The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-05-31
BY Associated Press.

Atlanta. Nav 30.-Chairmau I. p.
ShOnts. Of the Panama Canal Commits
sion. was today the guest Of Atlanta
friends, and was entertained at sever
al functions, making two formal adj
dpresses. The first was at the dedica-
ton Of the new building at the Agnes
Scott institute, a college for women at
Decatur, a suburb of Atlanta, and the
second was this evening before the
Chamber of Commerce, where he
spoke on Relations Of the South to
the Panama Canal" He took a strong
position for a lock canal system. He
was later entertained at a banquet by
fifty prominent citizens, and left at
midnight for Washington. The ad-
dress Of Chairman ShOnts before the
Chamber of Commerce was, in part,
as follows:
Chairman Shonts's Address.
Inasmuch as the on'y home l own
in the world is in Alabama, l feel
that / am in the house of my friends
when 1 am ii the South
The relationship between the South
and the Panama Canal should be con
sidered from two points Of view:
first, the purchase Of the material
and supplies entering into the con
sJruction Of the canal. and, second,
the development of the South's in
dusr.es by reason of the opening OF
the canal
The present commission regards
the Panama Canal as the property
OF the United States, with the cit i
zens Of the United States as the stock
holders. It. therefore, felt that il was
its first duty TO provide that each
section Of our country should have
equal opportunity with all others in.
the sale Of all materials and supplies
which IL produces and which will be-
consumed in the construction of tli
great work. With that idea in view,
the policy was adopted Of requiring
that all bids should be made on the
basis Of deliveries on the lsthmus of
Panama, so that every manufacturer
in each section Of the country cOuIa
figure on his own cost. plus his own
Ia lrOad transportation, plus ocean
transportation through his own ports.
am glad to say that since the inau-!
guratiOn Of this policy, nOtwithstand-|
ing the epidemic Of yellow fever during
a large portion of last summer,
which practically booked all Guilt
ports, the volume Of supplies sold by
the Mississippi Valley and which has
gone out through the Gulf ports has
been steadily increasing.
Equal opportunity is the genius of
our Institutions. But equal Opportu-
nifty does not make equal men AMI
women. Equal opportunity to sell
goods on the Isthmus will not sell the
goods Of the people Of the Mississippi
Valley, Il they do not rise 10 the OPP
pOrJunity and hustle to make the
sales. MacawbeT had the opportunity
nut didn't get any Of the fruit. Thew
say that opportunity knocks once at
every door. We have seen to il that
u has been and IS now knocking at
The door Of the South. and il is for
The South, IF sleeping. to awake, if
Testing, 10 arise" and meet it.
Tremendous Possibilities.
In regard to the second viewpoint,
believe there are but few who APP
preciate the tremendous possibilities
which the opening Of the Panama
canal means 10 all our country, and
especially TO the Southern States. As
an evidence Of how some men regard
H. will quote a remark in my pres
ence by one Of the so-called captains
OF industry in this country. one Of the
men who have been most instrument
"a IN the internal development of this
nation; one Of the men who have
made our wonderful prosperity pos
Eole, one OF the men who control the
Greatest corporation in the South. In z
speaking Of his holdings in the Ten
ae1see Coal and Iron Company, hel
said: When the Panama Canal Isl
completed, every share Of my stock in
mat company viii be worth a thou
sand dollars lie said the opening
Of that canal will make Birmingham
Tie PittsbuTg Of the south, and
give it the same relationship to the
Gulf that Pittsburg now has to the
atlantic coast, He said the immen-
Eity Of traffic which originates within
iorty miles Of Pittsburg and which is
The marvel Of the world, viii be du-
phcated in the same territory sur
ounding the city of Birmingham. He
tsid that when he acquired his large
fCnrfsnro5 -, De- ~