The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-03-05
WOODRUFFS SPEECH.

WOODRUFF'S SPEECH.
 Lieutenant Governor Timothy l. Woodruffs spoke on 'The Empire State" He said:
 Mr. President and Gentlenan: Great indeed is the privilege on any occasion to respond to the sentiment "The Elm pire State" but tonight, surrounded by the members of the Ohio society of New York, the president of the United States, the governor of our common wealth, and many other distinguished guests, it is an honor which I deeply appreciate.
 In the creation of New York, nature was in her most generous mood. She made it indeed the Empire state. On the West she set two inland seas of sap phire and bound them rough wrought together by the rapids and cataracts of Niagara, a symbol of national majesty and power. Then she spun a broad rib bon, dotted with a thousand isles for a northern confine, buttressing the east with the mountains of New England and flanking the south with the forests of Pennsylvania. In the heart of the
 
 of evergreens--a sportsman'S paradise in the seclusion of whose mountain slopes rises the American Rhine, grand and picturesque as it breaks through the mountains of the Catskills and flows along the base of the Palisades to- ward this metropolis of the nation, where in the plentitude of her bounty nature has brought the sea to the feet of the Empire state.
 Having finished this mighty task, Dame Nature left the settlement of the paradise she had here created to the denizens of earth-the farmer, the mer- chant and the manufacturer. Entrust- ing to their care the Empire state, she then turned her attention to Ohio and peopled it with statesmen--o occasionally farmer, merchant, a manufacturer, but mostly presidents.
 As I listened to his able speech a week ago before the Michigan club in Detroit on the subject of the northwest territory, I noted with jealous regret the omission by Governor Nash of Ohio to mention that New York was the first of the thirteen colonies to cede to the general government her right, title and interest in the northwest territory, of which Ohio was a part. This cession was made even two years before the close' of the war for independence and four years before Massachusetts could be induced to relinquish her interest in this territory New York again demon- strated her friendship toward Ohio by being the first among the states to ad- 10 !, i,,ta T,,; ;,x 1903. This fact is clearly brought out by the speech of the governor of Ohio at the inauguration of work on the Ohio canal, July 4th, 1925. The central figure of this assemblage was Governor De Witt Clinton of New York, who, fresh from the completion of his great Erie canal, was there to turn the first spadeful of earth in this important un- dertaking. Addressing him, Governor Morrow said, Tn no small degree, owing to your espousal as senator in con- gress of her cause, did Ohio gain ad- mission to the union." The Erie canal and the great canal system of Ohio, in 1S42, were of inestimable benefit, each to the other Connected by Lake Erie, they established con-
 
 lucts of the Buckeye state were trans ported to New York, opening to her farmers and merchants her vast terri tory and markets, elevating her, through New York's aid, to position .mong the states of the Union, which Ter sns have ever since been justly proud.
 In view of the timely support which New York has rendered in these three instances, it is not surprising that Ohio las been able in every national republi- 'an covention, except one, since the 'lGse of the civil war; to name as the candidate for president of the United States a man born or living within her erritory. Some men achieve greatness, ome have greatness thrust upon them, Ind some are born in Ohio! The people of the Flowery Kingdni sXpress the morning salutation 'O-h-i-o." Should not then the neigh boring inhabitants of the islands f the Philippine archipelago hail | he protection of the flag of a na- | ion whose president combines a sug- ! estion of both the Flowery and Celes- ial kingdoms in his home, Ohio and | ,anton? As our ever-growing com- | nerce knocks at the door of the un- | mited trade of the Orient, may we not | nd an omen in the fact that the Yam ees of the east greet one another by | he name of our presidents native | tate Under the wise and progressive 1reign policy now proclaimed and rap fly expanding, Under the master hand f our national government, the day ill soon dawn when in place of the for nal greeting of 'O-h-i-o,' the words United States of America will become he open sesame throughout those lands those peaceful conquest we shall yet chieve.