The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1895-10-05
Governor Mcconnell Of Idaho Makes an
Address That PleaSeS the Big
Audience.
Spokane, Wash, Oct. l.

auently interrupted with applause.
The governor spoke from the band |
stand, and every word could be dis |
tinctly heard throughout the immense
building. The band played Hail Col
u,Abia" as the governor. Mayor Belt
and J. w. Binkley, president of the
Spokane Bureau Of Immigration as
cended the steps.
The governor was introduced by Pres
ident Binkley and there was burst of
applause from the large audience when
he rose to speak. He said:
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow Citizens Of
Washington, Idaho and Oregon: We are
here for the purpose Of formally opening
this fair, for which enterprise you are
under obligations to the bureau Of immi-
grafton of the city of Spokane For to
this people entirely we owe this exhibit
ton.
AS you have perhaps noticed, this struc-
ture was not intended for speech making.
Therefore will not attempt to perpetrate
one upon you. For you must recognize
how difficult it is to address an audience
under these conditions
In common with other Idahoans, am
proud Of Spokane-proud because we feel
that we built it, The brick in your mas
sive structures were, many OF them,
brought from Moscow, Idaho, and the
lumber in your beautiful edifices was
nearly all of it stolen from our state.
Uaughter).
Every structure must have a good
foundation to have it's permanence as
sured. When your enter Using people
proposed to build the brick blocks which
adorn your city they first dug deep into
the soil and conveyed from the state OF
Idaho massive granite blocks upon Wnlcn
the structure was to be erected. 80 II IS
with the erection of every structure
So hmm or
that of our commemorative. The tounda-
ton of our lives is laid in our pupnc
schools our Sunday schools, our homes
and churches, and if that foundatlon Is
neglected the structure is apt TO De
failure. If we would maintain our lhtes
rity as a nation, continue to uphola t.ae
beautiful flag with which this eXnloltloh
is SO lavishly decorated, we must lay the
foundation of our citizenship deep ana
broad in our public schools. so II you
make the state of Washington what IL
should be, one of the greatest ana most
promising Of our sisterhood OF states, ~
must be peopled by frugal, enterprlslhs
and industrious people, whose industry
is we'll directed. YOU must organize DIS
farmers. as horticulturistS, as STOCK fais-
ers, as miners, as lawyers ana DIS Aewe
paper men-not for the purpose OIL ~
dulging in politics and making youisei t'7e
policemen or even mayors, but Tor lhe
\
vocation in which you are engaged anu
by the building up of that industry OF w.
cation assist the enterprises OIL you.
state, and by all pulling together you iilay
create a commonwealth of when genera
tons to come will be proud.
To you as citizens of Spokane uesli
to say, with all your push, energy anu
enterprise 1 am astonished that you nave
not before now devised ways ana means
to bring water upon the beautlful prailie
between here and Occur d Alene City ano
Post Falls. Having been citizen OIL Tie
arid districts of the west Tor tlany y go
and having constructed the first lrrls alioi
ditch in southern Idaho, am aecuee 80 -
to judge of a country as l pass over ~
And l say to you there is no better ula
trict for horticulture than TINS eA'en
sive prairie to which l REFER. y, -,
purposes of irrigation it is really oet.o'
than if it had a clay soil. Hayueh i'n'
has ample water and Post FANS mas an
pie power, while science has demonsli 80
the method by which that power Iilay ~
conveyed-that of electricity. A puinpi ...s
station run by wire or wires at sun
point on that lake would make 'hio W
tire district bloom like the rose.
Owing to the fact that SO large a ~ 80,
ton Of our state can not De culliva.o
without irrigation, you nave leLe =,
thousands of immigrants that Uus
have settled with us in Idaho. Inc 8
bulk of the early immigration Colii- ::
here, approaching the fertility OF tie soi
OF north Idaho and it's advantages OF WV,
and water, settled in Kootenal, Latah @ii'
Nez Perez counties.