The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-20
Advertiser Bureau,

cussed the addresses of last night and of those yet to be heard. In of two and three. members came into the hall until soon there was a large of delegates.
 President Lane, in introducing the first speaker. M. V. Richards, said he was one whom every one in the Commercial and Industrial world of Alabama knew or ought to know. He was one of the sub stantial, progressive railroad men who always sought to do good for Alabama The address of MT. Richards was greatly enjoyed.
 The next speaker introduced was J. W. White, General Industrial Agent of the Sea board Air Line, with headquarters in Portsmouth, Va.
 w. L. Henderson, Land and Industrial Agent of the Southern Railway at Mobile, requested privilege to have read letter from one who, unable to be here, desired to be known and remembered by many with whom he had been assococlated at previous meetings of the Association. The letter was called for and read by Sec retary Gilbert It was from H. l.. Mo- Kee of Meridian, president of the Missis- sippi Association and former president of the Alabama Association. The letter was fraught with good cheer to the conven- ton and was ordered filed In the minutes.
 Hon. William Richardson was escorted to the stand by committee and introduc- ed by the president as one known of all present, a friend of all Alabama.
 Judge richardson gracefully acknowl- edged the honor accorded him, saying he did not come to speak, but to act in ac- cord with the Association in the upbuid- ing of Alabama. If a rule had been ap- piled, as had been by Commissioner of A ,1t,, ifnp ivi md politics, he would be barred from talking, boycotted, so to speak.
 He came as delegate from the Cham Der of Commerce of Huntsville, but also as a lover of Mobile because he we'll knew from experience her hospitality. and be- cause he loved her people. For eight months when a mere boy, wounded in battle, he was here, nursed and cared for by people whose names and memories were graven deep upon his heart.
 With this great love in my heart. am glad to say that at all times, since have been in Congress" he said, '1 have endeavored in every way possible to aid her representative, Wash Taylor, when ever Mobile was concerned"
 He was here as a deelgate because he believed this Association can and will ac- complish the greatest good for Alabama and the entire South. He was not un- mindful of the fact that this Association was the pioneer in giving Alabama great blessings, one of which was the new con- stitution. He relied upon the future growth of Alabama, to large extent, to the Commercial and Industrial Associa- ton. T am an intensely Southern man, not on a narrow guage plan. but on broad lines. I believe this Association is the instrument through which the real situa- tion of Alabama is known, what we have and what we can and will obtain, is to be brought about and the means of &C., complaining the end desired. What 1t needs is the cooperation of the people and their taking advantage of the oppor- tunity and the result will be wonderful.
 In the past twelve months Ala bama has mined 60,000,000 tons of bituminous coal, ten times as much as was mined in the entire United States in 1860 and 20 600 900 more than was mined in the State in 1SS0 Alabama contains more coal :aan Great Britain. yet she took out 30O 00O,000 and Alabama only 60,000,O00 God has put this and other great wealth in our hands and why not use it.
 Tt has been my good fortune," he said, 'in Congress to be on the Interstate Com merce Committee and there I have learn ed to believe in the new and greater fu-
 
 l do in my God that she will yet achieve commercial supremacy in the Union. Yet 1t is sad thought to me when 1 hear a young man say he is going to leave the South. l would not detract from the fame and fortune of any man. He made 1t and 1t is his It Is not fame or wealth that makes the man, in my. estimation. l envy the 16-year-old boy who, thirty years hence, will look upon the great prosperity of this fair land. He Is the only one I envy Give him an education and the power to go forward and see and bring forth the great things of our South land"
 Judge Richardson said he could give fig ures and comparisons of what has been and will be done here Comparisons are odious Figures are what tell. He then gave figures and statistics on the agri- cultural growth of the South and espe- cially in Alabama in the last decade The South pays it's 25 per cent of investment gains for support of the farmer while in the Northwest the 12 1-2 per cent goes into banks. There's the trouble with the agricultural South. And yet the agricul- tural development of the South in twenty years has been 67 per cent in increase
 There are today 10000, 900 spindles in the ! world, and in the South only 100000.
 
 future, the South will manufacture the entire 100000 or 12,000 900 bales of cot ton grown here. He spoke of a great cot. ton mill being moved from Lowell. Mass to Huntsville. It did not come there be. cause of love for him. It came because here was the logical place to erect and operate the plant and reap a harvest of dollars. Texas can raise 10,OO0,O0O bales of cotton. The demand will soon be for 25, 900, 600, and the South must produce ac- cordingly, and 1t will
 Some talk of poverty of the South. Stor this. It Is wrong. The South is not poor The railroads are helping to develop its riches. So in this Association. There are some men fin Congress, to their shame. he said who, when proposition to advance the interests of the South come up, cry, States Rights" He only cried State s Appomattox. The development of the South is higher than politics. Get to- gether and have Congress appropriate money to develop the waterways and roads of the country and prosperity is bound to come He scored Congressmen from the South whom he had heard make that awful cry when an appropriation was asked for Southern development. He declared he loved Alabama and all her aspirations, and would. as long as able, aid in bringing her to the front He spoke of the need of putting good, hon. est, faithful men in all the offices in or | der that every section might have ar | equal chance to grow and prosper. He ] had shared in the aSDira ions RucCeSSeS