Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-05-24
THE EDITORIAL. CONVENTION.

Convention in the hospitable citysof Cor
thage, on May 81 The prog amme Tor tbe
first day was scaffied out4A the convention
being opened with prayer by Rev. DR..
Prosser. A welcoming address by Mayor
T. T. Liscomb was responded to by j. B.
Thompson, President of the association. AT
the afternoon session the annual address
was delivered by John A. Dillon, Esq, ed.
ftor of the st. Louis Post-Dispatch.
: After graphically describing the wonder
fully rapid growth of the State in popula-
: tion and wealth, and the material devef-
opment surely awaiting her, MIR. Dillon
/ said: / i -
I Increase of population is no gam tos the
State unless the standard of their WORTH be
elevated with their growth. Increase OF
blind pursuft or wealth anerely for wealth s
sake Is mo- to 6rin We spr than 1.-THE the
thing fself. it &erys bad athingsi II 1t is rn-
wisely directed. Labor is Gods command,
it rs enfdrcei ana servle labor. done at the
bidding of the task-master, wearing out life
merely to gain the means of livingg then it is
the DEVILS work, las worthless as the foolish
toll of the serfSwho builded the useless pyra.
mids of Egypty as degrading as the exertions
OF those who S dragged the car , or be
they fell exhausted on the road under its
wheels. s'~
= How can any man think that worth or vir-
tue lies in mere numbers? There is no pa
tient census-taker who can count the swarm
- ing millions of China. Would we be such as
they? Is it a worthy object Of a nations life
to add treasure and heap up riches upon rich
es? Why, what is all history but the record Of
splendor achieved at the cost of manhood-of
grandeur that fell into ruin!
We should not be worshippers of wealth, for
we know how worthless it is when compared
with better things. We know that one mod
! est SclOO-lOl1S1 Western land. lit
by the faces of the sons of freemen, is worth
more than all the marble palaces that cleaned
upon the seven hills of imperial Rome. We
know that the homey dwelling of the farmer,
who calls no man his master, is prouder
. monument NJ, than those w1rld-iamed w9ndrous
of India-which uprear their dazzling pima
Giles above the misery of the hordeS who
The worlds greatest deeds have been done
by smaller and poorer communities than our
own. The Grecian State which turned the
Persian back at Marathon and saved the
world for civilization was smaller in size than
one of our counties lesser in numbers than
lowed the great Arminius and annihilated the
legions of Varus in the recesses Of the German
forest saved for the world that Teutonic idea
of political liberty and equality which enables
us to meet here to-day; but they~were poor
men compared to us men of Missouri.
Our country embodies the grandest attempt
in all history to build up State on the prin-
ciples OF freedom and equality, and on the
idea that the people are capable of governing
themselves. AS we GaCQ snare IN tile dement's
of this experiment and profit by its successive
owe it the duty of doing our utmost to make
at success secure and lasting. and among
various States in the Union the worthiest
IS not that one which gathers up the greatest
riches. not that one which counts the most
numerous inhabitants not that which covers
the most square miles of aterritory, but that
one which sets the highest example OF .polft-
zeal wisdom and of political purity. There
different States to attain politicali leadership,
anotdn votes, but in IDEAS to be recognized as
ana whe Of tne ideas
.ssad taae lFiss ser citizens xorF fof many
Of q leader among the States in the depart
ment Of polrics: we can not proudly pointto
81 desPsr pplss o1s
d eaiih WIN poi deal intefesH; We can not
inspiration or suggestion, that it waits forsus,
to lead or that it even listens when our voice
- Here is work for years and no man can
claim to foresee the time When parties ia Mis-.
souri, will be,put to their mettle to win doubt,
full fight. But we do not need to wait until
then before cultivating higher sense of po--
Htical duty and higher standard Of political
energy And it is tothe editors of Missoun
that the commonwealth and the people must
look chiefly for the motive powers IN such
Before we rise to the, distinction of swaying
the destinies of the nation and, controlling its
task of so ordering the political satfairs OF our
own Commonwealth ito meetiwth the APP
prevail and admiration of the world. This,
regret to say, we have not done as yet. The
share Of Missouri in national legislation is far
from distinguished. In the Senate we are
very web represented; but can we say that
our districts send their strongestm to the
Gus for their abiitity or for their influence?
or that they originate, or shape, or control the
legislation of the country? Do we succeed in
getting our best men into office at home? Do
we not even so arrange matters as to make it
almost impossible for our best men 70 get into
Office Off or to 40 any good when they get fherss
lature; did we send our wisest men, our most
patriotic citizens, our best Lawmakers to
and have been so far from doing that that we
recognized in the annual sessions detriment
now We look unon the Biennial meeting of our
law givers as a terror and a menace. n
The Commonwealth looks to you, gentle
men, to fulfill your high requirements in this
make every man his own statesman, to con-
vince the most modest citizen that he has as
ming. for an office himself. and to impress on 4
the public mind the constant lesson that our
no life in themselves, but are vivified by the
spirit breathed into them by the people, and
that their value is increased and their per-
people sustain them with their hearty, I'M
swerving, untiring devotion.
Among the many cause of honest, unsnl-
of ours, one of the first is the remarkable ex-
ception 1t has presented in the spectacle of the
magnificent endowments given by self
made milionaires to the cause of education.
The names of Peabody, of Johns Hopkins, of
Cornell. of sVassar, of Rose of Aston. of
Girard, of Slater, of Packer, of Cooper, and Of
the long list of. benefactors of learning in this
country are in themselves proud and imper-
ishable monuments, such as adorn the history
of no other country in the world In Europe
the kings and the princes, and the titled no
blity, and heirs of great estates, have enjoyed
for centuries suchwealth as our richest men
are only beginning to reach, but not in any
country in Europe, nor in any country of
modern time, among all the-nobles and even
among all the monarchs, has there been one
whose giftto learning has been as great as
thbaeast gift made. by the modest merchants
and traders and workmen among the citizens
of our Republic whose names | have men,
toned. Not al the,wealth of England, not all
the pride Of France, not all the culture of Ger
many has ever moved the rulers or the leaders
To do for the sAke of learning what has been
ddrle again aIi1Rgaip by our plain citizens.
Wh6zka5e thiuk Of what our rich men have
don6, when we think of their lberality COM
pared with the sOrdid meanness of rich men of 4
other lands, let us not fail in our acknowledge
fnents, let us claim them among the glories Of
our country and encourage the spirit w6ichl
has stimulated them. But, gentlemen, instead |
Of naming them oneeby one, were to talsarl
them all together and add up the totals VI
Vi Eson .d ha De small indeed