Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1921-01-29
HARDINC'S MESSAGE
TOPEOPLE OF SOUTH
United America1ism Is Plea
Of President-Elect Indus
tries Should Flourish.

Atlanta, Ga.-A new spirit of united
/ Americanism. holding itself above
! sectional and partisan-divisions and
/ making secure the industries of the
whole nation. was bespoken by Presi-
! dent-eiect Harding Friday in a mes
sage to the people of the South.
The message. written at the request
! Of Clark Howell. editor of the Atlanta
| Constitution and democratic national
/ committeeman for Georgia. was made
/ public upon arrival of the train which
is taking the president-elect to Flori
day as follows:
"Of course. have no message TO the
people of the South that ! would not
gladly utter to all the United States
/ Perhaps the South would be interest
/ ed to know. however. of one ambition
which | cherish. ] want to be the in
strumentality in establishing that COM
plete concord of union which | hold
to be essential to the American full
fillment. realize how the political
| solidarity OF the South followed the
unfortunate days of the civil war.
know how that solidarity has been en-
couraged on the one hand. and
think understand the desire to break
it on the other hand
1T is not specifically a republican
ambition. 1t is rather to be accred-
tied to a desire to establish complete
mutually of purpose and oneness of
ambition in America.
There is little left of the old-time
hostility and there isn't any occasion
for any section of America to pin its
aspirations to the fortunes of one
party. | think it is fair to assume
that all political parties mean TO be
hest for our common country. As
republican believe that many of the
republican policies are calculated to
best serve all of America. For in
stance, | believe there is a great sig
nificance in the coming tariff congress
to be held in Atlanta. | believe most
cordially in prospecting America first.
l do not see how we can retain our
home markets, upon which American
good fortune must be founded, and at
the same time maintain American
standards es ption ans American
standards of living unless We make
other peoples with lower standards
pay for the privilege of trading in the
American market Ours is the best
market in the world, because We are
largest in consumption and the ablest
to buy The application lies in per
fectly justifiable ambition to make the
Southland as industrially eminent as
the states of the North and East.
There ought to be the flame of in
dustry here in exceptional signifi-
canoe because of your natural re-
sources. Your people want precisely
the same things which are found in
! the natural ambitions of the North
and West There isn't the slightest
excuse for a sectional line in Ameri-
ca. We are one people with one flag,
and it is folly to allow longtime
prejudices to stand in the way of full
ness of understanding and the utmost
cordiality of relationship.
THE people of the South are just
as much interested as any other geo.
graphical location in the development
Of an American merchant marine. Out
of the abundance of resources, out OF
| our great ability to produce, and out
| of our boosted American efficiency
ought to come American eminence In
worldwide trade. We ought to send
our cargoes from Southland ports
just as numerously as we do from
Northern and Western ports. or
course, as a general rule, we can not
sell where we do not buy. but with
a rational economic policy safeguard
ed in protective tariffs we can BUY the
things the production Of which is not
essential to our own good fortune and
expand our trade with those OF whom
we buy to supply our own needs whlch
can not be supplied here at home.
81 am sure the incoming admins
tration wishes to see, nguratlVeIy
speaking, every Southern port whlt-
ened by the sails of commerce and
know that our carriers are taking mes
sases of good will and amity along
with our cargoes to all parts OF the
| earth"