Iron County register., 1899-03-16
LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
Outline of the Plan for the Celebra-
tion, in 1908, of the Great
American Event.
SPEECH BY EX-GOV. DAVID R. FRANCIS.
Governor of Missouri Gives the
Assembled Senator's and Repre-
sentatives, at the st. Louis Ban
Quet. st. Louis Committees Ideas.

the 1Itn INST, TO the senators and rep
resentatives in the Legislature, eX-Gov.
Francis was the central figure, and
OH him developed the task of setting
before the guests of the ST. Louis
Louisiana Purchase celebration COM
mittee an outline of what the citizens
of st. Louis wanted to do and what
was expected of the Legislature and
the people of the state.
After the menu had been discussed
and the cigars passed, eX-Gov. Francis,
the POSTMASTER of the banquet, arose
and raped for order. 1t was several
minutes before the attention of the
guests could be secured, but when
silence was finally attained the guests
turned in their chairs and listened at
tentively to the opening speech of the
ex-governor. He was interrupted re-
.peatedly by applause at his numerous
happy turns. He spoke as follows:
.'On the 10th day of March, 1904, just
ninety-fiVe years ago yesterday, on the
banks of the great river that HoWS by
our door and within a rev blocks of where
we stand. jurisdiction over the land in
which now dwell was transferred from
France TO the United States-the nags OF
the Stars and StripeS were run up, never
to be lowered. The people cheered, the
troops saluted, and amid the booming of
cannon and the strains of martial music
the American Republic consummated the
formal occupation of the magnificent en-
pire bought from the great Napoleon by
the immortal jefferson.
Robert +. Livingston, who, with Mon,
roe. had negotiated the purchase, said
upon the signing of the articles: We have
lived long, but this Is the nobleSt work or
our whole lives. From this day the Unit
ed States takes their place among the
powers of the first rank. The instruments
we have just signed will cause no tears to
be shed; they prepare ages of happiness
for innumerabIe generations of human
creatures. The Mississippi and Missouri
will see them succeed one another ana
multiply, truly worthy of the regard OF
providence, in the bosom of equality un-
der Just laws, freed from the errors of
superstition and the scourges of bad gov
That was the Livingston who, as the
chancellor of the state of New York, had
administered the oath of office 10 Wash
ingston who, with Thomas Jefferson,
benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and
John Adams, had constituted the COM
mittee of five appointed by the memora-
BILE continental congress of 1II6 to draft
the declaration of independence.
His startling predictions were far
sighted, indeed, but they were not over
wrought. Not decade had passed be-
fore the young republic was engaged in u
rnerciless war with the mother country:
within thirty years thereafter there fol-
lowed Il bloody struggle with Mexico;
then after a lapse OF about a dozen years
came the bitter civil strife that shook
to it's very foundation this splendid gov
ernmental structure. Tine recuperative
powers of it's people were wonderIul, and
before the century is completed internal
diSSenSiOuS are healed, former antagon-
lists are seen marching shoulder to ShouI-
der under our flag in the cause of human
inv to the defeat of historic Spain, and to
her expulsion from a hemisphere the dis
covery and possession of which made her
mistress of the world. Truly the United
=,
powers of the first rank. Not only so,
but at the table of the great nations of
the earth the American ItepubIc occupies
THAT such progress could have been eff
achieved without the states ana terrific
we do not believe, nor has any one had
the temerity to so claim. The unparelled
Importance of this acquisition of territory
is unGuestioned and unquestionable. When
it was first suggested that its centennial
should be fittinsly celebrated, the re-
sponSe of approval was not confined to
the limits of the purchase, but from every
section and every state and every as
semblage of Americans came words of
announcement and assurances of assist
ance. The more the subject is discussed
the better acquainted do the Inhabitants
of the purchase become with the re-
sources of their local habitation, and the
more profoundly are they and all the
people impressed with the part they have
wealth and the glory of the country. II
no more should be accomplished than has
already been done there would be no
loves labor lost
ITO have become imbued with a knowl-
edge of the wonderful products of these
valleys and mountains, and inspired with
a conviction of their still greater posi-
bilitieS, is ample reward for all efforts
made. But our work is not yet fairly be-
gun. The eyes of the country are di-
rected toward u.s. Our promises made at
the national capital two weeks ago to-
night startled the legislative and eXecu-
tive branches of the federal government
and arrested the attention of the entire
country. Representative men from the
different states of the purchase, men of
Z thought and influence, who have made
their imprint on the laws of the land and
on the policies of political parties, told
a distinguished audience how the pur-
chase of Jefferson was fraught with con-
sequences of great import not only to our
institutions and our whole people. but to
humanity itself. In well-chosen words and
with touching pathos did those expert
enced legislators and leaders of opinion
portray the wisdom and the significance
of Jefferson's inimitable expansion. They
dwelt with unanfmity and with emphasis
ing SO great an event, and concluded with
one voice that its one hundredth anniver-
sary should be marked by Sucn an ex-
position as the world had never seen sur
passed nor eQualed. The delegation au-
occasion pledged this city to do its best,
and you do not need to be assured that
St Louis best is second to none. 1t
stated-that delegation to the national
capital-stated in measured and deliberate
terms that 1t spoke by instruction as we'll
as by authority for the metropolis of the
that the people of st. Louis attempted to
realize the value of the Louisiana pur-
chase to the welfare of this country, and
was proud to acknowledge that the city
itself was but product of the resources
of that territory, developed by the ener-
getic. courageous pioneers and their de-
delegation said that the, people of St
Louis were desirous of doing their fun
share toward celebrating this great GEN.
tennial and felt highly honored that it
had been selected as the scene of such a
celebration; that such selection was
great compliment to the most populous,
the wealthiest, the first state of the pur-
chase-MiSsouri-whoS resources are un-
parelleled and unapproachable. That del
are proud of their state, who believe there
is more diversified and undeveloped
wealth within her borders than in any
tive men of affairs-men who have ex-
tended the fame and commerce of Mis-
souri, beyond the limits of the Louisiana
United States. Among them were a Mis-
souri, member of the presidents cabinet.
survey, the two distinguished Missouri
senators, the fifteen influential Missouri
representatives. and the two eminent
members of the Missouri Legislature. who
are chairmen of the senate and house
committees on the Louisiana Purchase
Centennial celebration. Those were rep
resentatiye men surely-men who appre-
the scene of the display of the best the
human race has accomplished from the
dawn of civilization or the beginning of
years of preparation for that grand ex
position the eyes of the world would be
tSe sx ~ahs Of tbe life of the xno
ton Missouri will be the theater where
will be represented the acts In the drama
of civilization, that will illustrate the in
1ta1f frfo fho int nd hA ofa1