Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-05-19
mere this morning or Will read INC.


coverer, and who has reared here
which has been given TO no
other people. "Oh!' says some one,
there are people in this country who
do not believe in God, and it would be
an insult to them" Well, there are
people in this country who do not be-
lieve in common decency, or common
honesty, or any kind of government,
preferring anarchy. Your very plat
form is an insult to them. You ought
not to regard man who does not be-
lieve in God any more than you should
regard a man who refuses to believe in
common decency. Your pocket-book is
not safe moment in the presence Of an
atheist. God is the only source OF good
government Why not, then, say SO,
and let the chairman of the committee
on resolutions in your national conycn-
tions take pen full OF INK
and with bold hand head the
document with one significant Where
as" acknowledging the goodness of God
in the past, and begging his kindness
and protection for the future. Why, my
friends, this country belongs to God,
and We ought in every possible way to
acknowledge it. From the moment that,
on an October morning in 1492, Column
bus looked over the side of the ship and
saw the carved staff which made him
think he was near an inhabited coun-
try, and saw also thorn and cluster
of berries type of our history ever
since, piercing sorrows and cluster OF
national joys, until this hour our coun-
try has been bounded on the north,
south, east and west by the goodness
of God. The Huguenots took posses.
sion of the Carolinas, in the name of
God. William Penn settled Philadel.
phia, in the name of God. The Hol-
landers took possession of New York,
in the name of God. The Pilgrim
Fathers settled New England, in the
name of God Preceding the first gun
of Bunker Hill, at the voice of prayer
! all heads uncovered. In the war OF
1919, an officer came to Gen. Andrew
! Jackson and said: There is an un.
usual noise in the camp; it ought to be
stopped" General Jackson said, What
| is the noise?" The officer said, ut is
the voice of prayer and praise" Then
tie General said, God forbid that
prayer and praise should be an un-
usual noise in the encampment. You
had better go and join them" Prayer
at Valley Forge. Prayer at Monmouth
Prayer at Atlanta Prayer at South
Mountain. Prayer at Gettysburg. "Oh!
says some infidel, 1.-The northern people
prayed on one side and the Southern
people prayed on the other side, and Sc
it did not amount to anything" And
/ have heard good Christian people con
founded with the infidel statement
when it is as plain to ne as my righ
hand. Yes; the Northern people prayed
in one way, and the Southern people
prayed in another way, and God an
swered in his own way, giving to thu
North the re-establishment of the gov
eminent, and giving to the South large
opportunities, larger than she had eve
anticipated, the Harvesting Of he
rivers in great manufacturing interests
until the Mobile and the Tallapoos
and the Chattahoochee are Southern
Merrimacs, and the unrolling of grea
Southern mines of coal and iron, o
which the world knew nothing. an
opening before her opportunities C
wealth which will give ninety-nine pc
cent more of affiuence than she eve
possessed; and instead Of the blac
hands of American slaves, there are tn
more Industrious black hands of tn
coal and iron mines of the South whic
are achieving for her fabulous and un
imagined wealth.
; And there are domes Of white blossoms wher
spread the white tents,
And there are ploughs in the track where IN
war wagons went,
And there are songs where they lifted U
RachePs lament.
l take step further, and say tina
| before the gavels of our senate an
house of representatives and our polit
cal conventions pound adjournmcn
, there ought to be passed law
; adopted plank of intelligent helpful
( ness for the great foreign population
1 which are coming among us. 1t is t.
late now to discuss whether we hs
4 better let them come. They are her
, They are coming this moment throue
, the Narrows. They are this momel
: taking the first full inhalation of Il
free air of America. And they will col
tinue to come as long as this country
v the best place to live in. You might
: we'll pass law prohibiting SUNNI
. bees from alighting on field of bio
!, soming buckwheat; you might as We
!, prohibit the stays of the mountain fro
:. coming down to the derrick, as to pr
hibit the hunger-bitten nations
q Europe from coming to this land
= bread-as to prohibit the people Of En-
: land, Ireland, Scotland. Italy, Norwa
" Sweden and Germany, working theI
selves to death on small wages on {
- other side the sea, from coming to tt
;, land where there are the largest col
y pensations under the sun. Why did G
- spread out the prairies OF the Dakot
- and roll the precious ore into Colorad
', 1t was that all the earth might con
- and plough, and come, and dig. Just
long as the centrifugal force Of forei
! despotism throws them off, just
'e long will the centripetal force
u American institutions draw them he
u. And that is what is going to make Il
III the mightiest nation on the earth.
III termarryinp of nationalitieSi Not cir