn that spirit they have been doubly well comed in our hospitable State, and we shall all be able to join hands hereafter in a more frater- nal determination to uphold the na- tional vigor and honor and to deepen the sentiment of patriotism which has been recently renewed and cemented by the blood of the sons of the South and the North In the war with Spain.
 Having been born and reared in Ala bama, I naturally love this State above all other States. glory in her grand history and thrilling traditions. love her noble people, and have always be- licved that nowhere on earth are the foli- age and flowers so beautiful. the birds SC musical. the women so graceful and charming, the. sky so blue, the, sun. moon and stars so bright. as in Alabama.
 Notwithstanding this very natural preference. notwithstanding my implicit faith in all these articles of belief, have acquired some new knowledge during my limited experience in the halls of Con- gress, the greatest legislative body in the world. For example, I have learned that Alabama is not the only great State In this Union-that there are other sections whose interests. welfare, memories and traditions. are as dear to their people as ours are to us. I have had occasion re- gently to visit some of those sections and have returned with a broader and doubt less a more correct appreciation of their importance with relation to the welfare of our whole country. So 1t will be, am sure with our visitors here tonight; and from the depths of my heart, I am proud and happy on account of this glorious occasion. when the representative men of the extreme North. from the busy East, and from the great and wealthy West. are gathered here in this typical old Southern city. around this festive board. sesing for themselves what a genuine Southern community is like. and enjoying the Inequalities of a people who are un- excelled in true courtesy by any people in the world.
 T was especially anxious for these dis tinguished gentlemen to visit this lovely city, where the magnolias bloom peren- nially. and for them to inspect this mag nificent harbor. which Is so much more im portant a port than most Northern people imagine, and which Is. perhaps. in some respects. the most important port in the United States. 4.
 Tt may not be generally known, or at least generally appreciated, in the North, what an important outlet and inlet of our American commerce the port of Mobile is. Receiving into its bay the entire waters of the great natural watershed which is formed by the high lands just south of the Tennessee River valley, and reaching out on either hand into the States of Georgia and Mississippi. Mobile Is the na- turai entrepot for that whole region-the reservoir into which flows the wealth of the coal and iron mines. of the forests and cotton fields. Through the waters of the beautiful bay are transported to the ends of the earth vast quantity of the valuable mineral products and manufac- lures of the Birmingham district, enor- nous quantities of cotton and other agri- cultural products and millions and mill lions of feet of our magnificent long-leaf yellow pine and other lumber; while, in return, the same waters bear us large and valuable freights of foreign fruits and an immense bulk of fertilizers des- tined to supply large portion of the ag- ricultural sections of our country with