Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-08-20
Great is Iowa.


senior Senator, the chairman Of half
a dozen committees, the most convinc-
ing orator, and some Of the keenest
debaters of the dominant party in Con-
gress, and two members of the Cabi-
net Iowa looms large in the govern
ment of the nation.
What are the causes Of this emf
nence? Rollin Lynde Hartt, in the
current Worlds Work, essays to answer
the question. His answer is, in effect,
that Iowa thus leads because she is
the typical American state and her
people are the typical American peo-
pie.
Material prosperity and sufficient
education generally diffused among
people dwelling on farms and in small
towns are regarded by all acute for
eign observers, whose verdict il such
cases approximates that of history, as
the peculiar characteristics of Ameri-
can life. They are peculiarly Iowa's
characteristics.
Her fertile prairies ready for the
plow, and climate that assures never
failing harvests, made Iowa's pioneer
ing days short and easy. Her materi-
al resources, almost entirely agricul-
tural requiring for their development
individual effort rather than organic
ed ability, gave her few great fortunes,
but we'll nigh universal completeness.
With universal prosperity came uni,
versal education. Nebraska alone,
in her more fertile part mere physi-
cal extension and in her people large
ly an overflow from Iowa, shares with
her eastern neighbor among American
commonwealths the honor of an illite-
racy below per cent OF population.
But Nebraska lies open to the hot
winds from which Iowa escapes, and
when they blow long enough falls
into political lunacy which Iowa
has never known.
The uniformity of Iowa's prairies
forbade the building of large cities.
She is prominently state of farms
and small towns. Thus her people
have escaped the corruption bred by
urban disease and disorder. They are
likewise without the brilliancy which
only the pressure of urban life car
produce. But for this lack they have
compensations. "You can travel over
the state," as Mr.. Hartt says, "and
not m i one brilliant mind or = sim
gle amazing character. Yet You will
find everywhere most commendable
dead level of honesty, decency, practi-
cality, good sense, and well-fed pro-
siness. And the world is so constitut.
ed that these simple, brown color ed
virtues, properly compounded, spell
political sanity"
Lying in the middle of the Mississi'
ppi valley, in the heart of that great
republic of the prairies before whose
reserve power East and South and
Wcbt dIC no IOphihSs POoPAON
almost entirely by sons of the ruling
middle West, rich without the excess
of luxury, educated without over
refinement, Iowa is the typical Ameri
can state because she produces mos
abundantly that plain, honest, sensi
BILE. strong and steadfast type of man
hood which is the ideal O.. the Ameri
can people.
To these facts she owes her politica
eminence. AS such her political as
cendancy is cheerfully recognized b!
her sister commonwealths. For th'
men of Iowa are seen to be "safe" il
all emergencies. The whole natiol
feels, in the homely phrase of th'
boatmen of her great rivers, that lows
Twill do to tie to. Inter Ocean.