Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-09-01

maintain them the valuation of property.
the levy of taxes; the collection and
accounting for the public money ; the
care of the poor the directions for public
Improvement; the provisions for the safe
keeping OF persons charged with crimes
the preservation of the records of the
titles tn properly; the administration of
Justice at tue hands OF the mini sters OF
the law, all will have their center here ;
and from here win 20 out The reputation
that shall make her fame good or bad. Ii
is fitting then that the chief corner stone
of this temple shall be laid with cere-
monies amid scenes and in presence of
witnesses that shall constitute the act an
ERA in the county's history. And il is an
occasion when RLOQUENoE could give
uttcrance TO thoughts in words which
would l0ave impressions III the memory
not 10 be forgotten.
That ANCIENT CRAFT-crganized when
the glory OF Israel's Inspired X ing filed
the known world with his fame. in the
erection of that wondrous temple THEIR
hands created In all its magnificence, and
whose order now is found in every land
beneath the sun, have laid the corner
stone of almost every public building in
toe land. And here, to-day, with their
imposing ceremonies lay down for US the
corner OF this structure in which shall
hereafter center so many vital interests of
our people. Within that stone now lies
a synopsis of the record Of her history to
this day. There are names OF men-Our
sometimes public servants-who have
long since gone down the dusty road on
the march To tie home OF the dead, and
their busy minds which once sat here in
judgment for us have ceased tn think and
plan. For each of them, the dome o f
thought, the the temple of the soul has
crumbled back to dust. Int their names
live here aud their works do follow
them" Time shall, crumble The walls To
10 be here erected We shall be where
those dead servants are and our names
shall not be known but in The long years
vet TO come, nations who come after us
may find these records and these names
here deposited; and thus are formed The
links in the great chain of history which
binds the Past TO the everlasting Press
cnt.
Here, too, for us as we'll as those to
cone is food for thought. On y thirty
four year ago, and we numbered one hun
dred and twenty SIX voters; now. we
number four thousand three hundred and
nine. Then our Whole population was
only six hundred and thirty now, 1t is
about thirty thousand Then, we had
only foui hundred and sixty-one thousand
dollars Of taxables-supposing the valua-
ton 10 be one-third--and that mostly in
wild lands, owned by non-resIdents
now, we have pearly sixteen millions,
owned mostly by residents. Then, we
had no railroads, no telegraphs, ne church
buildings, few and widely scattered log
school houses, no educational system or
public funds to sustain one now, see the
contrast an6 realize that nearly all the
vast improvements that brings all the
world together in a week--a day--an
hour, have principally emanalea from the
minds of American citizens and are the
legitimate ouigrowih of that system of
government OF which our counties form
part.
See, here to-day, the thousands assem-
bied who a few short hours ago were al
their homes long miles away, and in
few hours hence will be there again.
moving al, the time with the ease and
comfort of an afternoon visit at the resi-
dence of some friend: again behold the
contrast These men whose names we
have preserved beneath that stone, in
their day would have been weeks, by rude
corveyances aud camping out, in ma
| king such round.
All me. We'll I remember ali their
faces Aye, and | remember too, many OF
the faces of the wild l ndii ms among
whom they came. to open up the wilder
ness That has given place To all this CIV
ilization We now enjoy. knew these men
and how they lived. And saw the red
men ard Their wives and children torn
from their homes here by the soldiers and
driven frcm the graves oil their fathers,
almost in light of this spo; where now
! stand. by the sharp bayonet OF the sol
der leaving the land for us.
| AID all these names of the early judges
and members ot The bar how their forms
and faces now come back 20 me- The
invincible, punning Everets the English
| like Judge, 8. G. Sample the Websterian
looking I.iston; the wiley Jernegan, the
| eloquent flanagan. the scholarly Brad
ley, the scientific Niles, the witty Orton--
| can,ot pause to name them all-but
their faces rise up before me they were.
Some live yet; some have gone to visit
thai bourne whence no traveller returns
| But they were with us and Of us anu no
portion OF the state or of any state has
seen better lawyers, iruer men, or, as a
| class--those who have left a better record
Peace 10 the ashes of those who are gone,
a serene and prosperous old age to those
who are left, 1t makes me sad to go
back in memory to those early days and
note the havoc made by Death. 1t makes
| me proud to note the progress made
within the space upon which those men
have left the impress Of their actions and
their thoughts. Within the walls here to
be erected, no proiounder logic, no more
! thrilling eloquence, no more sparkling
wit will e'er be heard than has fallen from
their lips-now cold in the silent cham
beers of the dead
But the living claim our attention.
Here before US is the foundation, and
about us are tic materials and the work
men; what shall come of it? A beau
tiful and substantial strucl lure, to battle
with time and with the elements. For
what use? The administration of pub
lie justice. the protection of private
rights, the punishment for public
wrongs, the preservation of the public
records. Who shall inhabit here The
servants of the people. BY what rule
shall they be selected? Because Of their
fitness, both as To capacity and moral in
tegrity-let us hope. What TRUST is
here! Shall we ever have Jeffries or
the bench? God forbid Shall. JUSTICE
sit blmdfold while Ignorance in the per-
son of her minister The Judge directs her
to strike right or left with her sword
without regard to the right or without the
ability to see which is The right? Heay-
en- forbid Shal. public opinion--found-
ed on rumour--waik into the jury box
and dictate the verdict without regard to
evidence ? May just system of educa-
| ton make i impossih.e- How shall we
(, insure the non-pollution of this temple
and make it the fit home for justice to
dwell in? BY being just ourselves and
| fit TO be her ministers. BY rejecting
demagogues. By respecting the law and
its ministers. and by making them respect
US. BY refusing to select them in party
or political caucus and by selecting the
purest and most competent men We have
and then paying them a salary sufficient
to command their attention to our call for
their services. and pension them when
4 sl,< l,.x 4