Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-11-02
The j Sterling Morton Monument
Unyeilin0

dwelling
Fifteen years ago Iowa was
the first state in the Union in
point of intelligence, there be :.
ing less illitcracy here than in
any other. That has changed
since then and Nebraska now
stands first in all these United
States and is it incorrect de-
ductive reasoning to conclude
that this mighty change for
knowledge and refinement has
been wrought by such men as
j. Sterling Morton Would to
God every school board in Iowa
had been at the impressive and
eloquent ceremonies and heard
the eulogistic truths spoken of
this truly great and good man
whose life work was to induce
his fellow man to "plant trees"
Be it said to the shame of Iowa
it is one of the very few states
Qess than five) that has never
observed Arbor Day, the insti-
tuition of which has made of
Nebraska that was an arid
plain when Mr.. Morton went
to the state, over half a century
ago-a garden, to blossom as
the rose. The custom has
spread abroad and England,
France and Germany have
caught the idea and very soon
it will be a universal holiday,
with perhaps the exception of
Iowa. Mr.. Morton was a states
man, but he was a lover of ma
ture and of home. And so,
back of the heroic bronze statue
erected by his legion of loving
friends, on the elliptical stone
seat is the inscription, "Love of
Home is Primary Patriotism"
The next inscription reads:
"Othcr Holidays Repose Upon
the Past. Arbor Day Proposes
For the Future" j. Sterling
Morton was an altruist, as a
tree planter obviously is, doing
something for posterity. He
gave to Nebraska City, Morton
Park of about thirty acres in
which the beautiful statue
stands surrounded by the trees
he loved so we'll. But he
needed no statue of bronze or
stone, for, as he once said in an
address at Washington, $50,
every man, woman and child
who plants trees shall be able
to say, on coming as | have
come, toward the evening of
life, in all sincerity and truth,
IF you seek my monument,
look around YOU" Besides the
home and nature which were
so dear to him, above all, he
loved the truth and was orig
inal, strong and vigorous in the
advocacy of it. He hated shams
and subterfuges in every shape
and form. A man who could
prompt the assemblage of such
distinguished statesmen as were
gathered in that western vii
lage last Saturday to pay HON.
age to has memory, must have
been indeed a good and true
man, and how much prouder
his three sons must have felt
as they stood uncovered when
the veil parted and exposed the
representation of their noble
sire, of the blessed heritage he
mad left them, than if he had
acquired a few sordid millions
to litigate over. The tributes
paid to this man of truth that
day should be an incentive to
every youth to love and fight
for the truth, being content
with nothing else. A man who
has not left the world better
than he found it, by some action
of his, has indeed made a fail
ure Of life. The world was
better for j. Sterling Morton
having lived in it. The Hon.
Grover Cleveland's address was
good. but he read it from man
uscript. His voice is not strong,
though he appears we'll. The
Hon. Adlai e. Stevenson also
read his and he was visibly
feeble. Gov. Francis address
was masterful, as was also DR..
Mi ler's. Gov. Mickey's was
very good, but he read it,
whereby it lost much of its
force. 1t was noticeable that
all on the platform wore silk
hats except the two most dis
tinguished guests, viz: Ex-
Pres. Cleveland and Ex-Vice
Pres. Stevenson, who wore
black fedoras. Mrs. Cleveland
u,ac attirnd in lauondar cnit