The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-04
DAY OF DAYS
For American Says Lafayette
Young of DesMOines
In a Fourth of July Grafton at
the Worlds Fair.
UNCLE SAM REIGNS.
And There Is Neither Politics
Nor SectiOnalism.
Many Honors, Achievements and
(HIories Celebrate.
UNCLE SAM REIGNs.

| st. Louis, July 4.-The Independ-
ence day grafton at the worlds fair
grounds was delivered by Lafayette
Young, editor of the Des Moines Cap
ital. Mr.. Young spoke as follows:
1t is fortunate that there is one day
when there is no politics; no section
aliSm; no north, no south, no east,
no west-a day when Uncle Sam
reigns, when the owner of the farm
is on duty and not the tenant.
1t is fortunate also that we are able
to celebrate on these grounds SO many
achievements, so many honors, and so
/ many glories at one time in one place.
1t is not surprising that the world
| wonders at times what the Americans
4 are going to do next. Nor is it sur
| prising that the old world impression
is that every American is rolling in
wealth. They see our riches and are
amazed. They also see our waste and
are surprised that we can save and
| live after such waste. Our extrava-
| gance shocks them. They marvel that
a people with such extravagant habits
| and careless waste can win such sue
| cess as characterizes our people. They
/ do not realize that no American ever
| knows exactly how he is coming out;
| he simply knows how to plunge in.
| leaving the coming OUT to natural
| conditions and uneXanpfed energy.
| This is the American day of days,
| and this is the particular American
| locality of the present. No city in the
4
| hold this celebration. Celebrations on
our eastern coast might recall some
American achievements, but a cele-
/ bratiOn here in this great valley can
| celebrate old and new American
achievements. From this city Lewis
and Clarke, with their band of thirty,
started on their explorations; to this
| city they returned. Down your great
| river came the only messages which
the explorers were able to get back to
civilization during their march north
and west This city has been under
three flags, that of Spain and of
France, and finally reached Old Glory
This is not a day for politics or
faultfinding. Uncle Sam has his faults
but they are of no consequence COM
pared with his virtues. We Americans
believe that this is the only country
worth living in dying for; further,
that the man who cannot prosper in the
United States could not prosper any
where. We believe our laws are just;
we know our plan of government is
right;our continent was discovered late
in order that we might have no preju-
dices and no inequalities. If everything
is not right in this republic the respon-
sibility is with us and we have power
to amend or reform. In this land we
have but our plain duty, and that is to
stand by the law. No cause should be
considered so supreme and so necessary
that the law be disregarded in its be-
half. The law should govern all alike
no man so poor that ought not have
man so rich who can claim immunity
from any of it's provisions. If laws are
not right the people can change them. |
This government is little more than
new chairman every four years. There |
is a growth of wealth everywhere man |
ifest. Uncle Sam himself for 100 years |
held back his purse and ged his |
expenditures as if he were occupying |
rented land expecting to move next |
year. Now he is building lavishly as if J
he intended to remain for centuries. /
The greatest alarm at the present |
seems to be in relation to certain sue |
cesses that are eminent or pre-eminent. |
But there is no use becoming scared at |
the very ends for which we have |
fought: no use becoming alarmed at |
the results of our own ambitions The /
republic is more just than at any other
time. The laws are nearer right than |
formerly. There is not slave within
our borders. Our prairies are broad
and any man who complains of his lot
in the city has the alternative of the
great west and the farm. We are sub
by no bayonets. No government can
demand the three best years of our
lives in military service. We are free |.
There is no man at any of our shores
to inquire where we are going when
we go away, or to ask why we return
when we come back This is the land
of liberty. Here a man can say what
he pleaSeS about his own government.
laws, which protect his own life; can
criticize the educational system, which
has given uneQualed opportunities to
his own children. We are receiving
million aliens each year. yet have no
fears of our ability to maintain gov
of decency and law. There
may be times when the liberty loving
American may think his country go
ing out into the night of gloom and
despair, but he must remember and
history proves it, that at the first shout
and first cry of real danger every
American arm would be raised every
heart be right, and every patriot on
guard Thus the country would be
safe-safe by the affections and love
of her own people
stroy or even endanger the govern
ment. There are Americans who nave
too much money and no way mas YET
been discovered to hinder their ae-
The question of man.
aging the over-rich is one for the fu-
ture. We do not know its solution
but we do know that as we nave
solved all things heretofore rightly.
we will so determine this question and
it will be without resort to anarchy or
the torch. The first tyrannies of the
OVer-rich would be resented. Inc Iu-
tire will point the way for settlement;
point the way to nearer approach
to equality.
years the world has considered the
American a buffer But during all
that time the American has not been
defeated on land or sea-
For more than a century the world
has considered the American a wild :
west performer, wearing clothing sim ,
ply as a concession to the tastes OF .
other people. But during that time
the American has been harmonizing
himself. stirring and aSsimilating the
different bloods in his veins prepara-
tory to finally turning out the fin .
lshed American product-the best .
man alive.
The American, for a century and a !
quarter, has gone into every contest
underestimated by Everybody except
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