The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-06-23

In 1898 the population Of Kansas had
reached q million and half. Iowa had
it's two millions. Illinois four millions.
Indiana two millions and nearly half
Ohio three and q half million, while Ne
brasks had scarcely a million souls
And yet we stand with these states to-
day almost equal in the wealth Of ouI
production, and considering the popu.
lstion and the time expended. have far
surpassed them. But for fear you
might think that this alone was due to
the RIGHTEOUSNESS of mother earth and
that she alone in her munificence had
given to her children an advantage. lei
US compare again her educational insti.
buttons with these same states, and
mark what we have accomplished. We
have an income for the support Of the
university Of this state. an institution
ranking among the first of the institu.
tions Of it's character in this country,
one-third as much as has Ohio, half as
much as Indiana, nearly as much ais
Iowa, more than Kansas, and the value
Of our property devoted to educational
purposes in about the same proportion,
while the benefection are as nothing in
this state to those of the states that
have mentioned. And in our public
school system We have constructed an
institution that is not only the pride of
cur state, but the admiration of all the
states. and is the contamination Of
sublime wisdom in educational progress
sion, and we have right to boast that,
owing to our progress in this direction,
there are fewer illiterate people within
the state Of Nebraska than any other
state in this union.
"As the seed was planted so has
grown the state. The men and women
Of today are but the likeness of those
that have gone before, embued with tho
spirit Of their fathers, but possessed Of
greater opportunities through the de-.
velopment their handiwork has wrought.
And hence it is but natural, affording
the greatest satisfaction as progress is
made in the development of any portion
Of our great common society, or as a
whole, to take the retrospective view,
and trace the cause that produces the
effect and eliminates in the highest
form Of human progress, both in its
social and political status.
The pioneers of America came to
build new system Of government.
Their fathers before them had learned
by bitter experience that the ingenuity
Of man had not yet found that perfect
social or political organization that
brought to the greatest number the
greatest good. They knew how the sye-
tenn or organization that had preceded
them in the perfection Of the worlds
social organization was sapped of its
vitality by slave labor, by the adoption
Of a false political economy, with taxes
all for the benefit Of the few, by the de-
idea that public Office was a
private snap rather than public trust,
by the communistic practice of feeding
az idle and useless proletariate out of
The imperial treasury, and while they
we're slow to learn, yet breeding for the
strain of wisdom and justice, it twas
finally to come in full view as the domi-
nant characteristic OF a new race, of a
new stock, Of which these pioneers were
but the advance guard, and We, their
the improved representatives
Of the new idea"
And 30 from the time that the Lyden.
ties cast aside the yoke of Holland and