Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-08-15

of supreme and controlling Importance
questions for the solution of which there
were no presidents, ana which involved the
peace and prosperity of the American PEG
pie. These questions have all been solved
with honesty and sincerity of purpose, ana
with such an exhibition of judgment. ju.
dicial consideration and wise craftsmanship
tnlt William Mckinley has so grown in the
minds and hearts of his countrymen as TO
stand today the one prominent factor In
this blessed period of prosperity, head and
shoulders above his fellows, and his admin.
istratiOn will go down TO posterity as one OF
the great administrations of this country,
his name inseparaby linked with the great
presidents, with Washington, with Lincoln
and with Grant.
But this convention at this time has no
special duty to perform In connection with
national politics. Our great interest GEN.
tiers In the welfare of our own fair state of
name strikes in the breast of every one of
her patriotic and loyal sons. Iowa-so poet.
ically and appropriately named 1.-THE beau
tiful land" lowa-an inland empire, bound
ed, upon either side, by two mighty and
majestlc rivers, natures regulators OF COM
merce. capable, should necessity require of
carrying upon their ample bosoms the com.
merce of the great Mississippi valley to the
cities of the sea. The fact that an all Use
Providence has not given US the usual gen
erous yield of the fruits OF the earth does
not dlshearten 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 have
a reserve of riches TO withstand some re.
verses, 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 hori.
zou, that have submitted to the hand of the
harvester-helds of growing corn, thar
staple Iowa product, reaching its proud
and tasseled head to drink the dew and
meet the dawn" bounded in extent only by
the limit Of human yision--a yerltable gar.
den Of Eden, possessed by n happy, pros
porous and contented people. Win brief
glance at Iowa history at this time be inap.
propriate? Admitted as q state into thu
union In 1916, with an insignificant popu
lation Of but little more than 10000 PEG.
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, 23l ,Sj3.
No great city or pOpulous center controls
the political affairs OF this state. We have
no opulenSly rich to Cypress, nor have we
the desperately poor to claim our sympathy
In their distress; but we seem to have rem
llzed the prayer of the prophet when he
said, Give me neither poverty nor riches y
An Iowa delegate convention, coming as
1t does In fairly equal proportions from all
quarters of the state, truly represents the
feelings and the desires of our people. Our
material growth would seem TO exceed the
highest flights Of Imagination. The free
education of her children Is the greatest
gitt Il state can best0w upon her people. for
education is power: and Iowa gives TO each
Of her children liberal education, free as
the air they breathe. The per cent OF II.
'iteracy In Iowa is but three and iye-tenths.