The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-01

Atlanta, May 3O-Theodore p.
Shonts, chairman of the Panama Ca
nal commission, was the guest today
Of Atlanta friends, but his presence in
Atlanta was made the occasion for sew
eral entertainments and public func-
tions, at which he met a large number
! of business and professional men and
delivered two addresses. The first
was at the dedication of a new build
| ing at Agnes Scott institute, a college
for women, at Decatur, a suburb of
| Atlanta.
The second was-delivered this sven
| ing before the chamber of commerce,
| when he spoke on the Relations Of
| the South to the Panama Canal" He
| took strong grounds in advocacy of the
lock canal system. Later in the even
ing Mr.. Shonts was entertained at a
banquet rendered lby fifty citizens and
attended by Governor Terrell and
many others of prominence, politically
and financial In his formal address
ADDRESS OF CHAIRMAN SHONTS.
Mr.. Shonts said in part:
Inasmuch as the only home | own in
the world is in Alabama. I feel that
l am in the house Of my friends when
l am in the south.
The relationship between the south
and the Panama canal should be con-
sidered from two points of view: First,
1.-THE purchase Of the material and sup
plies entering into the construction of
| the canal, and, second, the develop
ment of the south's industries by rea-
son of the opening of the canal.
The present commission regards the
Panama canal as the property of the
United States, with the citizens of the
United States as the stockholders. It,
therefore, felt that it was it's first duty
to provide that each section Of our
country should have equal opportunity
with all Others in the sale of all ma
terials and supplies which it produces
and which will be consumed in The
construction of this great work. With
that idea in view. the policy was
adopted of requiring that all bids
should be made on the basis Of deliv-
cries on the isthmus Of Panama, so
that every manufacturer in each sec
ton of the country could figure on
his own cost, plus his own railroad
| transportation, plus ocean transpOrla-
| ton through his own ports. | am
glad to say that the Inauguration Of
this policy, Notwithstanding the epi-
demic of yellow fever during a large
portion of last summer, which practi-
cally blocked all gulf ports, the vol
ume 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 opportuni-
ty does not make equal men and
women. Equal opportunity to sell
goods on the isthmus will not sell the
goods Of the people of the Mississippi
! valley if they do not rise to the op-
portunity and hustle to make the sales
Micawber had the opportunity, but
didn't get any of the fruit They say
| that opportunity knocks once at every
door. We have seen to it that it has
been and is now knocking at the door
| VI Tie Stulu, duu II Is IOi tiiS SOuIu
| ''if sleeping, to awake, if feasting tc
arise" and meet it.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
SOUTH.
In regard to the second viewpoint,
believe there are but few who app.e-
ciate the tremendous possibilities
which the opening of the Panama ca.
nal means to all our country, and es.
! pecially to the southern states. AS ar
, evidence of how SOME .msn regard it
| will quote a remark made in my
presence by one of the so-called cap
tains Of industry in this country; one
of the men who have been most insuu-
mental in internal development of this
nation: one of the men who have made
our wonderful prosperity possible, one
of the men who control the greatest
corporation in the south. In speaking
of his holdings in the Tennessee Goa
and Iron Company, he said: "WheT
the Panama canal is completed, ever.