The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
SENATOR JOHNSTON MAKES AN ADDRESS At Banquet In Honor of John
 M. Parker IS VERY ENTERTAINING He Throws Fragrant Bouquets at His Home State, It's Resources, It's Busy People and It's Beau
 tiful Women.
IS VERY ENTERTAINING
From the Washington Herald.

CTS at the banquet given in honor of John M. Parker was Senator Joseph F. Johnston of Alabama, who said:
 T came from Alabama, the great central gulf state of the south-the heart of the south, the poetry of the south, representing the courage of the south, the endurance of the south, the hopefulness, energy and progress of the south. We raise everything there that Is necessary for man and beast. The most delightful things we raise are our women. Now the women of the United States, the women of the north, the east and the west are good enough for any man, but the women of the south are too good for any man.
 T come from a state that takes it's name from the legend of an Indian tribe which was driven from the east and finally reached a great river. Clear and bright were it's waters, ripping on their way to the gulf, shadowed by magnificent oaks. Honeysuckles and 1asmines were blooming throughout it's forests and the mockingbird made the air musical with it's song. When the chief arrived there he stuck his spear into the ground and said: Alabama. Here we rest He had got to the final place-the happy hunting ground
 Not Now Land of Rest.
 That was the condition of Alabama long years ago, but now Ala bama is not a land of rest, but 1t is land of work and energy and thrift. It is a state in this great union of states that could put a wall around it. self. excluding all incomers and all outgoers and live in peace and happi- ness and comfort, and supply itself with everything necessary for the com fort of mankind. Coal, iron and steel. marble, wheat, fruits grain, vegetables, sugar, gold-everything but silver-it is great undevelopcd state.
 Tn China there are 250 people to the square mile, in India 300 to the square mile. in England 57o to the square mile, in Alabama 40 to the square mile. So that, while now We have a popula- tion of 2,000,000. and our people are prosperous, even under a republican dispensation to a considerable extent, we have the capacity for a population compared with England, of more than 30,000.00o, of feeding them, of sustain ing them. of educating them, of de- veloping them to the highest standards of civilization and refinement. It is true that a considerable part of our population consists Of colored people bur they are homogeneous; they suit our climate, they suit our civiliza- tion.
 Was Opposed to Immigrants.
 T heard a friend of mine, who was born in New York, and came to Alabama just before thewar, and who succeeded, as all honest men of thrift and energy and enterprises from the north do when they come there He had succeeded and become one of us, and away back in 1868 we had a convention there the purpose of which was to seek Immigrants. He made a speech, and he said he was ut terly opposed to the whole proposition. He came down there little doubtful about how he would make a living, but he had succeeded fairly we'll and that he was opposed to any more white people coming to Alabama; that there were just about as many white people as the mig gers could comfortably support already there.
 Immigration Wanted Now.
 T am in favor of bringing people in, but hope that with the aid of MT. Par ker and the Southern Commercial con gross we will bring the right strain in. "A great poet has said that The qual- ity of mercy is not strained but I hope that the strain of emigration into the south will not be without quality. We have had more trouble in Alabama with the few people who came from southern Italy than with thrice their number of negroes. We want white people to come; the opportunity Is there. We want those who are of our own race and blood and instincts; people with whom we can anal gamate, but we think that the immigra- i. tion laws ought to be more rigid, so as l to exclude from our country and the l territorial jurisdiction of the United States 1 all the undesirable citizens that may de- | sire to slip in.
 We have great mineral belt in our l state and a progressive city, and great 1 development has sprung up there. There l are vast bodies of coal and ore in that 1 region. The time will come when it will l be the center of the steel and iron indus i tries iri our country, and fix the price of 1 these articles for the world, but while this l is true, We must not forget that 75 per cent of our people are engaged in agri- culture, and their interests and their pros- 1 perity should never be forgotten. We | raise about 1,250000 bales of cotton an- l nually, worth, in its raw state, over $60,- 1 100000, and manufactured double and 1 treble that amount.
 l "If our people should cease to send any l of that money to the west for foodstuffs, 1 we should soon be the richest section of 1 the United States. That we could do that 1 was demonstrated in 1S61-65 when trans | portation was not good across the border | Our lumber interests are large, and the l market Is beginning to develop. Cat l tie raising is showing a constant increase l So that,J practically, we are only at the l beginning of a great development, and fl l is only necessary to state the facts to in- | vite both capital and a desirable addition to our population.
 We have a great problem in the south | to work out. You know, in the south | we are a generous people; we love to say good things of our fellows; we love to admire them. The President has made a very favorable impression upon our sec- tion-since the election.
 Pays Respects to Taft.
 'T did myself the honor to pay my re- spects to him few days, ago, and did 1t with pleasure. I told him when I met
 him that I came for that purpose. I had l nothing to ask, but that hoped I would
 have an opportunity to give lhs admins
 tration most cordial support if he would give me a chance to do that and he sai6
 he would. Now, if he allows me a chance
 to give him that cordial support, I an
 sure he will be quite satisfactory to the
 south.