Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-01

1aAAAAh JIG EANHAAtNNa NW
new states come into the union on a footing
Of complete. equality with the old every
European nation which had colonies stu
administered them as dependencies, and
every other mother country treated the
colonist not as a self-governing equal but
The process which we began has since
been followed by all the great peoples who
were capable both OF expansion and Of self
as the natural process, as the rule; but a
century and a quarter ago IL was not
merely exceptional; It was unknown.
This, then. is the great historic signih-
canoe OF the movement Of continental eN-
pansion I'm which the, Louisiana purchase
was the most striking single achievement.
the feats Of a nation of pioneers, a nation
whose people have from the beginning been
from among the most enterprising indl-
viduals of the nations of western Europe.
The acquisition of the territory is a credit
to the broad and far-sighted craftsmanship
OF the great statesmen to whom IL was
Immediately due and above all to the ag-
gressivei and masterful character OF the
hardy pioneer folk to whose restless energy
these statesmen gave expression and direc-
zion, whom they followed rather than. LED.
The history of the land comprised within
the limits. of. the purchase is an epitome
Of the entire history OF our people. Within
these limits we have gradually built up
state after state until now they many
times over surpass in wealth. in population
and in many-sided development the original
thirteen states as they were when their
a0AthuAG1 INT III n IuANAiANANaA NNA1aNNNs
The people of these. states have shown
themselves mighty in war with their FELLOW
man and mighty in strength to tame the
have conquered the. forest and the prairie,
the mountain and the desert, had they not
possessed the great fighting virtues, the
come the forces OF, hostile men and hostile
nature. On the. other hand, they could not
have used Alright their conquest had they
not in addition possessed the qualities of
self-mastery and self-restraint, the. power
OF acting in combination with their fellows,
the, power of yielding obedience 70 the law
and of building up an orderly civilization.
Courage and hardihpod are indispensable
virtues In a people, but the people which
possesses no others can never rise high In
the scale either of power or Of culture.
Great peoples, must have In addition the
when IndIviduais fGIly recognize their
duties. to- one another and to the whole
body. polite, and are able to Join together
in feats of constructive statesmanship and
Of honest and effective administration.
Pioneer virtues. stin Needed
The old pioneer days are gone. with their
roughness and their hardship. their incredi-
BILE toll and their wild half-savage. romance.
But the need for the pioneer virtues re-
mains the game as ever. The peculiar
frontier conditions have vanished. but the
manliness and stalwart hardwood OF the
frontiersmen can be given even freer scope
pick industriallsm of the present day. In
this great region acquired for our people
under the presidency of Jefferson, this
casnSdian borderes from the Mississippi to
the Rockies, the material and social prog
ress has been. so vast that alike for veal
and for woe Its people. now share the OPP
~portunfties and bear the burdens common
to the entire civilized world. The problems
before US are fundamentally the same east
and west of the Mississippi, in the new
states and in the old. and exactly the same
qualities are required for their successful
We meet here today to commemorate a
great event, ar event which marks an era
In craftsmanship no less than In pioneer
homage in words, but we must in honor
make our words good by deeds. We have
every right to take a just pride in the great
deeds OF our forefathers, but we show our
selves unworthy TO be their descendants II
we make what they did an. excuse for our
lying supine instead OF an incentive to the
of them. In the administration of city,
state and nation, in the management Of our
nome ne ana me comouct OF our PUSHES
certain high and fine qualities of character
under penalty of seeing the whole heart of
our 'eiviliEation eaten out while the body
We justly pride ourselves on our marvel
GUS. material prosperity, and such pros
foundation upon Which a higher life can
be built; obut unless we DO in very TACT
build This htgher lhse, thereon the mat t;4is
Now, In 1908, IN the altered conditions, we
| must meet the changed and changing prob
in 1903 and'in the subsequent years gained,
explored; conquered and settled this vast
territory. then a desert. now filled Will
thriving and populous states.
The old days were great because the men
who lived in them had mighty qualities
and we must make the new days great by
showing these same qualities. We must In
hardihood. ~tenarity and fertility in re-
source; we must insist upon the strone
| yiriIa virtues and we mu4t insist no less
upon the virtues of self-restraint, self
mastery, regard for the rights Of others
we must show our adherence of cruelty
brutality and corruption, in public and In
private life alike If we come short in any
or these qualities we shall measurably, fall
develop these qualities in the future to ar
even. greater degree than In the past, ther
In the ,S century TsSy,b SSW the Ses fresst a %e S mosi
orderly, the most just and most mighty
nation which has ever come forth from the
womb OF time.
Cleveland Renews Prophecy.
Following the presidents address thu
chorus rendered ''Unfold Ye Portals"
Senator Carter then introduced ex-Presi.
dent Grover Cleveland, who spoke in par
as follows,
The inpressiveness OF this occasion Il
greatly enhanced by reason of an atmos
phere of ~prophecy'S fulhllment which sur
rounds It. The treaty whose completion w
commemorate today was itself a prophec!
OF, our youthful nations mighty growth
At its birth prophets in waiting 1oyouslI
foretold the happiness which its future
promised. He who was the chief actor TO
the United States in its negotiation, a.
ne signed the perfected instrument, thu
declared its effect and far reaching conse
quences; THE instrument which we hav,
Just signed prepares ages of happiness TO
innumeFable generations. The Mississippi
and the. Missouri will see them succeed on
another in the bosom of equality undo
lust laws, freed from the errors or super
stition and the seourges OF bad govern
our prophets do not live forever. The!
are not here to see how stupendously tn
growth of the American nation, on the do
main newly acquired in their day, hav
during a short century. outrun their antici
pations and predictions.
Almost within the limits OF the t%errltor,
gained by the Louisiana purchase, we hav
already carved oC< twelve great states
leaving still a large residue. whose occu
pants are even nov loudly clamoring 70
Instead Of the 5000 white settlers VIII
occupied this domain in 1908, II now con
tains 100000 Americans, constitution
about one-hfth Of the population of all on
ship in wealth and material success, wit
the Oldest OF orr states, ana are thei
equals in every phrase OF advanced intelll
aence and refined civilization.
The states which composed the unto
i when It's possessions were so greatly eN
tended. have since that time seen the cen
ter of the nations population carried NOR
than 500 miles westward.
Importance Dehes Measure.