The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-28

the people of the State and the country
without regard to mere party affiliations.
ana II Is my purpose to serve them all 10
the utmost OF my humble ability. The vast
majority of the questions which engage
the attention of those who serve the peo-
pie in the national legislature do not sharp
ly divide political parties. I
1t Is signal honor to be called TO rep
resent Indiana in the Senate OF the united
States. Our State is one Of the best in the
Union. She has been carved literally out OF
the wilderness by noble men and women
as ever founded commonwealth. Her his
tory is the plain and inspiring story OF
brave, energetic. liberty-loving and God
fearing people. 1t is a history which stimu-
lates our pride and challenges our admlra-
ton The state as we witness her today.
strong splendid and full of the promise OF
even greater and better things is but COM
paratiyely young. She is less than one
century old and now holds within her Dor
ders nearly three millions of intelligent,
prosperous and happy people When we
look upon the Transformation of the forest
and the swamp during the brief period OF
her existence into well-cultivated helds.
prosperous villages and cities we stand
amazed at the gigantic task which has
been wrought and are filled with mex
pressible admiration for and gratitude TO
those whose genius. sacrifice and energy
nave accomplished IL.
NOT ACHIEVED BY DRONES.
"The result has not been achieved by
drones nor by ignorance. but by high or
der of intelligence and by restless energy,
by men and women who loved the State
who worshiped at the sacred altar of the
family fireside and who believed in the
virtue of republican institutions and in the
saving grace of the Christian religion. The
State has been builded to her present pro-
portions by those who had an answering
faith in her destiny and who wished that
their children should rise to still higher
and better conditions than they had at
tanned.
Mature and man have confederated TO
make Indiana what she is. She has been
lowered with equable climate with vast
forests, with prolific soil. and with great
not invite repose 1t had to be cleared
and swamps had to be drained before the
farmer could sow and reap Highways
had to be constructed through virgin terri
tory, to village, to market and to mill.
All or this required reflection, toll, pa
tience. perseverance and frugality-the fun
damental prerequisite of enduring success
Fortunate, indeed, the State which has been
erected upon such rugged foundation.
I'VE dwell in the great Mississippi valley,
rich in all the potential elements which go
towards building up great and strong char
acter, and which make for the stability,
the honor and permanent welfare of the Re
public. The Mississippi valley is, indeed,
the heart Of a powerful nation. 1t is we'll
that IL is sound, and it is necessary that
Ii should ever continue to be so. The sun,
in its course, shines upon no land more
welded to their institutions. Here is to
be found the seat of a vast empire and here
will be its future strength.
Our people are pervaded in the fullest
and highest sense with the very spirit and
soul Of democracy. They are not the wor-
shippers of wealth, nor of place. of
power. Men are esteemed only because they
possess those qualities which are essen
TALLY the fruit of the best civilization and
not because of their estates, or station, or
ancestry. We have a cosmopolitan popu-
lati0n We have dra he D,.rito
of New England and from the cavalier of
Virginia. We have drawn from the best
blood of every land, those seeking home and
liberty The best of every nationality is
found among our citizenship, all vying
with each other to make the State great
and strong.
LOVE WAYS OF PEACE.
"Our people love the ways of peace. They
are not enamored of war, although they are
ready to respond with all they have. and
with the best they have when fate has
decreed unhappily that war must come.
They are brave, self-relant people, and it
may be said fairly that love of liberty is
their ruling passion.
"We have grown with astonishing rapid
fly in manufactures during the past few
years, and the diversity of our material
resources and our geographical location
with reference to the markets and the con-
sumers such that must continue
to gain in manufacturing strength, but we
are first and foremost and must continue
to be largely an agricultural community
And fortunate it is that this is so. A State
can have no better constituency than an
enlightened agricultural constituency
There is to be found in the field where
the plowman is in partnership with nature
less political hysteria than elsewhere; less
| sympathy with the demagogue and a
tirmer belief in the everlasting virtue and
stability of our institutions.
I'VE are fortunate in having no great
cities which are fostering with corruption
'and polluting the public health. We have
no centers reeking with moral miasma and
breeding anarchy. We should always find
here the most perfect sanity of judgment
upon political questions. We should have
here fair average of the sentiment of the
country upon governmental policies. We
should draw inspiration from the East and
from the South, and from the contending
and conflicting views and interests of all
| purpose, of the national conscience of the
| national inspiration.
1--WE have given to the Nation many of
her ablest and most honored statesmen
| men whose names woven into her en-
! during history. There Caleb B. Smith
who sat in the first Cabinet of Abraham
Lincoln. And may We not claim some par
| ticular measure of the honor and glory of
| Abraham Lincoln? During the plastic
| days of his youth he dwet within the limits
| of our State, and reached his manhood
| here; and the ashes of his mother rest in
| our soil.
"Oliver p. Morton. man of great genius
| the idol of his party, became potent in the
| State, and an acknowledged power in ma
tional councils. Schuyler Colfax was for
| years influential in the national House of
Representatives. For several years he was
speaker. and later he became an honored
| Vice President of the United States
Thomas A Hendricks served conspicu-
| ously in the Senate, and filled worthily the
vice presidential chair. And there was
| Mcdonald, a great lawyer, a senator of
| recognized ability.
Hugh McCulloch, twice secretary of the
| treasury, rendered notable service to his
| entire country. Michael G.. Kerr and Judge
Holman achieved high rank i'm the House
| of Representatives, the former becoming
its speaker.
TRIBUTE TO VOORHEES,
For many years Senator voorhees,. nv
| distinguished predecessor, was a distinct
| figure in national affairs, an orator of COM
manding power, man of incorruptible in
tegrity. Richard w. Thompson, to whom
kind Providence gave an exceptional
number of years. honored his State and
countrymen in the Congress and in the
| Cabinet. Walter Q. Gresham. heroic SOL
| dier. able and just judge. postmaster gen.
| eral and secretary of the treasury in one
| Cabinet, and secretary of state in another,
| all prouo of the name of the brave soldier.
the illustrious lawyer. the great senator
| and able President. Benjamin Harrison.
| Time is inadequate to enable me further
| to mention others of our honored states
! men whose names come unbidden to our