The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-05-07

farseeing can be expected heartily 70
welcome the process of expansion,
for the nation that expands is q ma
ton which is entering upon a great
career, and with greatness there
must of necessity come perils which
daunt all save the most stout-heart-
ed.
EVOLUTION OF THE STATES.
eve expanded by carving thewild-
erness into territories, and out oil
these territories building new states
when once they had received az per.
manent settlers a sufficient number
of our people. Being a practical ma
ton, we have never tried to force on
any section OF our new territory an
unsuitable form Of governmentmere-
ly because it was suitable for anoth-
er section under different conditions.
The process which we began has
since been followed by all the great
peoples who were capable both OF ex-
pansion and sell government, and
now the world accepts it as the nat
ural process, as the rule; but a CEN
fury and quarter ago it was not
merely exceptional; it was unknown.
This, then 10 the great historic sig
nificance OF the movement OF CONT
mental expansion in which the Louis.
lana purchase was the most striking
single achievement. 1t stands out
in marked relief even among the leafs
Of a nation OF pioneers, a nation
whose people from the beginning
been picked out by a process Of nat
ural selection from among the most
enterprising individuals OF the ma
tions OF western Europe. The acqui-
sition Of the territory is a credit to
the broad and far.sighted statesman
ship Of the greatstatesman to whom
it was Immediately due, and above
all to the aggressive and masteriul
character of the hardy pioneer folk
to whose restless energy these states
men gave expression and direction,
whom they followed rather than
led"
CLEvELAND's SPEECH,
The chorus then sang Gounod's
"Unfold, Ye Portals and Chairman
Carter introducedex President Cleve-
land.
He said
"Mr. President and Ladies and
Gentlemen: We are here in recogni.
ton of the Tooth anniversary of an
event which doubled the area OF the
nation, and dedicated a new and
wide domain to American progress
and achievement. He who was the
chief actor of the United States in it's
negotiation, thus declared Its effect
and far-reaching consequences: "The
instrument we have just signed pre-
pares ages OF happiness for innumer-
able generations
Almost within the limits OF the ter
ritory gained by the Louisiana pur-
chase, we have already carved out
twelve great states and instead OF
the 5000 white settlers who occupied
this domain in 1903, it now contains
Is, 100000 of Industrious, enterpris
ing, intelligent Americans.
The supreme Importance OF the
Louisiana purchace cannot be better
characterized than by the adoption
of the following language from the
pen OF a brilliant American historian:
The annexation OF Louisiana pur-
chase was unparalleled because it
cost almost nothing
How fitting on every ground it is
that the centennial OF this stipend
Gus event should be joyously and
appropriately celebrated here in the
most populous Of the states created
from the territory which the Louis
lana purchase gave to US
We are here at this Lour to dedi.
cate beautiful and stately edifices to
the purpose OF commemoration. But
as we do this, let US remember that
the soil on which we stand was cen.
fury ago dedicated to the genius OF
American industry.
We are all proud Of our American
citizenship. Let us leave this place
with this feeling stimulated by the
sentiments born OF the occasion. Let
us appreciate more keenly than ever
how vitality necessary it is to our
oountrv,s woal that ovaru ono within