The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-03-12
A Banquet That Was
More Than a Feed.

The civic pride and progressive
spirit of Pensacola were brought out
with gratifying force and impressive
ness at the banquet given by the
Chamber of Commerce Tuesday night
in this city. In many communities
through the south such organizations
are of doubtful utility, and frequently
of no utility at all. for the reason that
they are promptly permitted To lapse
into innocuous desuetude for the want
of intelligent interest and support, but
that charge cannot be laid against
the people of Pensacola.
Our Chamber OF Commerce here is
a very real force and an active and
growing factor in the life OF our city.
The necessity for properly support
ing il by both material and moral aid
is fully recognized by our business in
terests and that aid is cheerfully given.
1t is a mere platitude to say that
Pensacola has a brilliant future, and
that it is manifest destiny that she is
to be one of the great seaport cities
of America. That has been said Of
ten enough, perhaps too often, for the
incessant repetition of a phrase which
tickles our self-esteem tends to a COM
placent state of mind resulting in in
ertia rather than action, and it is not
at all certain that we have not been
held back for this very reason.
But We are rapidly passing out OF
hot - ioIi in hn
concrete results all around US is the
indubitable testimony that the people
of Pensacola have ceased merely to
brag about natural advantages and
are beginning to develop and utilize
them. A vast and enticing field of &C
tivity lies before US in that direction,
and in our Chamber of Commerce,
now thoroughly vitaliZed and in quick
and sympathetic touch with every in
tereSt of the city, We have a potent
factor TO help us along to that mani
fest destiny of which we and those
who were here before us have so
freely boosted.
In all the speeches made at the BAN
quet Tuesday night, to give an appre-
ciative farewell TO the retiring secre-
tary OF the Chamber of Commerce,
Mr.. w. G. Jones. and to welcome the
new secretary. Mr.. G. A. Waterman,
there was a note of optimism, a unity
Of spirit and purpose, full of good
omens for the future of our city These
speeches were without the sloppy over
flow Of sentiment which takes every
thing for granted and weakly assumes
that all things come to him who waits
"a dictum OF the old philosopher
which is only true when he who
waits works wisely anu well in the
meantime.
Thomas II. Benton. the great Mis-
souri, senator OF generations ago, TrSse
the prophet and seer that he was,
when advocating what seemed in that
day the idle dream of a transconti-
mental railroad, pointed toward the set
ting sun and exclaimed: 10! There
can Pensacola, with her uneoualled
harbor and with the Panama canal an
preaching completion. catch the spirit
OF Benton and foresee with propbetdc
vision the time not far distant when
large part of the mighty volume oil
commerce pouring back and forth II
through the short cut to the Orient |
VIII pass through this port. her ship
ping will be quadrupled, new rail
roads will converge here TO meet the !
new demands. new population with
new activities will stream in, and
Greater Pensacola will be realized.