Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-01-20
INAUGURAL Address
OF
GOV. SAM'II MERRILL.
Delivered to Tx. EEairtccMii, Eess-
c3;,' Assembly, January I3i:.,
is1O

Gentlemen Of ;ks Senctc and Uou:s Of Repr.sen-
tl..rcs:
IN tn providence OF God, and in accordance
with the decision of the people Of the State Of
Iowa. the solemn res possibility Of administer
ing TIE executive department OF the State has
been, for a second time, committed to my care.
Permit me 10 return t. you, and through you
TO the people, my grateful thanks for this re-
newed expression OF the confidence CT a gen.
crous people. | can only assure you. and
them. that shall strive to merit a continuance
Of that confidence h. honest intention and
earnest EFFORT.
In again assuming this grave and solemn
trust, Custom devolves Cd me the lUty OF pres
scntinS such thoughts as seem 10 me pertinent,
10 the occasion. lhe Importance CT the
weighty interests ia,rus;ed 10 our keeping
cannot be over-estimatel. Oar beloved: State
IS our home, and will be the home Of our
, children. and their children for generations
to come. The faithful discharge Of our pab,ic
| auties must inevitably resui, III tie present,
| and future prosperity of the STATE. That de-
| votion to the public welfare, which ignores
sci interest, merits, and is sure 10 receive 4,
the hands Of the people, The highest ard n ost
enduring honors, while deserved obloguy aa
certainly follows the unfaitl.ful public serv-
ant. |: IS no time far US to look either TO per-
soma! ambition or merely LEGAL interests; bu.
we are to seek for bread and liberal policy
which shall embrace the interests of the W hole
commonwealth and the welfare of all the PEG.
pic, both for The present AMI all future time.
The progress Of our State in size past, and
the granduer of the work before as. can
scarcely be realized. Within the mc,ncry Of
many OF US, this vast domain, reaching from
river 10 river, lay in its pristine beauty, TN
|, =, ~,
rapper, who LEFT scarce 4 trace of their foot
steps, or /. mark OF their hands, upon it,
Here it lay, from the creation of the orla Till
cur time, its varied and mighty resource,
slumbcIing through countless ages, waiting
for the stroke OF the Saxon arm 10 waken
them i.,o a bountcous liic prolific with bless
ings. 1t was reserved for US TO see it, under
The magic touch Of tho lnborers hand yield
its gainered wealth with q prof,sion which
las beckonel capital and skill. We have
seen commerce follow the plow, and the steam
beat ara locomotive on the track of commences
We have seen TIE thrifty homes of million
Of people skirting cur woodlands and dotiing
our Irairies; we lave seen towns and cities
spring up in rapid succession; we have seen
the school house and sanctuary in all our he W
csmmunities; we have seen colleges and semi
naries CT learning reach degree of prosper
ity and breadth Of influence, in score of
years, which more ancient and renowned in
.stitutions of learning had no, attained till
centuries had passed over them.
Within our memory this State has gathered
population equal to that of the State Of New
York after II had been settled two hundred
years. Starting more than two hundred years
later, Iowa has nearly overtaken Massachu,
sets. And yet our progress ami development
have but just commenced. The possibilities
CT our future are bewiiderng TO contcm plate.
Only one acre in six has been put under cul>
tivation. Dor water power, for the mos. pari,
still lies idle. Cur coal beds anone the
broadcast and deepest in the world, still hold
undisturbel their exhaustless wealth. and
these magnificent resources are.so situated
| that their rapid development is inevitable -
| Here they lie, with great river on either
side, and with natural highways to tie grea.
lakes, which need only to be improved to ST
ford our productions easy and cheap trans.
portation.
TO the east Of us lie States which become,
every year, less and less grain growing and
| mere and more consuming. To the
south OF us lies cotton gro wing country Ct
vast extent, which will find its natura! sup>
| ply of breadstuffs in this direction 10 the
west of US lie the great mineral district of the
Rocky Mountions, with a prospective chain
of populous States. from British America to
Mexico, which may look this way for their
supplies, opening u vast market for Western
| produce and manufactures. The first creat
arteries OF this immense trade have already
been opened across cur State. Thus with our
bonndless stores Of undeveloped wealth we
hold central position, with markets all
around us.
Capital is quick to discover our advantages
Our enterprises seldom 50 begging in the
money market; our railways are rapidly push.
ing westward, and already they begin to poin,
10 the south and south> west, 10 the north and
north> west. Ins.inctively they reach for the
markets of the East, for the Lumber Of the
pincries, for the commerce Of the South, and
for the trade Of the South west and North.
west. Our railroad system is destined te
open up our interior, and our western borders
with rnpidity of growth seldom equaled and
never Surpassed.
The tread of coming population, which VIZ
now hear, will not cease for generations. i
is astounding to think for mos ent Of ths
capacity OF our State for population. Will
the density Of Massachusetts, she would hay
six and n half millions; with the density Of
France, eight and a half millions; with tina
of England, sixteen and a half millions; anC
with that Of Belgium, nearly nineteen mil.
lions; and who will say that the rich soil oil
Iowa is not capable Of sustaining even
greater density Of population than either o.
these?
Gentlemen: We have much TO do with the
future Of this State, rs the wisdo M and fidel;
isy Of public servants who have gone befor,