Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-03-14
generations to come. 1t is the rule Of
deVelOping statesmen

pms oIolSolhCH
IN these days we are growing, i'm
perceptibly but surely, into an unde-
slrable rut. Great statesmen are be-
coming few as compared with the
enormous increase in the number Of
citizens in the United States. Perhaps
1t IS true, as the English and the Ger
mans say of the Americans, that the
people of the new world are too busy
IN the pursuit of business to give their
time to the deep study and careful
preparation that made great the names
OF Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton,
Webster, Douglas, Lincoln and others.
AT any rate, there are few men of more
recent times who can be called their
successors. President Roosevelt is
probably the best example of the real
statesman, the honor and benefit to his
country. He fulfllls the popular idea:
ne Is true to the public regardless Of
any considerations. He is the true rep
resentattve of the people as against the
encroachments of any inimical power.
Woodrow Wilson, president of
Princeton university, is the latest man
OF public note to call attention to the
conditions that exist in the country
with regard to what might be called
the decline of craftsmanship. His
address was delivered before the
Sons of the Revolution in New
York City at the recent an
nual banquet of that organization.
President Wilson took Washington for
a model as statesman and said that
modern craftsmanship is in great dan
ger, largely on account of the expan-
sion of the country. He said that there
are those whose courage he admired
more than he did their principles, es-
pecially in view Of the fact that they
had shifted their ground in regard to
our foreign possessions.
In his opinion Washington would
have been the last man to say his adj
vice, as applied to one generation,
would be pertinent to another and later
generation"
Washington, the speaker said, did
not leave the American people "'imper-
alive standards of policy, but rather
precepts of character" did it ever
occur to you," continued Dr. Wilson
that we are really a leaderless peo-
pie? No man has the right tc declare
the whole policy of the nation. Each
portion OF the government has its own
peculiar functions, each fitting into the
other, forming perfect whole There
is no country in the world where pub
lie craftsmanship is so difficult as in
this, our own country. Craftsmanship
consists in developing thoughtful citi-
zens."
L Much depends upon the quality of
the craftsmanship of country for It's
success. In this day the United States
would have been engaged in several
international difficulties had it not
been for the clear head and diplomatic
ability of John Hay, Of William Nc
Kinley and of Roosevelt. Professor
Wilson is right when he says "if our
statesmen are true and honest they
will lift this country to the highest
possible pinnacle" Honesty and fldel.
ity to the interests of ones own coun-
try are the cardinal points of states
manship. To again use DR.. Wilson S
statesmen are those who ascertain and
speak the truth and have no private
axe to grind"
The more statesmen America can
have the better will be her condition
and the greater her power both to re-
main unit and to Withstand any posi-
BILE attacks by other powers. Every
citizen can be a statesman and can,
by his strength in the right. show by
his approval or disapproval of the pub
lie men his own right to be well repre-
scented by them. With the citizens
potential statesmen the way is made
clear for public men and the little in.
trigues that have wrecked nations be.
fore now are made impossible because
thew are unnOnr1ar