The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-09-19

A railroad. a. related TO human needs and
productive Of human happiness y worth more
than N the palaces that were ever ouilt.
The telegraph % civili1ing power, binding
the nations together and touching the true pur-
poses and real value Of life, has done more tnan
al the armies that were ever recruited.
A free press with free speech. b. giving SUM
MUS TO human thought ana direction to worthy
action has done more to make life blessing 20
those possessed Of them than could come from
the unlocking OF all the wealth hidden IN royal
treasures sluce time began.
They say that Egyptian civilization thousands
Of years ago built city In the valley o. the
Ni.e. q marvel OF wealth and power. From
each OF hundred gates Of brass they could
send out . thousand shining chariots. each
wiki 4 mailed warrior, giant 10 muscle ano
With an iron heart. II the purposes Of civilizar
tion Is that rival nation should slaughter. waste
and destroy rival nation, then this was grand
civilization.
hut Ne answer to this pretentious claim .
our horses 20 out drawing their chariots 100,
and each with hero. reaping on ten thousand
fruitful harvest fields, doing the work OF .iovlng
duty, gathering the fruits Of useful and produc-
tive toll.
hone am not exhausting your patience,
but somehow this thought grows In my mind.
into unseemly proportions, threatening to con-
sumo the time allotted TO this address. But BE-
fore Diminishing II, It comes In my mind 70 say
that behind every word there Is. Or ought to be,
. thought which the word represents, and BE-
hind every deed there u q purpose for which
the oct stands. what Is true OF tho man Is true
also OF the mass OF men, whether communities
or nations. This unity OF purpose brings con-
cert Of action. giving force and character % the
movement.
10 estimate correctly the meaning And worth
OF the many migrations OF great masses OF men,
We must nrst md the motive TO induce the
movement.
About 500 years ago there was an Immense
emigration from the northern portions q
France to the soil OF England. William Of Nor
mandy. the bastard SON Of brutal father, col.
lected IN army OF lawless adventures, With
whom, II successful, he had promised 20 divide
these fail nelds. Pillage and conquest inilamed
the passions OF these lerce emigrants. Defend
Ing their right to the soil against these lawless
invaders, the Saxon found nnal and overwhelm-
ing defeat ON the field OF Hastings. That was
the survival Of the Pushcr. The titlel owners
OF the vast estates In the England Of to-day,
point back in pride tothe ignoble blood OF these
successful robbers, and claim their right to
rule a. the right OF conquest.
The worth Of system OF civilization built
upon such foundation can be best measured
by the present condition Of Ireland and India.
standing AZ paupers among the nations. their
productive classes, those who till the soilthcs
mutely declare 70 plying world that this sys-
tenn OF civilization says that beyond hts capac-
ity as productive force. for the benent Of the
landlord, the tenant Is drug and nuisance
in other words man Is not worth IS mnch IS
the soil he lives on.
''Hower It be. It seems 70 me
IT'S only noble TO be good;
Kiud deeds arc more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood.
Give kings their crown and knayes their
power,
Let fortunes bubbles rise and fall;
Who plants tree or trains flower,
Is more than sll,'
Charles Kingsley, one Of the sturdiest Of Eng
lish writers, writing OF ancient civilization, has
well said "that true civilization should not
mean more wealth, more innery or self-indul-
gence. or even more artistic luxury, but more
virtue, more knowledge, more self control. even
II We earn scanty bread By heavy toll" which
statement leads me to place IN contrast 20 this
cruel and wanton invasion OF England by this
Norman immigration, and the heartless civil
zation growing out OF II, another event related
on the pages Of history.
About go years ago; only 20! at the signal OF
G0d, thu truest and worthiest men and women
the world had ever known, came IS his stew
ards and tenants to possess virgin world. In.
epired by the nobiest motives that the human
heart can know, each OF these emigrants
brought with him purpose aad courage strong
England they founded new civilization estab-
lished on the worth OF man.
other emigrants inspired by ike hopes found
these shores and their numbers increased with
succeeding years. The central thought OF this
new civilization expanded and strengthened,
and hundred years ago, by solemn enactment
they dedicated this fair land to Freedom.
on the rirst nay OF this present month, with
hitting ceremony their children unveiled at Ply.
mouth Rock, monument to these sublime men
| and women; the breath OF whose life u symbol
tied In Law, Faith and Freedom. Happy the
people with whom the love Of these shall abide.
Many OF Us are sprung from the lolns Of these
freemen, gladly welcoming the stranger and
alien II he bring with him the qualities that
make man.
With whatever motives we sought these fields
| they were worthy ones; and we came, as lave
said, the best representatives OF the best civil.
zation the world had known.
lean appropriately repeat the words OF Robt.
Collier to-day, THE picked men OF the East no
longer content with barren lands and narrow
valleys, with an instinct like that which speeds
she swallow to the summer, came streaming
over the mountains, through the lakes. across
the prairies and up the rivers; they felled the
forests. drained the marshes, broke the fallow
ground and endured haldships a. good soldiers,
In the peaceful pursuit OF homeiy. sslf-reiiant
and useful life.
| need make NO excuse for celebrating these
thoughts, for In reviewing these five and thirty
years. they bring no small compensation TO me,
and they seemed to AK recital IN what hope
have been Timely words.
/ But the occasion requires Q consideration OF
some OF the thoughts that come near and
touch our individual and present experiences.
not TO such as have grown to maturity with
our infant community but TO those who assist
ed In giviRg form and direction to It.
| lam reminded to say to such OF you, even the
youngest. that you are growing old. The early
vigor IL going, the locks are growing thin and
the hairs are mostly silver. will not recall the
tingc or regret thai came TO color the first con.
c,ousness that We were no longer young; fol
with this know ledge we came to learn some
things that we had not known hitherto. and
which we could not have learned otherwise.
May not then allude TO some OF these exper.
fences In such manner as may bring with the
review some glimpaes OF ourselves and fellow