The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-21
SAYS BIRMINGHAM HAS
VERY GREAT PROSPECTS
Several Other Speakers Made AID.
dresses Which Were Notable.
Mr.. Jerome's Assistants
Make Good impression.

| ney OF new YORK, was une guest OF n0nor
at the annual banquet of the Board of
Trade at the Country club last night. A.
| e. Vandiver, a native Alabamian, and
Francis B. Caravan, Mr.. Jerome's as
sistant. were also guests of the Board of
Trade.
There were some 80 men gathered
around the banquet table, and the speech
of Mr.. Jerome, which was the feature Of
the banquet, was applauded to the echo.
The principles he laid down, 1t was de-
elared by more than one speaker. would
form an admirable platform on which he
could be elected President of the United
States
j. A. Van Hoose was POSTMASTER and in
troduced the various speakers. ]. e. Shell
| by, president of the Board of Trade, was
at the head of the table with Mr.. Je-
rome After prayer by the Rev. j. A.
Duncan, pastor of the First Methodist
church, Mr.. Shelby introduced Mr.. Van
Hoose, and made an address of welcome
In which he set forth that 1t was the
object and aim of the Board of Trade to
build up Birmingham and work for its
interests In everything material and 9TH
erwise.
After Mayor Ward had spoken. Mr.. Je-
rome was introduced. He said that his
brain was ell In a whirl with what he had
seen in the south and the impression he
had received. That the indefinite ideas OF
the south he had previously entertained,
as most northerners do had been shat
| tered by this, his first trip. and that in
stead of finding colonies sitting on shady
verandas slipping mint julips and negroes
calmly eating watermelons along the
road, he had found greatly different
things, things at which he had marveled,
things which would be an inspiration and
quickening influence on his life He
spoke of the surprise he felt when told
of the age of Birmingham saying that
he could scarcely believe 1t when told
that the mayor, although a young man,
was older than Birmingham.
Like Moving Pictures.
Mr.. Jerome said that what he had seen
had been like the swiftly moving pic
lures in a picture machine, but that he
would speak of the impressions as best he
could. He would speak from what he felt,
for out of the fulness of the heart the
mouth speaks
! The speaker asked what the business
man was doing for this country. Whether
he was living up to his opportunities. and
then stated most emphatically that in his
part of the world they were not He
asked them If they were armng black
mailing legislatures with powerful weap-
ons by their neglect and failure to take
that part in life to which they were en-
titled. He said that the great railroads
and corporations had brought about a
condition of affairs that was not COM
mendable and stated most emphatically
that 1t would not do for the business man
| 10 take an interest in the politics of the
| country, and said that If the business
man and better element did not form pub
lie life, others would. He told the BUSH
ness men that they had shown by their
success in business that they were fit for
public life and that they have power to
! take a hand in public life. and that given
| that power they had a responsibility with
it which they should live up to- He then
spoke of an insurance company In New
York, stating that 1t had spent several
| hundred thousand dollars in bribing legis-
latures, not only In New York, but in
4
every state in the union.
Take part In Politics.
| Mr. Jerome said that when politics were
| mentioned business men were wont to
| say that they were in such a chaotic
condition that they disliked to enter them.
| He stated that there was no chaos to
| the thinking man, but that 1t was true
that all was chaotic to the man who did
not study conditions and keep himself
posted on what was taking place. He
| urged the business men to take a part In
politics and said that there was no higher
duty than being politician in the better
sense. He said that politics was chaotic
to the man who followed the demagogue
/ blindly and the man who allowed him
self to be led along by the corporations
and the evil influences.
The speaker then referred to the two
great parties in this country. the one the
| liberal and the other the conservative.
and said that such had been the party
divisions in all times, referring specially
| to those In England. He said that the
young man with energy and push goes to
| the more liberal party, which is not
afraid to take step forward, and that
when times became hard they naturally
! gravitated to the more conservative party
which looked long before taking a STEP
Mr. Jerome then referred to third
party and said that nothing could be
worse for this country than to have a
| third potential party, for IL there was one
he said there would constantly be trad
| ing and dickering and log rolling. He
| said that the republican party was
broad enough for the conservative man
| and that the democratic party was liberal
| enough for the less conservative man, the
| one wanted to take step into the fu-
| ture. He said that those who had broken
loose In various parts of the country re-
Gently could find plenty of room In the
democratic party. He said that no man
who thinks can claim exemption from
politics because there is no party for
him, or because things are chaotic.
Greater Birmingham.
''On my ride to Ensley today l heard
| much of Greater Birmingham and also
saw much" said Mr.. Jerome. Greater
Birmingham is inevitable. could not help
but think would 1t be better Birming-
hafn To be a great city is a great
thing. but to be better city is a