Railroad & Train Depot

The December 2004 issue of Indiana Magazine of History includes an article by Edward Frantz, assistant professor of history at the University of Indianapolis, titled: A March of Triumph? Benjamin Harrison's Southern Tour and the Limits of Racial and Regional Reconciliation, which examines the motivations for Harrison's trek.

Read the full article online here (Tallapoosa pg.306), which includes fascinating details of how and why the president modified his speech just before he brought it to Tallapoosa.

TALLAPOOSA, GEORGIA APRIL 16 1891

 The City of Tallapoosa was bedecked with flags and bunting in honor of the distinguished visitors and gave the President a cordial reception. 

Mayor AJ Head and the following representative citizens were among those who greeted the Chief Executive James H Rineard Walker Brock UG Brock JA Head RM Strickland J C Parker WT King RG Bently TJ Barrett JT Tuggle RJ McBride GW Bullard C Tallafario JA Burns J R Knapp CW Fox MC Reeve M Mun son WW Summerlin SJ Cason JH Davis S White A Hass TL Dougherty GA Stickney NL Hutchens OF Sampson H Martin MC Haiston GW Tumlin and JC Murrey

    Responding to the welcoming cheers the President addressed the assembly as follows:

    My Fellow citizens This large assemblage of people from this new and energetic city is very pleasant and I thank you for the welcome that it implies All of these evidences of extending industry are extremely pleasing to me as I observe them They furnish employment to men they imply comfortable homes contented families a safe social organization and are the strength of the Nation I am glad to see that these enterprises that are taking the ores from the earth and adapting them to the uses of civilization have not been started here unaccompanied by that more important work the work of gathering the children into the schools and instructing them that they in their turn may be useful men and women (Applause) I am glad to greet these little ones this morning it is a cheerful sight We are soon to lay down the work of life and the responsibilities of citizenship these mothers are soon to quit the ever recurring and never ending work of the home and give it into new hands It is of the utmost consequence that these little ones be trained in mind and taught the fear of God and a benevolent regard for their fellow men in order that their lives and social relations may be peaceful and happy We are citizens of one country having one flag and one destiny We are starting upon a new era of development and 1 hope this development is to keep pace and to be the promoting cause of a very perfect unification of our people (Cheers) We have a Government whose principles are very simple and very popular The whole theory of our institutions is that pursuing those election methods which we have prescribed under the Constitution every man shall exercise freely the right that the suffrage law confides to him and that the majority if it has expressed its will shall conclude the issue for us all There is no other foundation This was the enduring base upon which the fathers of our country placed our institutions Let us always keep them there Let us press the debate in our campaigns as to what the law should be but let us keep faith and submit with the reverence and respect which are due to the law when once lawfully enacted (Applause) The development which is coming to you in these regions of the South is marvellous In ten years you increased your production of iron about 300 per cent nearly a million and a quarter of tons and you have only begun to open these mines and to put these ores to the process of reduction Now I want to leave this thought with you In the old plantations of the South you got everything from somewhere else why not make it all yourselves (Cheers)