The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-08-10
''PRESENT PROBLEMS"

An Address Delivered by b. W. Gar
rett at the Garden Grove Old
Settlers Reunion, Aug. 3.
MR.. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
After receiving and accepting an in
vitation to address you on this occasion,
| remembered that two years ago, on
like occasion, had responded to your
call, and the memory of that visit re-
called many incidents of the warmth of
your reception and the personal favors
you then showed me. l always have
warm place in my heart for Garden
Grove and it's superb citizenship. Your
people have been pioneers in the mat
ter of Old Settlers Reunions. AS now
recall it, this was among the first com
mHnities to hold such an assemblage.
Now there is hardly town or commun-
ity in the middle west that does not
hold, annually, an Old Settlers Reunion,
a Chautauqua, or Harvest Home. AS
We AhNS PIVStOoSCu AL CulS ulTcCUlOlI, d
very marked change has come over the
desires Of those who attend and who
compose the immense audiences almost
everywhere met.
/ recall that, few years ago, when
you met in the grove to the north of
your present meeting place, the discus
sion of current questions was barred.
Now, very perceptible change is noted
and we have Tom Lawson discussing
"Frenzied Finance and haying the
System Folk talking "Graft;" La Fol-
lette lampooning Vested interests"
and SO on, until we lesser lights are at
a loss to determine just where to start
in and what to discuss. The subject
have selected and of which desire to
direct your attention during the hour
allotted to me is
PRESENT PROBLEMS.
am, personally, by nature and by
grace, an optimist. have no patience
with those individuals who assume that
all righteousness integrity-has
departed from the earth. | would have
you always to remember that gov
ernment, county, state and national, is
what the people make it-no better and
no worse. When the Master was here
on earth, there was a daubting Thomas
among the chosen twelve, and doubling
Thomases have encumbered the earth
ever since. There are those who, dur
ing our heated political campaigns,
sometimes despair of the perpetuity of
our government. | would reminu such
that it has been thus throughout all of
our history. When Jefferson was a can
didate for president in 1900, new Eng
land clergyman refused to christen a
child Thomas Jefferson, saying he would
rather call it Belzebub. Another minis
ter raised his dying head to say 81 love
the Savior but hate the devil and Jeffer-
son." We say nothing of our public
men that was not said of those whose
memories we hold sacred. License is
one of the defects of liberty. 1t was as
irreverent with Washington as with
Harrison. 1t racked Jefferson and Jack
son, and panied and scared Lincoln
Grant and Mckinley, but when the
statesman in the future shall turn tt
history for the most unselfish and en-
lightened devotion to the republic, ht
will pause over the records we have
written, and esteem them the brightes
in the annals of mans best efforts fo7
his race.
Measured by the longevity of othe
nations, our existence covers but brie
period. 1t is surprising to note in thi
connection that the state census of 189
reveals the fact that there were livin,
in Decatur county at that time five per
sons whose span of life ran back to tn,
incipiency Of our government; one borl
during the first administration of Wash
ington, and four during Jefferson's frs
administration. The story of our dc
velopment and growth reads like fair
tale. Our pathway was an untried one
Supporters Of other systems of govern
ment freely predicted our downfall
Other so-called republics had risen an
} subsequently declined. Rome becam
the victim of despotism and corruptio
J which hastened her inevitable destruc
tion. Carthage and Sparta, create
through ambition and conquest, wer
, never free until the God of nation
stretched out his hand, and conquero
and conquered were blotted from tn
list of the nations uf the earth. TIL
Grecian Republic was libel upon fre
government. Greece, it is true, sti
has an existence, but her influence ha
long since ceased to be felt in shapin
, the destiny of mankind.
The pages of history are silent whe
we seek a criterion by which to iudg