The Saint Paul globe., 1904-08-30
Inaugural Address at Min
nesota State Fair Re-
views Progress of the
Nation Since Its Earliest
Days and the AgricuItur-
ist Is Reminded That He
Is the Backbone of the
Country Upon Which
Everything Depends

Senator Knute Nelson, of Alexan-
dria, read from notes the inaugural
address at the forty-first Minnesota
State fair. His words were listened to
by thousands who packed every inch
of space in the huge grand stand. The
words came clear and distinct and
were listened to with the closest atten-
tion, saveaa intervals when some re-
mark was greeted with deafening ap-
plause. He said in part:
Farmers and Fellow Citizens-Assem-
bled we are today in the midst of these
numerous and magnificent exhibits of the
farm and factory, 1t may not be amlSS
or out of place for a brief moment and
at the threshold to take a view beyond
these things and glance at the growth
and progress of the great and immense
country of which we are part, for 1T is
because we are q part and parcel OF such
a country that we are enabled to make
such wonderful and instructive exhibits.
Other lands have as favorable soil and
climate, but other lands have not our
class of people, nor our freedom OF
thought and action, and hence in the
field of industrial competition we distance
them ALL and stand at the head of all.
Aside from our grand system of gov
eTnment and the character and makeup
of our people. two causes, the foundatlon
for which was laid by the fathers of the
republic in the very structure and make
up of our government, have in a large
degree and to a great extent contributed
TO our materlaI and industrial progress
and prosperity.
These causes. briefly stated, were an
ample supply of fertile lands and lib
eral and advanced method in disposing
of the same. and the policy of establish
ing and fosetering manufacturing indus
tries and building up home market for
our agricultural products and abundant
raw material. The large domain we Sc
cured through the war OF independence
909050 square miles in all-was only par
tally and to d limited extent developed
when we secured the Louisiana purchase,
which added an empire-S75,025 square
miles in all-of the most fertile lands in
our country and gave us complete control
of the Mississippi river and all its tribu-
tarieS.
Government Is Generous
Thus within twenty years after we
had secured our independence we had
nearly doubled our territorial possessions.
Uncle Sam was now rich. enough to give
all his people farm And he pursued
most liberal policy in disposing of the
same.
A liberal and justly deserved allow
ance was made to the surviving soldiers
of the Revolution, their widows and chill
dren. But after that our public lands
were at first disposed of in fee at public
sale and private entry. BY and by the
the pioneer a chance by settlement to Sc
cure preference right to his farm before
making payment ana linen CdIHG
the beneficent homestead law, which of
all our land laws has been the wisest. and
most liberal for the real and actual set
tiers, and which has done more than any
other land law to develop the agricultural
resources of our country and to afford IN
dependent and happy homes to the great
mass of our people. To aid the pioneers
in the speedy development of their farms
and to secure them an early and accessi-
BILE market grants of land were made for
the construction of railroads on the from
ncfo IL rot i. ant n
land for making it into a farm; the rail-
road company got its grant for putting
the homsteader within reach of a market
in the early stages of his settlement.
The blessings of this policy We're not
only conferred upon the natives of our
country but was also freely and gener-
poor and industrious immigrants that
came to our shores from the old world.
And thus these people secured what most
of them could not secure in the countries
of their nativity the gift of personal and
political freedom and happy homes that
they could call their own.
Nation af Farmers
The tendency of such liberal land pol
icy was, by itself. to make US natlon
of farmers ultimately to be weighed
down by the volume and momentum of
our production.
The founders of the republic were wise
enough to see that however much they
might encourage and foster agriculture,
with liberal land laws, that diversified
industries with an ample home market
were essential for complete agricultural
success; that it was necessary that we
should become manufacturers and con-
sumerS as well as farmers and producers
And what they aimed at and planned for
We have in great measure reached and
accomplished We are today not only the
greatest agricultural, but also the great
est manufacturing, nation in the world.
capital and more than half as much Ia
Dor is employed in manufacturing in
dustries as in agricultural pursuits The
annals of the world cannot in all time
furnish more remarkable record of in
dustrial growth than this. And there is
no cessation in the progress. Old ven
ventures are continually entered upon.
1t is not only in volume and value that
our manufacturers excel. but also in the
quality of their products
Old World Needs Us
The old world needs, and therefore is
glad to receive, our surplus of meats and
breadStuffS, and much of our raw ma
terial, but they are not SO eager-in fact
they are averse-to receiving the products
spite of all drawbacks and obstacles we
know how American edge tools and
American agricultural implements. and
American fabrics are sought for and find
market in all the countries of the old
world because of their superior quality
and make.
l have not the time and it would
weary your patience. to go into details in
respect to our mining Industries 1t is
sufficient to say that progress and expan-
sion in this field has kept pace with, and
aided to large extent, the development
of our agricultural and manufacturing
industries.
Our inland and coastwise transportation
facilities have more than kept pace with
our industrial advancement, and are not
eXcelled in any other country Our rail-
way systems, now aggregating a mileage
considerably in excess of 200, 600, is the
ma of the world While NJ
would be glad to see lower rates. we can
all console ourselves with the facts that
rates are on the whole considerably lower
and Accommodations both for passengers
and freight, much better than in the Old
World.
Our elevator system and our method of
handling and shipping agricultural
products is so far superior to that of the
Old World that there is really no fair
basis for comparison.
We started out as nation with an area