Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-10-04
MEMPHIS GIVES WELCOME
rContluued from page one. }

tCOntinued from page one.
Under any circumstances ! should
welcome the chance of speaking at
Memphis i'm the old historic state
Vof Vennessee, rich In It's glorious
past and in the certainty of an even
greater future: but | especially con-
graduate myself that I am able to
speak here on an occasion like this,
when I meet not only the citizens
of Tennessee, but many of the citi-
gems of Mississippi and Arkansas
and or other states as well; and
when the chief executives of so
many states are gathered to con-
sider a subject of momentous inter-
est to all. The Mississippi valley is
magnificent empire in size and fer
tility. 10 is better adapted to the
development of inland navigation
than any other valley In either hem
isphere; for there are 10000 miles
of waterway now more or less fully
navlgable, and the conditions are so
favorable that It will be easy to In
crease the extent OF navigable water
ways to almost any required degree
by 'canaliZation. Early in our In
dustrfal history this valley was the
seat 'of the largest development Of
INLAND navigation In the United
States, and perhaps you will par
don my mentioning that the first
steamboat west OF the Alleghenies
wis built by a Roosevelt, my great
grandfather brother, In 1911, for
the New Orleans trade, and in that
year made the trlp from Plttsburg
to New Orleans. But from various
causes river and canal transporta-
tion declined all over the United
States as the railroad systems came
90 their full development. II Is our
business to see that the decline is
not permanent: and Il is of interest
TO remember that nearly a century
ago President Madison advocated
the canalization of the Mississippi.
In wealth OF natural resources no
kingdom OF Europe can compare
with the Mississippi valley and the |
region around the great lakes, !
taken together. and In population |
this huge fertile plain already sur
passes all save one or two OF the |
Ahrgest Kingdoms.
A Great Empire.
In this empire a peculiarly stall |
wart and masterful people finds It.
self In the surroundings best fitted
for the full development OF It's pow
ers and faculties There has been a
great growth In the valley OF manu-
featuring cenlers; the movement Is
good II II does not go too far: but
! most earnestly hope that this re-
gion as whole will remain pre-
domlnantlv agricultural. The peo-
pie who live In the country districts,
and who TN The small or medium
farms on which they live. make no
what Is on the whole the most valu-
able asset In our national life There
can he lust as real progress aud
culture In the country as In the
city; especially In these days OF
rural free delivery. trolleys. bicycles,
telephones. good roads and school
improvements THE VALLEY or
THE MISSISSIPPI IL POLITICAL
LH AND COMMERCIALLY MORE
IMPORTANT THAN ANY OTHER
VALLEY ON THE FACE OF THE
GLOBE. Here more than anywhere
else VIII be determined thefuture of
The United States and indeed OF the
whole western world: and the type |
OF civilization reached In this mighty
valley, In this vast stretch OF coun- {
try lying between the Alleghenies !
and the Rockies. the great lakes and I
the gulf, Will largely TX the type OF I
civilization for the whole western
Already, as our his
tory shows, the west has determined
our up ional political development. !
nnd The fundamental principle OF
present American polltica, political {
equality, was originally a western Y
idea.
The Wonderful variety of re- :
sources ln different portions of the !
valley make the demand Tor trans
portatiou altogether eXcept iOnal '
Coal, lumber, corn. wheat. cotton. !
cattle ou the surface of the soil g
and beneath the soil the riches are q
great There are already evident I
strong tendencies to increase the u
carrying of freight from the north a
ern part of the valley to the gulf q
the valley the land Is
SO fertile as 20 make the held for
the farmer peculiarly attractive;
and whore In the west the climate l
becomes dryer we enter upOn the 7
ranehing country: while In addition n
10 the products OF the soil there are r
also the manufacturing supplied In
nnumerahle manufacturing centers, T
great and small Cities of astonish- I
ng growth are found everywhere o
rom the gulf To The great lakes. u
rom the Alleghenies to the Rockies; i
most OF them being situated on the u
great river which flows by your p
doors or upon some of It's numerous q
laVlgahle tributaries New mineral b
ields are discovered every year; G.
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