The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-20
Congressman E. w. Pou's
Able Address.
AT TAR HEEL BANQUET
The Record of the Commonwealth in
Times of War and Peace---korth
Carolina Banquet at BaIti-
more an Event of Unu.
suaI BrilIiancy.
ESPECIAL to News and Observer. }


Carolina society has been the subject of
universal comment today. The address of
Governor Aycock, which was published
in full in the News and Observer today
was greatly complimented Governor Ay-
cocks speech with that of Congressman
e. W. Pou, of the Fourth n. c. Congress
sional District, were the masterpieces OF
the evening.
Mr.. Pous address covered the progress
OF North Carolina during the past thirty
years and is given in full. Mr.. pou said:
Loyalty to home is a quality com
mended by all mankind. The world adj
mires this loyalty in a man if the home
of his nativity is ever SO humble. Web
ster invoked the execration of posterity
If he should ever be ashamed OF his I'M
pretentious home in the hills of Hamp-
shire. Lincoln sat in the presidential
chair and charmed his hearers with
quaint stories of his life in the log cabin
of his boyhood, and our Vance to his
last hour was fond of calling back the
days when he lived in an humble home
under the shadow of our great noun
tains. The most pathetic page in the
life of General Lee is that which tells
of the struggle which stirred his soul
when the hour came when he must de-
eide under which flag duty commanded
he should take his place. But when that
struggle was over the world saw Robert
X. Lee, loyal to Virginia, take his place
under the STARS and Bars" and to the
last hour of time mankind will honor the
memory of the man who was loyal to his
native state.
I'm gathering at this table tor ght to
honor the Old North State you, her sons,
honor yourselves and this beautiful city,
the queen of the east, in whose service
you are now enlisted, not the least jeal-
Gus, will smile with approval upon this
evidence of your devotion, even as the
sweetheart contemplates with pride her
lovers loyalty to the mother who made
his life possible to her.
Gentlemen, if you could stand upon the
crest of one of our highest mountains
and, with one sweeping glance, take in
the entire State, you would behold a pic
ture which is far beyond my power 20
paint. The dawn of morning would re-
veal mountains scenery not surpassed by
Switzerland, broad acres where intensive
farming is brought nearest to perfection,
fields of wheat and corn yielding as much
per acre as the prairies OF the west and
fields OF cotton yielding as much per acre
as the fertile valley of Mississippi; you
would hear the morning ushered in by
the din of nearly ten thousand factory
whistles, and as the day wore on you
would hear the school bells link IN one
unbroken chain the music OF the mountain
cataract and the song of the sea.
What a transformation has taken
place in a little over thirty years. III
1870 our good old state was worth $3.50,
S76622. 1868 found our State PROSTATE
and bleeding. Unnumbered hosts in the
ranks of conquering army had well nigh
wrought her ruin. Chimneys marked the
spot where stately mansions once stood;
virgin growth was springing up IN fertile
fields and not a solitary school bell broke
the stiffness of that pitiful hour. But
the spirit of our people was not broken.
Overcome by force that quadrupled our
own, but conscious of no wrong lnten-
ton our people addressed themselves to
the task of rebuilding a commonwealth.
Ii / remember correctly, twice they re-
fused to leave the Union: but, when the
dual hour came and they decided to fol-
low the lead of the immortal Lee, your
state sent more men to the Confederate
army. according to population, and lett
more men dead upon the field OF battle
than any one Of her seeding sisters. NO
wonder the spirit of such people could
not be broken!
Gentlemen, there are three great av-
enues which lead to the material pros
perity of commonwealth. We might
call them the avenues OF business or
commerce, of agriculture, and OF educa-
ton. During the short time which shall
consume tonight it will be possible to
give only a faint idea of the great pro-
gress our State has made along these
three highways.
"As l have said, in 1870 the wealth OF
our State was a little more than $130,-
100000. Invite you to follow me as
compare the conditions of our State IN
1870 with our condition in 1900, just
thirty years thereafter.
In 1870 the number of our manufac-
tories was S.e42. with an invested capital
of $S,140,473. Very few of these manu-
factories were of any importance.
large per cent consisted of very small
hcur or grist mills run mainly by water
power, and which have long since been
abandoned by their owners. In 1900 the
number OF our manufactures had only
about doubled. The number had reached
1926, but an idea of their Importance
is obtained when l tell you that their
invested capital had increased more than
nine fold, the amount Of their invested
capital being in 1900 $76,5O3,S9i
Another evidence of the enormous in
crease il manufacturing is obtained from
the statistics showing their product or
output In 1870 the value of the products
of our manufactures was only tr:fe
over $40 100000, while in 1900 the value
of their products or output amounted in
round numbers, to s95,00o.000.
II hope l shall not tax your patience
tonight with too many statistics and yet
1 cannot refrain from calling your at
tention to the enormous increase in the
business of manufacturing cotton. l be-
lieye it can be truly stated that North
Carolina is fitted by nature for manu-