Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-09-19
Cousins Tribute to Iowa.

Orators, the poets OF the platform,
Re less to the fore nowadays than
b the earlier years of the republic.
low and then one of the gifted class
iakes himself famous with single
beech, as Bryan, the young Nebraska
ewspaper reporter, did in the Chi.
ago convention of 1896. Others as
snator Dolliver of Iowa. and Repre-
sntative Cousins of the same state,
aquired oratorical rank by the cumu-
ltive effects of many beautiful ad-
Gesses. Perhaps no other member
d the federal house of representatives
las richer gift Of classic and per-
Aasive speech than Mr. Cousins. He
las not yet shown what heights he
hight rise to on the wings of great
Moral passion such as presumably
animated Mr.. Bryan when the latter
made his cross-of gold' speech, but
las rather employed his masterful gifts
for decorative purposes. Thus, his
apostrophe to Iowa, his native state:
Marked out in the beginning by the
hand of God, bounded on the east and
west by the two great rivers of the
continent, purified and stimulated by
the SHOWS of winter, blessed with
copiOus rainfall in the growing sea-
son, with generous soil and stately
forests interspersed, no wonder that
the dusky aborigines exclaimed when
they crossed the Father of Waters,
."Iowa, Iowa"-beautiful land, beauti-
ful land Not only did the red man
give our state its beautiful and poetic
name, but Indian nomenclature runs
like a romance throughout the coun-
ties and communities What infinite
meaning: what tokens of JOY and sad
ness. of triumph and of tears, of valor
and of vanquishment. of life and love
and song there may be III these weird
strange words that name today so
many of our towns and streams and
counties, Allamakee, Chickasaw,
Dakota City, Sioux, Pocahontas,
Winneshiek. Keosaqua, Sac, Winnie
bago, Tama, Nodaway, Competine,
Charlton, Osceola, Camanche. Chero-
kee, Waukon, Wuchakinock, Washta.
Monona, Wapeton, Onawa, Keota,
Wadena, Iuka, Ottumwa, Oneska,
was.kae, Waucoma. Nishnabotna,
Keokuk, Decorah, Wapello, Musca.
tine, Maquoketa. Mahaska, Ocheyedon
Mississippi, Appanoose, Missouri,
Quasqueton, Anamosa, Poweshiek,
Pottawattamie, Oskaloosa, Wapsi-
pinicon.
Ere long some westland genius,
moved by the mystic inspiration of
the rich and wondrous heritage of
Iowa nativity, may sing the song of
our legends and traditions. may voice
in verse the wondrous story of his
illustrious state. Maybe somewhere
among the humble homes where blood
and bone and brain grow pure and
strong, where simple food with frugal
ways feed wondering minds and drive
them craving into natures secrets and
her songs-somewhere along the set
tiers pathway or by the Indian trail
where now the country churchyards
grown with uncut grasses hide the
forms of sturdy ancestors sleeping all
in peaceful ignorance of wayward
sons or wondrous progeny-some-
where where the rising sun beholds
the peasantry at early toll and leaves
them in the mystic twilight ere their
tasks are done, where odors of the
corn and new -mown hay and vine. clad
hedges by the shadowy roadside linger
long into the night time as a sweet
and sacred balm for tired hearts
somewhere, sometime the song of
Iowa shall rise and live, and it will
not omit the thought of that gifted son
who said: "Iowa, the affections of
her people, like the rivers of her
borders, flow to an inseparable
union. National Magazine.
o.