The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-07-11
been called the American idea-LIB-
ERTY TTNDER LAW


qua non of civilization.
1t is this liberty under law which
has given us our present supreme
position among the nations.
At the birth of our country it con-
sisted of few struggling states along
the Atlantic seaboards. Today the
stars shown upon our flag are forty
five in number, representing forty
five powerful commemorative, and
the area of our country has been in
creased many fold.
Then our population was about two
millions Today it is over seventy
five millions-an increase unparalleled
in the history of the world
Including our Island possessions we
now have under our control over 85,-
900, 600 souls.
Then we were the poorest of the na-
tions. In 1880 we passed Great Brit
ain and became the richest of the na-
tions, and to-day according to statisti-
clans we have more effective power
and energy than our two great CON-
petitors Great Britain and Germany
com bined.
I One hundred and one years ago
Samuel Whelpley. distinguished
citizen of Morrist own, said in bis
Fourth of July address to the people
of this town that he hoped the day
! would come when the great forests
extending between Georgia and the
Canadian line would be replaced by
fiourisling towns and villages; when
the Mississippi and its tributary rivers
would oe covered with lnnumeraole
craft bearing lncalcuiaole wealth TO
the shores OF distant NATIONS.
| l. 4 l. M l,ol1
The day hoped Tor oy Mr.. Wneipley
came manV years ago.
He had probably never lmaglned
sucn tning as railroad ana couIo
not ioresee that one hundred years al
ter MS speech Two huuured tnous,
and miles OF railway Woulu oe lald
over TINS great country-a mileage al.
most equai TO tnat OF an the rest OF
the world, ana that the commerce
carried over these railways would IN
single year amount TO over eighteen
billions OF dollars-,a commerce sever
al times greater than that carried
by all the waterways OF the world one
! hundred years ago.
| AND yet our ancestors were tolu
that the American idea OF government
would suppress indlviduailsm -that
there would De ieVellng down IN
stead OF leveling up, and that our
/ people Wouid lose tnelr originality
and power OF invention.
! But what are the iacts?
Since l|l6 Inventions ana dlscoV-
! cries nave done more Tor the material
advancement OF mankind than all the
preceding Inventions and discoveries
since the advent OF man on this plan
ct and the vast majority OF these In
ventlons and discoveries must be
credlIeo 10 America.
| Americans nave perfected Inc loco-
motive and the steamboat.
! An American gave the world the
cotton yip. The teleorauh. The tele-
| nbo,a tho nhonooranh tho aIactric
light, the electric car, and the In-
uumberable applications af the use OF
electricity are al uost all owing to
Americans.
From America has come the now
ing machine, the elevator, processes
for the manufacture of Steel and in
Vulnerable other Inventions,
In short the list of the Inventions
made in this country is almost iden-
tcal with that of the whole world.
hear a captious critic say-pll
concede the power of your nation
and its great and CROWN gwealth, but
how about its higher qualities, has
/ there been a moral uplifting as we'll
as a material uplifting of the race ?
Has the national conscience kept
pace with the national pock book
Has NOT the struggle for the Almighty
/ Dollar stifled ali altru,stIc feeling?
Lowell had that same misgiving
when years ago, 10 the darkest days
OF slavery, he uttered the almost de-
spaIrlng cry:
"Truth forever on the scaffold
Wrong forever on the throne,
Yet that scatfold sways the future
! And beyond the aim unknown
0'anuetn 1;I uou WI wt'n,n hun 1ne h;i snauo"
p'D7
A lew snort years passed ny ana
! the National conscience was aroused
70 sucn pl'ch tnat miI'lons OF
money yes lnousahus o' nlIl'ohs
We're spent. ana hnndrehS OF 5oou-
sands OF nVes were sacrliiceu anu 'he
shack'es were struck from OH lour
mlllIon slaves
Can na'lon capap'e OF sucl sacrl-
| hce nave no conscience
Can people oe said 10 nave no
conscience that mas given school
house 20 almost every TO "nsh'p, IN
every county, III every STATE IN ihese
United States Can that people nave
no conscience tha' mas uoiteu 'h's
broad land with every possiole KInu
OF Institution, calculating 10 npllI.
the mental, u oral ana physlcal
CT laracterStIcs OF the race
Thousands OF churches, hunufeds
nf oo11pnaq bOSnitalS and libraries |