The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1885-09-10
PIONEERS OF MONTANA.
Second Annual Meeting Fergus
Address.

NVuSVSS'
The second annual meeting of the
Society Of Montana Pioneers convened
in Helena on the 2Sth ult. The session
was most interesting and profitable
one. Ninety-one additional names
were added to the list Of membership.
The address of the retiring president,
Hon. James Fergus, is characteristic
and worthy of its author, and we regret
that lack OF space prohibits its publ
cation in full. Mr.. Fergus said:
ProNEEEs, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
We meet here at the end of the first year
of our organization fewer in number, as we
will every year of our existence until we
are all laid with our fathers; but that very
fact enhances the pleasure aud the interest
of our meetings. As the retiring president
it becomes my duty to deliver an address
which | am very sorry to say, i'll health in
my family and business interests prevented
me from preparing. | was anxious to say
something to you worthy of the occasion
and worthy of our mountain home. /
wished to say that while we DID laudable
work in opening up an empire for ciyili-
aaiion. it was done in self-intercst. done to
make money. while many of our brethren
here were risking their liyes for the preser-
va.ion of our unity as a nation. am sorry
to see them taking back seat; they ought
to be in the front. But 20 our subject.
wished 20 say that In all history we find all
rur,ions % the earth peonled by some
variety of the human family, and that pio-
neers. from Moses to the Gar. have only
been conquerors, dispossessors or robbers
We here found Il country also in possession
of another race. Our only excuse is that
they were making poor use of il; that it
was sparsely settled. ani il place of kill
ing or robbins we simply took possession.
The original occupants were too weak to
fight. They stole our horses and killed
our cattle, aud we killed them when we
could The country was formerly thcirs';
now we cali il ours. 1t is simply the old
story, might makes rish.. and might gener-
ally wins.
would like, time aud ability permitting,
- present statistics of the vast increase in
population, wealth, science, inventions
educaiioi. &c, throughout the world, and
more particularly throughout these United
Siates, during ihe past seventy-live years,
and 10 show you what we might expect at
ihe same ratio OF increase in another cen
tuaiy, in two centuries etc, but the field is
too vasi--it is appalling. ''t;o west. You "
man" We have gone west; the tide OF
emigration has gone west, has reached the
ocean, has recoiel on ITSELF has scattered
aud reached the ends of the earth. 1t is
settling the forests of South America, the
junsies of Africa aud the deserts of Aus
/ trala; but the earth has its limits. Not 50
the increase of the human family. and no
people are more interested i'm these questions
than he people OF the United States, who
have long ago ceased 10 live on brown
bread and garlic, oat meal and milk, or po-
ia;oes aud salt. Oh. but these things don't
concern Us. They are "a long ways OIL
Not very fai. Many things are here thai
our fathers thought Were long ways or
many things that Ihey never dreamed of
The change, have been marvellous; they
have even asionished us, wno have been
the actors, ami it j. none too soon to look
such things square in The face, and not put
them oil until too lac. These are
duties that we owe 10 our pusterity.
What can we d. for them and hog? The
( iirsi is To restrict the increase OF population:
The second To improve what i Lett Rta-
trietioni Very able works have been writ
ten on this subject by Mr.. Bcsant and
o,hers. My views may be different. We
send abroad for TIE best the world affords
! to improve cur domestic animals. Not 30
( ,he human family. Every human cayu-e
+ IL al lib,r,y to ill the world with human
cayu,ea, untii oar insane a>l Inns, pvni;en-
tiaie, and iails rt full, anu plenty left To
bum our towns, steal our horses, kill our
cattle. rob our houses, and do all the other
mean things that a noble, well bied Elan or
woman would not he gully of doing. We
do not him. 10 prevent all this. We simply
+ Try To educate, but We afe e,itIcaiine cay
uses all the same. BE he muidcre,. rob
ber. drunkard, gambler or thief, he i. ioirg
no good To the body polite, adding moth
| ing to the sum OF human wealth, comfort
or ila.pness.
OF course il the surface OF the earth Is
not sufficient to sustain the increased popu-
lation that We naturally expect, il is better
IL follow ine same rule with the huInaI,