The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-06-06

tinue to come as long as this country
is the best place to live in.
Why did God spread out the
prairies of the Dlkotas and roll the
precious ore into Colorado? 1t was
that all the earth might come, and
plow, and come, and dig. Just as long
as the centrifugal force of foreign des-
pOtisms throw them off, just so long
will the centripetal force of American
institutions draw them here. And
that is what is going to make this the
mightiest nation on the earth. Inter-
marriage of nationalities! Not circle
intermarrying circle, and nation inter-
marrying nation. But it is going to
be Italian and Norwegian, Russians
and Celt, Scotch and French, English
and American. The American of a
hundred years from now is to be diff
ferent from the American of to-day.
German brain, Irish wit, French civil-
ity, Scotch firmness, English loyalty
Italian asthetics packed into one man,
and he an Americanr 1t is this inter-
marriage of nationalities that is going /
to make the American nation the
greatest nation of the ages. But what
are we doing for the moral and intel
lectual culture of the 500, 900 foreigners
who came in one year, and the 600, 900
who came in another year, and the
500, 900 who came in another year, and
the 1000 900 who are coming into our
American ports? What are we doing
deal for them We steal their baggage
as soon as they get here We send them
up to a clearinghouse where the
least they lose is their money. We
swindle them within ten minutes after
they get ashore. Whe are doing a
great deal for them. But what are we
doing to introduce them into the duties
of good citizenship? Many of them
never saw a ballot box. Many of them
never heard of the constitution of the
United States. Many of them have no
acquaintance with our laws. Now, L
say, let the government of the United
States, so commanded by one political
party or both political parties, give to
every immigrant who lands here a
volume, in good type and well
bound for long usage-a volume
containing the Declaration of
Independence the constitution
of the United States, and a chapter on
the spirit of our government. Let
there be such book on the shelf of
every free library in America. While
the American Bible society puts into
the right hand of every immigrant a
copy of the Holy Scriptures, let the
government of the United States, COM
manded by some political party, put
into the left hand of every immigrant
a volume iDstructing him in the duties
of good citizenship. There are thou
sands of foreigners in this land who
need to learn that the ballot box is not
a footstool, but throne-not some
thing to put your foot on, but some
thing to bow before.
There are three great reasons why
you and should do our best for this
country-three great reasons: Our
fathers graves, our cradle, our chill
dren's birthright. When l say your
fathers graves, your pulses run quick
ly. Whether they sleep in city come
terry or country graveyard, their dust
is very precious to you. think they
lived we'll and that they died right
Never submit to have any government
over their tombs other than that gov
ernment under which they lived and
died And then this country is our
cradle. 1t may have rocked us very
roughly, but it was a good cradle to
be rocked in. Oh, how much we owe
to it! Our boyhood and girlhood, it
was spent in this blessed country.
never have any patience with man
who talks against this country. Glo-
rious place to be born in, and glori-
Gus place 10 live in. 1t has been our
cradle Aysl 1t is to be our children's
birthright. You and / wel soon be
through. We will perhaps see few
more spring blossoms, and we will per-
haps see few more summer harvests,
and we will perhaps gather 4 few more
autumnal fruits; but we are to hand
this government to our children as it
was handed to us-a free land, happy
land, n Christian land. They are not
to be trampled by despotism. They
are not to be lacerated by
cruelties. They are not to be
frightened by anarchies We must
hand this government to them over the
ballot box, over the school desk, over
the church altar, as we have received
it, and charge them solcmly to put
their life between it and any keen
stroke that would destroy il.
Go home to-day in high hopes of the
future. The Eternal God is on the side
of this nation. Our brightest days are
yet to come.