Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-02-08

attended at the White House was a
recent one when the Missouri congress
Eional delegation accompanied delega-
ton from the state university to invite
President Roosevelt to speak to the
graduating class of that great and
growing institution of learning June 6.
Senator William Warner introduced the
visitors. Hon. Gardiner Lathrop OF
Kansas City, president of the board Of
curafors, and Walter Williams did the
speecimaking for the visitors, and
President Roosevelt replied in his own
behalf. It's the first time on recoU
when President Roosevelt did not dc
at least three fourths of the talking,
but Lathrop and Williams went at him
so directly that he never broke in on
them, but waited delightedly till they
We're through and then made most
felicitous response. ! wish I had a
verbatim copy of the presidents
speech and of Lathrop's. Both were
idee in character, but, not having
theirs, | hereby give that of Mr.. Will
Hams. He said:
Missouri has never, Mr.. President voted
for Republican nominee for president
except when her hands were tied, and
that one time Missouri voted for you.
Missouri voted for Douglas when only
one other state did So She voted for
Horace Greeley after he was in his grave.
A year ago Missouri sent 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 is the only state in the
federal Union which sent 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 state s
quota full in both armies and that with
out draft, Consumption 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-
rolrnent 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 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. It is the university of the
most populous state of the Louisiana
purchase which asks you to its 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-
tiopal 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 Eminently appropriate it seems tc
me that the man who has done SO much
for the west should permit the west thus
to show it's 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. II
has threefold foundation. First it rests
upon the gifts of the people. Nearly sew
enty years ago the people of Boone coun-
ty numbering a scant few hundred, gave
100000 for its 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
eral government of which you, Mr.. Pres
ident. are the head. Third, it rests upor
the uberality 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 anc
the appropriations of the state, which bids
you to its commencement.
The people of this country can do yor
no more honor They have elected you te
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 woule
be a fair return for Missouri's apprecia'
ton; it would be her welcome opportunity
TO show you this further token of hel
high regard.
Partisanship has no place IN the ad
ministration of the Missouri university
The president Of its board is distin
guished Republican, elected by board
of curators, majority Of whom are
Democrats 1t is no partisan invitation
that I present. It is the invitation of the
students, teachers and officers of thu
Missouri university, the invitation of al
the people of the state.
Come to Missouri Mr.. President anc
the hospitable greeting of great, free
state will be yours.