Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-19
ABR|[I|hN| EFFORT
Hon. A. B Cummins Electriiiss an
Audience Of D Distinguished Law.
yersst Iowa City.
Responds to u he United statsg-
Its Position Among Nations
An Optimistic View.

An Address That Denotes the Singu.
lar Tower Of Coming
Statesman.
Iowa City, July 19.-The feature Of
the banquet last evening at the Bar
Association meeting was the thrilling
and ma gnificent address OF Hon. "A. b.
Cummins, of Des Mones, on The
United States: Its Position Among the
Nations" The talk wasreceIved by the
audience with rapt attention. AT times
the eloquent and thrilling passages
caused q thEnderous applause to burst
FORTH again the auditors We're brought
to tears BY the pathetic reference to
Conger and the Chinese situation. 1t
was the most scholarly and learned adj
dress heard in Iowa City for a
long time. Attimes the speech was In
terrupted by great applause and the
magnificent speech closed with good,
masterful peroration. His speech In.
part is as follows:
Mr.. TOastmaster and Gentlemen:
1T may be little difficult to exhaust
this topic in the fifteen minutes beyond
which I am to venture at my own per-
III and only by unanimous consent
Three years ago tire subject would have
been as easy to deal with as a Fourth
OF July Grafton, and my whole duty
would have been performed in appeas-
ing the ravenous appetite Of vain
glorious people, by pouring out vo-s
,cabulary of richly tinted eulogtes. 1t
can not be SO dealt with now. The rap
id and wonderful transformations OF
little more than two years have entirely
Changed our point of view, and there.
are some phases OF the subject so vio-5
Elently in dispute that they present the
field for thesquadrennial political de-
bate. IT has beer purely patriotic: 1t rs
now intensely partisan. The man who
can foretell with accuracy what the
people think the relation OF the United
States is and ought to be TO other ma
stions Of the Garth can predict With GER
5tainty whether Mckinley or Bryan Will
Will be the next president OF this coun-
try II 1t We're not in bad taste Would
hazard prophecy. For the selection OF
the subject and its assignment to me !
am not responsible, and can be held
accountable only for the skill or wantof
skill with which Iscommit the crime OF
touching q political controversy upon
a social occasion. II am less energetic
with my arms. and more conservative
with my tongue than would be upon
the hustings my republican friends
will bear in mind that am endeavor-
ing to mitigate my offense against pros
n n il rio
seem to challenge some cherished no.
jtions. ! beg them to remember the en-
sbarras sments of my position, and that
j shall hold them guiltless if they give
me not the slightest heed.
Country HIS No Parallel.
II am pleasurably sensible of the fact
that there are still some parts of the
subject open to the common occupation
OF every loyal citizen. Whether acci-
dental, providential or the result OF our
own genius, the North American terri,
tory. held by the United States has no
parallel upon earth. Not only is it gu =
5peror, viewed from any standpoint, to
the territory EN- braced by any other ma :
5tion of the world, civilized, semi civil
lied or uncivllized, but If national boun-
idaries We're obliteratsd, and it were at!
tempted to find anywhere on the face of
the globe an equal contiguous area, as
We'll fitted for the wants, progress and
growth Of mankind. the attempt would
be unsucce ssful. The opulenceA Of ma
,ture. within the degrees OF latitude and
longitude which mark the limits OF the
United States. has not been bestowed
upon any other nation. and can not be
until our soil shall have been Invaded
and our government displaced by an
other. Thereiis no other land of like
extent that yields 30 many Of the things
required b., modern life. as our own. IT
groans only under the burden of It's
riches. and If it has fault, 1t lies in the
ease With which II surrenders its treas
Ires. But boundlessa as is Its capacity,
Infinite as is 81 vari ETY., we shall find its
browning distinction not in the wants 1t
supplies. but in the wants 1t creates.
1t not only produces everything that
men want, but 1t produces men who
want everything. It is this Unsuitable
desire which fills the air, springs from
the soil, rises from the plains and echoes
from the mountains OF our beloved
country, to get more. do more, and be
more. that is lifting up the American
nation 80 that 1t begins to tower above
its fellows; and II 1t liz not now, 1t must
soon become the most conspicuous and
the most commanding figure among the
governments of the world. The inspir.-s
ing fact that we occupy the best por-
ton of the earths surface: that 1t Is
better adapted to yield great men and
great wealth than any other national
territory, means some thing II cause
precedes effect It means to me that
whatever the duties Of nation are, the
most important will descend to he. II
means that whatever the respon9bili-
ties OF a nation are, the heaviest must
be borne by us. It means that what
ever ation's glories are, the brightest
will illuminate our pathway. There is,
and can be no partisanship in the point
OF view / have just taken, and from 1t
the positiono OF the United States among
the nations OF the earth fills the heart
with Infinite gladness and inspires the
mind with the Hottest ambitions"
Love OF Personal Liberty.
There Is another phase Of the sub
ject, around which l can gather the
harmonious and united voices Of
all my countrymen; phase
most interesting and Instructive.
The love Of personal liberty
and national Independence has
powerfully moved the people Of all
ages. Of all races and Of all countries.
IA