Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-07
The OPENING ADDRESS,
Speech of Hon. j. C. Davis Before the Repub-
lican Convention Today.

ti1e breast oL every one OIL HeF pdtIlollCIl
and loyal sons! Iowa-so POLITICALLY and
appropriately named the beautiful
land" Iowa-an inland empire, bounded,
upon either side, by two mighty and
majestic rivers, natures regulators of
commerce, capable, should necessity re-
Guire, of carrying upon their ample
bosoms the commerce of the great Mis-
sssippi valley to the cities of the sea.
The fact that an allwise Providence has
not given us the usual generous yield of
the fruits of the earth does not disheart-
sn the farmers of Iowa, nor detract
from their splendid courage. For SO
many years her fertile soil has re-
sponded with generous prodigality to
the industry of the husbandman that we
lave a reserve of riches to Withstand
some reverses. and Iowa, in her normal
condition, in time of harvest presents a
scene as fair as Imagination can picture
with fields of golden grain, reaching
from horizon to horizon, that have sub
mitted to the hand of the harvester
fields of growing corn, that staple Iowa
product, reaching its proud and tas-
seled head to drink the dew and meet
the dawn bounded in extent only by
the limit of human vision-a veritable
prosperous and contented people. Will a
brief glance at Iowa history at this time
be inappropriate? Admitted as a state
into the union in 1876. with an insignifi-
cant population of but little more than
100000 people, confined largely to the
shores of the streams and rivers, the
great, the growing and the powerful
northwest an unbroken prairie, she has
grown by leaps and bounds until her
population now numbers 2,231 ,S53. No
great city or populous center controls
| the political affairs of this state. We
! lave no opulently rich to Cypress nor
| have we the desperately poor to claim
our sympathy in their distress; but we
seem to have realized the prayer of the
| prophet when he said, Give me neither
| poverty nor riches"
| An Iowa delegate convention, coming
| as it does in fairly equal proportions
| from all quarters of the state, truly rep
| resents the feelings and the desires OF
Cur people. Our material growth would
| seem to exceed the highest flights of the
| imagination. The free education of her
children is the greatest gift state can
bestow upon her people, for education IS
| over; and Iowa gives to each of her
children liberal education, free as the
air they breathe. The per cent of litter
acy in Iowa is but three and five-tenths
| We have in this state 1851 school
houses, containing 1881 school rooms,
presided over by 2s,7s9 eachers, with an
enrolment of 566,223 bright promising
/ boys and girls. The institutions where
\ in we care for our unfortunates, the
blind, the deaf, the dumb, the insane and
4 the incorrigible are all that science,
. wealth and humanity can suggest and
produce.
The value of Iowa farm lands in 1895
was s1,0SS, 063.0 6S. The annual value of
i farm products in 1900 was 1929 sos, 059.
The corn crop in 1900 aggregated 353,-
$4,000 bushels. The other cereals,
wheat. oats, rye, barley and flax, 49,
475.000 bushels. The value of live stock,
cattle and swine, s13S,00o,0O0. The
amount of butter produced in the state
l75. 100000 pounds, valued at more than
ss7, 100000.
Verify we are nation of farmers,
and are proud of it. When my friend,
LATE Young, or any other Iowa editor,
asks, in the columns of his newspaper,
$ Whats the matter with Iowa?" let the
farmers of this state rise in unison and
say. Whats the matter with Iowa?
Nothing's the matter of Iowa; she's all
right" Did you ever hear of an Iowa
bond being on the market? Do you
know of any warrants issued by the
state of Iowa, in the hands of the mon
r ey changers? She does not owe sin.
gle dollar of debt. The last report OF
the state treasurer shows, availabl.
funds in excess of s1.500,0OO, which is
ample to meet all just obligations. Car
we conceive of more splendid showing
, of material prosperity than our state
t can make?
To what political party can these in.
n comparable results be attributed? The
r state of Iowa, during almost all The
= lprosperous years of her statehood, ha!
n been under the continuous control ant
direction of the republican party. From
: the great war governor, elected in 1851
e down to the present able, conscientious
g land patriotic executive, with the eXcep
e ton of two short terms when the re
q publicans of Iowa went away int
e idolatry and followed after false gods
9 the state has been under the guidanc
! of republican governors and republican
a legislators. Has not the party a RICH
: to be proud of its craftsmanship?
Y. But the products of Iowa in which w
u take our greatest pride are our splen
IT did men and beautiful women. Hav
le you ever contemplated the controllin
n influence the state of Iowa exercises i
n national affairs? Go to that grave an
- reverend body the United States sen
'e ate. and ask for the wisest and tn
lie most eloquent member of that bod,
Is and the senior and junior senators fror
i the state of Iowa will be selected. G
to the more turbulent and Democrat
re body, the house of representatives, an
lie ask which member of the body exer
I'd cises the greatest power and influenc
ct upon legislation, and you will be toll
re that the member of that body who col
a. trolls its legislation and at whose bee
m and nod laws are enacted or prevented
and who in many instances yields MOI
at power than the president himself,
IN gallant and popular son Of Iowa. OF
ns representatives in congress, individt
n ally and as a delegation, are the ECU;
of in influence, power and wisdom,
nd any in the Union. In the cabinet |
ty the president sits son of Iowa who's
ne energy and discretion in the conduct
nd his department is winning for him Il
IN praise and commentator Of his coul
d. trymen. In the diplomatic service Low
at has furnished many great names, al
he positions on the bench. in PRESIDENT