The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-10-28
HENRY WATTERSON.
YFn1-AAKY m
His Mastery Dedicatory Grafton
4 at Chicago. ~

! CHICAGO, oct 22-Ihe grafton OF
! Henry Watterson, of Kentucky, at the
worlds fair dedication was listened to
with rapt attention by all within hear
/ ing of his voice. After alluding to the
struggles of the early settlers and the
men who established national indie
pendence, he went on:
We are met this day to honor the memory OF
Christopher Columbus, to celebrate the 4O0th
annual return OF the year OF his transcendant
! achievement and, with fitting rites, TO dedicate
TO America and the universe a concrete exposi-
ton Of the worlds progress between 1892 and
1892 No twenty centuries can be compared
with those four centuries, either in Importance
or interest as no previous ceremonial can be
compared with this in its wide significance and
reach; because, since the advent of the Son of
God, no event has had so great an Influence up
on human affairs as the discovery of the west
ern hemisphere Each of the centuries that
have interviewed marks many revolutions The
merest catalogue would crowd thousand
pages The story OF the least Of the
nations would fill volume. In what 1
have to say upon this occasion. there
fore. 1 shall conf1ne myself to our own. and,
in speaking Of the United States of America, !
propose rather to dwell upon our character as .
people, and our reciprocal obligations and duties
as an aggregation of communities, held together
by fixed constitution, and charged with the
custody OF q union upon whose preservation and
perpetuation in its original spirit and purpose
the future OF free, popular government depends,
than to enter into o dissertation upon abstract
principles, or 10 undertake an historic essay.
We are plain, practical people. We are race
OF inventors ami workers, not of poets and art
lists. We have led the worlds movements, not
Its thought Our deeds arc TO be found not upon
frescoed walls or IN ample libraries, but in the
machine shop, where the spindles sing and the
looms thunder, on the open plain, where the
steam pillow, the reaper AMI the mower contend
with one another in friendly war against the
obduracies OF nature; in the magic OF eiectri-
city as IL penetrates the darkest caverns with
its irresistible power and light Let US consid-
er ourselves and our conditions, as far as We
are able, with candOr untinged by cynicism
and n confidence having no air OF assurance.
A better opportunity could not be desired for
n study of our peculiarities than is furnished by
Tho present moment
We are in the midst of the quadrennial period
established for the selection of chief magis-
trate. Each citizen has his right OF choice
each has his right TO vote and TO have his vote
freely cast and fairly counted Wherever this
right Is aSsailed for any cause wrong is done
and evil must follow, first TO the whole country,
which has an interest in all its parts, but most
TO the community Immediately involved, which
must actually drink of the cup that has con-
tanned the poison and cannot escape its infec-
tion.
The abridgement Of the right Of suffrage,
however is very nearly proportional TO the ig-
nOrance or Indifference of the parties concerned
by II, and there is good reason to hope that,
with the expanding intelligence Of the masses
and the growing enlightenment Of the times
this particular form of corruption in elections
will be reduced below the danger line.
To, hat epH IN all ufb ar nnl an1= ba
moderation of public sentiment must ever be
our chief reliance, for whom men are forced by
the general desire for truth, and the Zig hit which
our lnoderan vehicles of Information throw
upon truth, to discuss public questions for
truths sake when il becomes the plain inter
est OF public men, as IL is their plain duty TO do
this, and when above all. friends and neighbors
cease to love one another less because of indi-
vidual difference Of opinion about public affairs,
the struggle for unfair advantage will be rele-
gated TO those who have either no character to
lose or none to seek
II is admitted on all sides that the current
presidential campaign is freer from excitement
and Iumult than was ever known before, and it
is argued from this Circumstance that are
traversing the epoch OF the commonplace II
this be so, thank God for II, We have had full
enough of the dramatic AMI sensational and
need "a season of mediocrity and repose. But
may We not aScribe the rational way in which
the people are going about their business to
larger knowledge and experience, and fairer
spirit than have hitherto marked our party con-
tentions?
Parties are essential to free government as
oxygen TO the atmosphere or sunshine to vege-
tation- And party spirit is inSeparable from
party organism. To the extent that ii is
tempered by good sense and good feeling, by
love of country aud integrity of purpose, il is =
supreme virtue, and there should he no gag
short of a decent regard for the sensibilities
of others put upon its freedom and plain
ness OF utterance. Otherwise the limpid
pool of democracy would stagnate and
we should have a republic in name only. But
we should never cease to be admOnished by
the warning words OF the father OF his country
against the excess of party spirit reinforced as
they are by century of party warfare, war
fare happily eliminating in the complete tri
umph of American principles, but brought
many times dangerously near 10 the annihila-
tion of ali that was great and noble in the ma
tionsl life
Sursum Corda We have in our own time
seen the republic survive an irrepressible con-
flict sown in the blood and marrow Of the so
cial order. We have seen the federal union,
not too strongly put together in the first place,
come out of great war Of sections stronger
than when il went into il. its faith renewed, its
credit rehabilitated and its flag saluted
with love and homage byJ 1000 OF God fear
ing men and women thoroughly rec
Onciled and homogeneous We have seen the
federal constitution outlast the strain, not
merely of a recOnstructory ordeal and a presi-
Dental Impeachment, but disputed count of
the electoral vote. a congressional deadlock
and an extra constitutional tribunal ret stand
ing firm against the assault of its
enemies, whilst yielding itself with adj
mirable fieXbility TO the needs OF the
we saw the gigantic fabric Of the federal gov
eminent transferred from hands that had held
it q quarter OF n century 10 other hands without
a protest, although so close was the poll ia the
final count that single blanket might have
covered both contestants for the chief msgis-
terisl Office With such record behind US,
who shall be afraid of the future:
The curse OF slavery Is gone. Il was d joint
heritage of woe, 10 be wiped out and oxp!ated
in blood and fame. The mirage Of the confed-
eracy has vanished Ii was essentially bucolic
a vision of Arcade, the dream of "a most at
tractive economic fallacy. The constitution is
no longer u rope OF sand The exact re-
lation OF the states to the federal gov
ernmelt left open to double CON
structiop b. the authors OF oar organic being
because theJ could not s4roe ,mong themselves
and union was the paramount OBJECT. has been
clearly and definitely fixed by the three last
amendments TO the original chart. which COR
sntuse the real treaty OF peace between the
norm aud the south lnd seal our eeads az . M
ton forever
The Esn WhO planted the Signals Of Ameri-
can civilization upon TIA, sscre1 rock by Ply-
nlouih bsy we're kESi shnel, aud 50 were the
Inez who stPySk ,hs sSasi liItle lover down.
oailizG iA.ir haven Of rest after the great re-
publican conmolsr, and founding by Hampton
Roads race OF heroes and states uaen. the nsl-
tioa Of whose names bring a thrill to every
heart The south claims Lincoln the in
mortal, for its own; the north hiss ID right TO
reject SionewaH Jackson the ono typical
Puritan soldier of the war, for its own! Nor
will IL! The time Is coming, Is almost here,
vhea hanging above many . mantss board in
fair New Engiana-zlorifyins many a cottage
in tbs sunny sogth-shall be seen bound To-
rNfhar In erprlaatinx lnra and hnnnr fEa