The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-19
TWO GOVERNORS TALK
TO COTTON DELEGATES
Continued fir ON 9TH Page.)


/ convention-In responding to the subject
assigned to me on this occasion l am
sure / can not do the theme that adequate
! justice ii demands, nor measure up the
standard in presenting the matter 10 this
| convention in that style, and With the
force that it's presentation deserves.
/ "As a preface, or a perfunetory pre-
amble to what / shall say l am but
dscharging a simple duty 10 myself when
! tell you that it takes me a long time
combined with an effort both labored and
| arduous to say anything that will be of
/ interest to those who have the patience
and Christian fortitude to listen To me- but
the thought comes however, to me at
this moment, as it did when my subject
was first assigned to me, that if there
were any one thought in the world that
was calculated 60 melt the soul of q
| southern man in sympathy, elicit his adj
miration. and draw from him the best eff
| forts that are within him, it is in contem-
plation of what the Southern Cotton as
ISOLATION means to the SOUTH when the
| principles it advocates and stands for
are firmly and irrevocably established,
and its policies as outlined by the New
| Orleans convention, are carried to sue
eessful consummation.
What Is Southern Association?
Il ask you what is the Southern Cotton
association? II is the product of a long
smothered sob on the part of the toiling
| thousands of the south which has broken
! into a cry. 1t is a midnight prayer
| coming forth at midday. II is a demand
made, not in the spirit of the bully not
! arrogantly done, and not emanting from
= the motives that actuate the demagogue
| that is abroad in the lano, but a demand
| that is just, right and God-given on the
| part of that splendid citizenship residing
| within the S12 cotton growing counties of
| our south line, asking that they be al
owed to receive a fair price for one of
| our chief sources of wealth, and, in addi-
ton thereto, be permitted to enjoy the
| dearest of all their meritages, that of
| being free men in democratic govern
ment, instead of vassals serfs of a COM
| mercial depotism sought to be estab-
! lished by cotere of spectators, gamb-
| lers and robber-barons in the east who
| for long stretch of years have arrogated
to themselves the privilege of being the
self-appointed guardians of the people of
the SOUTH and arbitrarily reserving to
| themselves the absolute right of saying
what price we shall receive for our cot
| ton, and the remuneration that the farm
| ers of the south are to receive for their
daily labor necessary in producing 1t.
| 1.-THE farmer OF the south has chafed
| uihcl thlS 4OIccu pOllcy against MIN untll
forebearance has ceased to be a virtue,
and l ask, is it any wonder that he pro-
| tests and makes an outcry. l answer no.
! The only thing that is surprising to me
| is that he has not rebelled long years
| ago If he were not the highest type of
manhood the world ever saw there might
| be some reason for him to remain silent
but in his veins flow the blood of the
! Puritan and the Cavalier, and history
| tells us in terms not dubious, but I'M
I'mistakablys clear, that where the Anglo
| Saxon goes he stays, and where he stays
| he demands and sees a matter of COM
| mon right that he receives fair play on
every inch of the ground, never at any
| time willingly submitting to tyranny or
| oppression in any form without register
ing a vigorous protest against the in
Justice In decided way that goes ring
| Ing around and across the continent. ever
| and always insisting on receiving his
| rights until he comes into a full enjoy
j ment of them.
Contend for What 10 His.
| This was one of the causes of the es-
| Enlistment of the American government.
for If he did not contend for that which
/ was justly his he would not be an Amer
lean. 1t is this love of freedom and equal
| handed justice that is one of the mud
stills on which this government is founded,
| the principal cause of It's establishment,
| and tol which much of our national great
ness is attributable and that which has
/ caused us, as a nation, to climb to the
dizzy heights of being pre-eminent in
NEST all things, and the envy of the ma
| items of the world.
Il ask what was the primary cause of
! the establishment of the American gov
i eminent? 1t is answered by saying that
| 1t was to escape tyranny in its various
| forms The same spirit that actuated our
] forefather in being absolutely free was
| the driving force that caused the forna-
| tton of the Southern Cotton association.
Study the history of our government
and you will find that 1t was the month
| OF December, 2S6 years ago, there landed
| upon the eastern coast of what is now
| known as the state of Massachusetts a
! band Of men, women and children, Puri-
| tans were their name, Mayhower their
! little craft and Plymouth Rock their
| landing place.
| Truly had their course been well di-
rected, and most happily had they select
ed landing spot, on the shores of Amer
lea, and to use an expression worn and
| tattered at the edges from contant use,
! but nevertheless sublimely true a place
well suited for land of the free and a
hcme of the brave, America, sweet land
| OF liberty.
"What was their object and whittier
| were they directing their course? They
| were in search of some spot where they
could live under the nvigorating smiles
of liberty in all its forms, worship God
according to the dictates of their own
consciences and fulfil to a complete meas
ure the object intended by God In their
| creation.
Little as we think about It, it is from
! these bold and devout men and woman
that we. the people of the present genera
| ton have Inherited much of our love for
pc litcal religious, agricultural and indus
| trial freedom. 1t is to the principles they
espouse and the institutions they fostered
and cherished that we owe much of the
! glory and grandeur of our great country
They were a people that wanted to live
| In that cline where every man had an
| equal chance, and where his position and
| his opportunities In the race of life were
not dependent upon caste, position or the
caprices of a dyspaptc crown head or
arbitrary potentate. In other words, they
wanted to be free, and desired to rely only
on their individual worth as a passport
| TO success in life. In my humble judg-
| nent no higher motive can warm the
| breast of man. 1t is but reflex of the
! Divine Himself; and may / add in pass
ing, that any government based ON princi-
pies akin to these will never experience
the touch of the whitening hand of decay,
but will grow broader and deeper, purer
and greater as the years roll by
Sentiment in Declaration.
"This same sentiment finds expression
guaranteed to us by our federal con-
stitutlon and in turn has been lngrafted
upon every state constitution that has
| haan horn into the union from the far-