The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 67 



nations in the formulation of their national design. I therefore 

 appeal to these captains of industry of the South and the Middle 

 West, who are represented here today, in developing these great 

 cut-over lands to go out and, in your colonization plans and in 

 the management of your industrial work, preach the gospel of 

 blending the two ideals of character and efficiency. I beseech 

 you to preach the gospel that the South should feed herself ; that 

 we should be a self-sufficing section, rather than an importing 

 section. I beseech you to go out and to use your meanS' — for most 

 of you are men of means and influence — to better the condition of Combine 

 our rural population. Eighty-seven per cent, of the population of f^"^''«crer 

 the South live in places smaller than 2,5CX) ; and they, after all, are Effidencv 

 the saving remnants of our economic civilization. I beseech you 

 not to pursue a selfish policy with reference to putting your cut- 

 over lands on the market, to sell them on reasonable terms, at 

 good terms of credit. I appeal to such live citizens as, my friends, 

 Mr. Putman, who has been honored by being made Advertising 

 Manager of the Southern Pine Association ; Mr. Ucker and other 

 distinguished gentlemen, the editors of all the trade journals, to 

 present before the people of the United States the great economic 

 possibilities of these cut-over lands. 



My friends, we have a new South today. Let it be a new 

 South in every way. God grant that the traditions of the old may 

 prove an incentive to the progress of the new. God grant that 

 you and I, in our respective spheres of life, may see to it that 

 our wonderful undeveloped resources are developed; that the 

 forests, that like giants stand to sentinel our land, are properly 

 conserved ; and then we may say with the poet : 



"Henceforth, oh Southland, we look up to thee, 

 Not down at other lands. 

 Arise, arise, be not proud. 

 Be humble and be wise. 

 And bow thy head to the 

 Great Unknown One, who on high 

 Hath willed that as a land 

 Dixie shall never die!" (Applause.) 



