The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-26
Fairbanks Speech
Address of the Vice President Delivered Yesterday the
Pixies Peak Celebration

is but the forerunner of a vastly great.
er civilization in the century to come
What We witness about us. great and
gratifying as it is, is but the certain
precursor of greater and better things
/, to be.
| Here We are in the midst of the
great west. The west has long been
an invitation to the progressive blood
of America: yes, and to thousands
born beneath alien skies whose souls
| yearned for larger field and ampler
opportunities. The west has long been
familiar name in our geography,
with Il changing base. if may so
speak 1t has moved from the Allan
tic seaboard. across the Alleghenies,
beyond the Mississippi valley. to the
and to the Pacific coast. The name is
full OF significance. 1t suggests not
only tremendous areas, containing I'M
measured natural resources and a
congenial climate, but it suggests a
people OF virility and patriotism.
hardy and thrifty. with energy and
pluck unsurpassed anywhere.
The century which has elapsed
since the expedition which we cele-
brate. has given tremendous impulse
to the cause of republican govern
ment. and our institutions. which were
feeble and viewed with much dis
trust Il century ago. have grown Won
derfully in strength and in the con-
fidence OF the world They have sue
ceSsfully withstood assaults made
upon them and have increased in
strength with each attempt to over
throw them. The perils through which
we have passed have intensified the
peoples love for them and their will
insneSS and purpose to guard and
defend them to the utmost We may
say without any spirit of vain glory
that our institutions can stand against
the world without. and no disintegrat-
ing influence within can affect their
essential soundness.
We hear much said of vice and cor
ruption. much of the subtle enemies
OF the state and social order. but the
great heart of the people is AS sound
and incorruptible today as at any hour
in all of our matchless history. The
conscience of the people has not been
scared. Pure materialism has not
achieved the mastery. All of the
forces which make for the intellec-
tual, and moral and the social ad-
vancementof the people We're never
more powerful and never in fuller
play than they are today. Honor
among men was never more regard
ed. and dishonorable practices. either
i'll public or private life. were never
more abhorred than they are today
There has been upon every hand
demand that those who hold place
and power shall be clean men, and
that they shall consecrate themselves
completely to the utmost advancement
of the public welfare.
The American people are going for
ward and upward with tremendous
momentum. They are advancing in
all of the ways which make
strong. upright, patriotic people. They
respect right and condemn wrong in
every relation of life. Those who
would contaminate the state. or who
would carry into the business world
low ideals of business morality, can
lay no claim to the general respect
The American people are not to be
judged by the standards of the ex-
ceptional wrongdoer but by he gen.
erous purpose of the great body of
our countrymen. The currents which
course the veins of the American peo-
pie are essentially as pure now as
those which filled the veins of our
ancestors.
The past one hundred years have
been notable in our history. The story
We have written. both in war and
t1,1
mankind
Our development in every avenue
OF human endeavor is unsurpassed
and is an invitation for us to 20 for
ward in the accomplishment of even
create rthings. We have won rich
trophies. both in the ways of peace
and in the tbeater of war. Against
the glories of war. we set the rich
achievements Of peace. We know
what war is, for we have it's indelible
imprint everywhere. We have come
to believe that advancing civilization
must lead further and further away
from war and the possibilities of
armed collision. 1t would seem that
the entire world is coming to regard
war as more and more unnecessary
and 1t is earnestly seeking to estab-
fish some method whereby it NAV be
honorably avoided. Although We are
militant people, we prefer the ways
of peace and the rich fruits which are
gathered from the practice of her
generous arts.
Whlie ny no means Sinking any
responsibility which high sense of
justice and national honor NAV mt
upon us. We nevertheless stand ready
to cooperate with other powers in
the establishment of some agency for
the settlement of grave international
diHerences whereby they may be an
propriately confided to an arbitral
tribunal. The nation which hesitates
to do all in it's power to advance the
cause of international arbitration
laiis IN It's supreme duty to modern
cl'iiization; fails in its duty to itself
ana the rest of mankind. In the la
conc utterance of one of our greatest
generals, war is hell" Yes, as a
rule. it is the expression of the brut-
ism IN man. The settlement of private
dlnerences vi ct arms is no longer
Tolerated. 1t is repugnant to the edu-
Gated conscience of he civilized world.
Courts of justice are established every
where to determine them. Most of
the disputes between nations could be
composed of some method equally
honorable and eff1cacious. An appeal
to force in adjusting them should fall
into disuse. The majority of the diff
ferences which may arise may be
readily adjusted in tribunals which
the nations may create. There are
Dut rev controversies which might