LOYALTY TO SOUTHERN INTERESTS
He was one of the most successful railroad men and promoters of industrial institutions in the South, and one who, from the first days of his public career, has justly and fully presented the claims of the South in her higher achievement along every line.
In his splendid leadership of movements entrusted to his guidance he quickly demonstrated the ability expressive, not alone of his loyalty to the interests of the South, but his broader aspiration that these interests become national, and become so a part of the forces upon which the nation as a whole would find a common interest, that he became one of the men looked to by his fellow countrymen to solve the great problems of our complex twentieth century activities.
The expression of this broader aspiration by which he made the interests of his section the interests of the nation illustrated one of the essential principles of the highly evolved man—the constructive principle—the one that draws man to the building up of big movements that the smaller ones may be inspired to grow and become a part.
HIS NATIONAL SPIRIT
That Mr. Spencer was an exponent of this spirit was given national recognition in the responsibilities that have been thrust upon him, no greater example of which could be given than in his part in the recent rate bill agitation in the United States Congress. He was selected by the railroad systems of the country as their representative before the national body and was entrusted with the responsibilities of personally presenting their side of the question.
SAMUEL SPENCER
His ready appreciation of the influences necessary to bring to bear upon the present status of problems in which certain forces of the nation are retarded in their processes of solving has been seen in his personal alliance with movements or organizations standing for peace and arbitration and conciliatory measures.
He was an influential member of the National Civic Federation and his opinions were no more highly regarded by the president, August Belmont, than by the vice president, Samuel Gompers, the two men representing at present the two great conflicting national interests of capital and labor.