“‘What an opportunity this Exposition has given to the States of this section! The State that has neglected to be represented here has missed the opportunity of its history. I am glad, sir, from your side, that Florida is represented here. Her grand resources of factory, of mines, of forest, of rivers, her fruits and flowers, are here to show our visiting friends from the North what a great country Florida is. [Applause.] “‘We thank you, sir, for being such a friend to the South. You have spent more money and developed more territory in this section than any other man in the Union. [Great applause.] We thank you and honor you for it, and we hope you will live to see the day when your railroad lines will extend all over this country [applause]; when your steamships will plow the Atlantic Ocean and reach the ports of Europe. We hope, sir, that you will live to see the building of the Nicaragua Canal; when your steamships shall go through that canal, and, crossing the Pacific Ocean, reach the ports of China, Japan, and Australia--all these lines pouring immigration and wealth into this section, making it the most powerful, most populous and richest section of this Union, and your System the greatest upon the face of the earth. [Continued applause.] “‘I now have the honor and pleasure of introducing to you Mayor King, who will welcome you for the city of Atlanta.’” “Mayor Porter King was greeted with applause and spoke as follows: “‘Mr. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen:--On the part of the city of Atlanta it is to me a matter of peculiar pleasure and pride to welcome in our midst that broad-minded, grand, glorious, golden-hearted gentleman and the splendid men who come with him. [Great cheering and applause.] “‘I but re-echo the sentiment so beautifully expressed by Colonel Hemphill, who preceded me, that if Georgia, the South, and Atlanta owe aught to any man, it owes as much to Colonel Plant as to any one whose name I could call. I speak a truth which is perhaps not generally known, so modest is this gentleman, that to-day he is one of the largest real estate owners in the city of Atlanta. [Applause.] We think in that, he has shown the wisdom of his judgment. “‘I honor the head of this great System because of the policy that he has pursued--to build up himself, not by pulling down another, but by carrying others up with him. [Applause and cheers.] And not alone to him, but to this vast army of employees, who are themselves but representatives of the magnificent System of which he is at the head, I extend a cordial welcome. [Applause.] I am sure it is not in his heart to detract one bit from any progress, or any forward movement of the very lowest employee connected with his whole System. [Applause and cheers.] Rather than to grow up that way, I believe he would rather see his whole System wrecked.