Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-09-19

keep the American people bravely pa
triotic. I have had experience in
wars, and l have never found Ameri-
cans lacking In prompt patriotism or
In fighting qualities In any worthy
cause.
1T was my good fortune to witness
the transformation Of the mighty
west. | have viewed much Of II on
horseback. and have %traversed the
zones now occupied BY the Canadian,
The Great Northern. the Northern Pa
cinc, the Rio Grande and Oregon
Short Line, the Union and Central
Pacific, the Santa Fe route and the
Southern Pacific. ! have 9 the pi.
oneer and the h%ome-bDilder snpplant
The savage and the lawless. Great
states. settled communities and happy
homes are now found whore we're
formerly wild prairies and mountain
wastes iii my recent journeys across
the continent was more than ever
impressed with the underlying wis
dom and tranquil yirility Of the PEG.
PIE. They do not want wal. They
want peace. | have Travelled far IN
foreign lands, and observed the peo-
pie of many countries ! have had ex-
ccllcnt opportunities 70 know the
people OF my country. and am.
gratilied to say that 4 more intelli,
gent, thoughtful, patriotic people can.
not be found on the face Of the globe
than Tho people of our western states
and territories, Many OF the happiest
years or my life have been spent
there, and | love tho country and It's
people. There you find the true
American independence and enter
prise. An American citizen with
eighty or 1860 acres Of land is loyal 70
democratic government, and he Il a
very independent sovereign. The
rough, Wild, tough element has been
replaced BY the mine and mill owner,
the herdsman and the agricnlturalist
while III thirty years the transfor
nation Of the great west has been
marvellous, there Ii yet ample room
for millions who may DO seeking
homes. Strange MS II may seem,
there are nearly as many people
crowded into the philippine Islands.
an area not as large as n of our
western territories, as the number
that are now living In nearly one.half
OF the western portion Of the United
States. while the state Of Texas
alone. richly stored with the products
that have made this country great
and prosperous, could accommodate
All the people Of the United States,
aud ten millions more, without being
50 much crowded as some Of the east
ern states are now.
Eve are not a mcddlcsome. warning
nation. When war comes. the war
spirit will respond, and the brave, pa.
trlotic American soldiers will make
II effective, But the spirit OF peace
should be cultivated rather than the
demon OF carnage, There Is no ne.
cesslty TO stir the passions Of Ameri.
cans In order to be SUR that they will
be patriotic. They love and appre.
ciate their liberties and will maintain
and defend them against all enemies.
"The road to the Orient Is through
the Golden Gate. the mouth OF the
Columbia and the Strnits Of Ftica. The
completion 81 the Siberian railway
makes us a near nelghbor to the great
Russian empire and northern China,
II Ii heretofore friendly relations
are cultivated, the commercial advan-
tagcs OF our people will be very great.
As new fields Of commerce are open
ed, they are easily accessible from
our western ports. II we follow the
prccepts 81 Washington, and avoid
foreign entangllng alliances. our III.
ture will be as prosperous a. our past
has been glorious"