The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-05
THE BUILDING OF AN EMPIRE
People of Every Section Welcomed to Assist i'll the
Development of Florida
Address OF Mr. NJ chcrington Illinois Day celebration,
Development of Florida

The population of Florida is, in
deed. Il cosmopolitan one. In any
ordinary gathering of her people
there will be found almost as many
States represented as there are per-
sons present. Florida is drawing in
to her confines new blood and good
blood from every section of the coun-
try; and the result OF this amalga-
nation of physical and intellectual
forces undoubtedly will be the pro-
duction of an ideal American citizen
ship.
You people of Illinois have no 'Oc-
casiOn to feel, and trust you do not
feel, that you are in any sense
aliens, or eXiles. or strangers in a
strange land. You have merely cast
your lot in another section OF our
great and common country, where
the same ideals of government pre-
vail, and the same pride in our
national greatness and national in
tcgrity exists as in the State from
whence you came and, may add
where the same flag that iloats over
the Illinois capital is honOred and
rcvcrcd. speak is a Southcrncr with
| al n m IN IN.
land, when hail you tonight, on
behalf of Florida and he New South
as our own people. welcoming you
10 join forces with us. and with good
people from all over this broad
land, in building up a magnificen'
structure of statehood that shall moi
be surpassed in the sisterhood OF
States. Old prejudices of section be.
long to the past. They have no part
in the cosmopolitan character o.
Florida citizenship, and among tn,
people who were the real fighters OF
the South, and among those who ar,
her builders today, such prejudices
will rarely be encumbered.
Some OF you, perhaps. look upon
yourselves as pioneers in a pioneer
State. and may miss some OF tn,
things you left behind you. In q
sense, it is true that Florida is We,
in the pioneer stage of her develop.
Eient; but when your forefathers. a
century or more ago. undertook the
task of developing the territory
which is now the great State of Iii.
nois, they were confronted with dif.
fculties, and dangers, and hard.
ships. and discouragements. of which
you can have no adequate eoncep-
ton. They were in constant peril;
in peril of cold, in peril of famine
in peril of wild beasts; in peril o.
hostile natives. Here no such dan
gers or discOmforts environ you. Here
you have cast your lot in fair and
sunkissed land where the rigors and
extremes of climate. common in the
section whence you came, are un-
known. Here no dangers threaten
You; no hostile faces confront YOU.
On the contrary. TO those who are
willing and capable and industrious
the doors of opportunity are thrown
open wide-doors which in your own
State. owing to its more finished
condition. perhaps were closed to you
Here there is room for all, and work
for all, and success for all who are
willing 10 put forth reasonable eff
fort to secure it. Here Won have all
tie advantages O. living in a pioneer
state. and building with it, without
tho discomforts that usually attend
9ieneer life. Here you are accorded
privilege not given to every people
or every generation-a part in the