The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-13
SAVANNAH WILL
LEAD ALL PORTS
WHEN THE CANAL is DUG,
WILL BE THE MOST IMPORTANT
PORT SOUTH OF NEW YORK.

Col. W. b. Duncan, Prominent Rail-
road Official with Spencer Party,
Made This PredictiOn-Savann h
Has n Particularly Bright Future
and Government should Render
Necessary Assistance-NOmina
of Judge Parker Is Predicted by
Col. duncan says Roosevelt Is
Unpopular Among Business EIe-
mcnt.
with the building of the Panama
canal Savannah will unquestionably
become the leading port south of New
York"
This statement was made yester-
day by Col w. Butler Duncan, chair
man of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.
and a director in the Southern Rail-
way. Col Duncan came to Savannah
as a member of the Spencer party, but
remained over a few hours later. He
left last night in his private car for
Mobile. where he will join the Spencer
party again.
Col. Duncan's visit to Savannah is
The first since 1865. He said there Is
not a city in the South that compares
with Savannah in beauty. He spoke
of the wonderful change since his last
visit and said he was greatly sur
prised to find such thriving city.
Savannah has a great future in
store. and | predict that some day she
will rival Baltimore as a trade center,
he said. THE completion of the Pam
anna canal will have the effect of rev
olutionzing the commerce of the
world, and there is not a city that is
better located to reap the full bene-
fits of this enormous trade than Sa-
vannah. Your progressive citizens and
trade bodies should get down to bust
ness and make the United States gov
eminent understand your Importance.
See to it that your magnificent har-
Dor does not suffer for the lack of
sufficient government appropriation.
savannah az Distributing Point.
Your harbor is nearer the ocean
than the Baltimore harbor, and half
the money spent in improving it that
has been expended at Baltimore will
make ii a far better harbor. Then.
too, Savannah is admirably located as
a distributing point. Your railroad ia
cilities are as good as any city need
desire. and reach all sections of the
South, and the Middle West. / see
no reason why much of the trade
which now comes through Northern
harbors should not be induced to come
to Savannah when you have the equal
advantages of the other ports.
This is the opportune time to strike
and your trade organizations and city
officials should keep up the agitation
until the government has given you the
proper recognition in the way of har-
Dor improvements. You must be pre-
pared to meet the great increase that
you are bound TO have when the canal
has been completed. Savannah is the
first harbor of Importance that vessels
coming through the canal and up
through the Atlantic will reach, and ]
fear your people do not begin to esti-
mate the wonderful change that will
be wrought"
Predicts Nomination of Parker.
Col. Duncan said the sentiment in
New York for the nomination of Judge
Alton B Parker, is growing stronger
absolutely no doubt about his nomi-
nation by the Democratic National
Convention. He said Judge Parker
would undoubtedly secure the support
of New York in the convention.
When asked as to the chances of the
other candidates mentioned for the
Democratic nomination, Col. Duncan,
said Senator German stood no earthly
chance of landing, and il anything
should happen to prevent the nomina-
ton of Judge Parker. he believed it
more than proba BILE that Mayor George
B. Mcclellan, of New York, would be
the standard hearer of the party.
He pronounced Grover Cleveland the
greatest living American. but said he
did not believe Mr.. Cleveland would
accept the nomination if it were Of
fered him. In speaking of the Ex-
President, Col. Duncan said: THE
grand old man has received a vindica-
ton at the hands of his party. Those
who cursed him in 1896. and charged
him with being traitor to the Dem
ocratic party, are now crying the
1oudest for Grover Cleveland to lead
the Democracy to another victory. He
is one of the grandest men of the age
and will adorn the pages of history
as one of the greatest men of the
nineteenth century.
Roosevelt Unpopular in New York.
Col. Duncan said President Roose-
welt is extremely unpopular in the state
of New York, among the business ele-
ment of both parties, and predict :
that he will be defeated for reelection.
He says the President is very popu-
lar among certain element who adj
more his strenuousity, but this class has
nothing at stake and cannot elect a
president. The business element of
the country, he said, is not willing to
trust Mr.. Roosevelt and If he is re-
nominated by the Republicans at the
Chicago Convention, he will certainly
be defeated.
He praised President Roosevelt for
his good judgment in keeping. such
able men as John Hay and Elihu Root
in his cabinet, and said any success of
the present administration was due
more to Secretaries Hay and Root than
TO President Roosevelt. Col. Duncan
said, Mr.. Root is to-day the brainest
man in the Republican party and pre-
dicted that unless Mr.. Roosevelt was
nominated by reclamation at the Chi
cago convention, Mr.. Root will be the
49,