Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-02-09

A year ago Missouri sent a messenger
with her electoral vote to Washington.
The mysterious stranger asks you to re-
turn his call.
Missouri has had MANY great men in her
history, men born upon her soil or adopt-
ed into her citizenship. She has had none
greater than the great Missourian, Old
Bullion. In the American Craftsmanship
Series the life of this great Missourian has
been written by another American states
man. like Thomas Hart Benton, sturdy,
steadfast, sincere. The state of Benton
invites to her university commencement
the writer of the life of Benton.
Few presidents have known the west;
none so intimately as yourself Before
you became president of these United
States you had lived in the west and
written of it from knowledge gained first
hand. In writing "The Winning of the
West you won the west. The west in
vites you to its chief school,
Missouri has ever admired the men who
do things. She ~ the only state in the
federal Cuion which seEt her full quota
of soldiers TO the Union army and at the
same time her full quota of soldiers to
the Confederate army. keeping the states
quota fun i'll both armies and that with
out draft. conscription or forced enlist
ment The children of that generation,
students of the Missouri university, went
as volunteers to the Spanish American
war in larger number in proportion to en-
rollment than the students of any other
educational institution in the land. 1t is
this Missouri which invites you, Mr.. Pres
ident.
You cannot know Missouri unless you
come to the interior of the state. She has
but three great cities, and these three are
upon the borders of Kansas and Illinois.
The real Missourian dwells in the small
town or upon the country farm. He
wishes to see the president at his home
and give a Missouri welcome.
In the east the great schools are under
private control, Harvard and Yale and
Cornell and Princeton. In the west the
great schools are the state universities,
owned and controlled by the people, parts
of the public school system of the COM
monwealth 1t is the university of the
most populous state of the Louisiana
purchase which asks you to it's COM
mencement. You have honored private
colleges and universities by your pres
ence. No president of the United States
has an honorary degree from any educa-
tional institution between the Mississippi
river and the Pacific slope We ask the
present president, who has broken old
precedents in other worthy regard, to es-
tablish a new precedent in this respect
| and receive the degree of LII. D. at our
| hands. Emipently appropriate it seems to
me that the man who has done so much
for the west should permit the west thus
| to show its regard for him.
Between the Father of Waters and the
summit of the Rockies the largest uni
versity in point of student attendance is
/ the Missouri university at Columbia 1t
has threefold foundation. First it rests
upon the gifts Of the people. Nearly sew
enty years ago the people of Boone coun-
| ty, numbering scant few hundred, gave
| s12O0G0 for it's establishment one man,
who could neither read nor write, heading
| the subscription list with $1,000 Second
it rests upon the wise bounty of the fed
| era government of which you, Mr.. Pres
ident. are the head. Third it rests upon
| The liberality of the state of Missouri, the
| capsheaf of the public school system
| founded upon and supported by the gifts
| of the people, the grants of the nation and
| the appropriations of the state, which bids
| you to its commencement
| The people of this country can do you
no more honor They have elected you to
the highest position in their gift. We ask
that you give the people, through state
| university. return in the stimulation of
| education which your presence and help
| full words would bring about. 1t would
| be fair return for Missouri's apprecia-
ton; it would be her welcome opportunity
| to show you this further token of her
| high regard.
craftsmanship has no place in the adj
ministration of the Missouri university.
The president of it's board is distin-
guished Republican, elected by a board
of curators, a majority of whom are
Democrats. 1t is no partisan invitation
| that l present. 1t is the invitation of the
students, teachers and officers of the
Missouri university, the invitation Of all
| the people of the state.
| Come to Missouri, Mr.. President, and
the hospitable greeting of a great, free
state will be yours.