Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-08-21
Changed Conditions Makes Changes
in Laws Necessary.
NATIONAL INCORPORATION
Need of Regulation Of Interstate
Business is Apparent.
HONEST MEN NEED NOT FEAR
No Corporation so Powerful That 70
is Above Punishment-MRn who
Acts Decently IL Pro-
tected.

PRoVINCETowN. Mass, Aug. 9-The
laying of the cornerstone Of the Cape Cod
! Pilgrim Memorial monument in the pres
ence OF President Roosevelt. Governor
Guild and distinguished guests completed
today the foundation Of one OF the most
! imposing structures along the Atlantic
coast commemorating the first landing
/ within a few feet of its base OF the pilgrim
fathers.
The Mecca of the day was Town hill, on
top of which is perched a wooden amphi-
theater, the seats of which rise UP above
/ the cement base of the monument. over
| the northeast corner of the foundation
rested the cornerstone.
AS the Maynower entered the harbor a
salute OF welcome doomed forth. Passing
the line of eight warships. the many
yachts and other craft, the Mayhower re-
turned the salute.
! Previous to lanGing the president re-
ceived the commanders of all the war
! ships. carriage conveyed the president
to the scene of the exercises, preceded by
a band. The passage through the towns
main thoroughfare was a continuous ova-
/ ton.
The exercises at the monument site be-
gan with prayer led by Rev. Samuel A.
| Elliot of Boston, president of the American
! Unitarian association. The Masonic cere-
monies of laying the cornerstone were
conducted by j. Albert Blake, grand master
of Masons of Massachusetts,. Governor
Guild introduced President Roosevelt. When
repeated and prolonged bursts Of applause
from the thousands assembled had ceased.
the president spoke as follows
Full Text of speech.
to hot ha
commemorated by the monument which We
have come here to dedicate was one OF
those rare events which can in good faith
be called of world Importance. The COM
ing hither of the Puritan, three centuries
ago, shaped the. destnies of this continent.
and therefore profoundly affected the des-
tiny of the whole world. Men of other races
the Frenchman and the Spanard, the
Dutchman, the German. the Scotchman,
/ and the Swede, made settlements within
what is now the United States, during the
colonial period of our history and before
the Declaration of Independence, and since
then there has been an ever-swelling Inn
migration from ireland and from the main
land of Europe but 1t was the Englishman
who settled in Virginia and the English
man who settled in Massachusetts,, who
did most in shaping the lines OF our ma
q tional development.
I We cannot as a nation be too profoundly
grateful for the fact that the Puritan has
stamped his influence so deeply on our
national life We need have but scant pa
tience with the men who now rail at the
Puritans faults. They were evident OF
course for It is a quality of strong ma
lures that their failings, like their vir-
tues should stand ont in bold relief. but
their is nothing easier than to belittle the
great men of the past by dwelling only on
the points where they come short OF the
universally recognized standards OF the
present. Men must be judged with refer
ence to the age In which they dwell. and
the work they have to do The Puritan's
task was to conquer continent, not
merely to overrun it. but to settle 1t, to
till it, to build upon 1t a high Industrial
and social life, and. while engaged in the
rough work of tanning the shaggy wilder
ness. at that very time also to lay deep
the immovable foundations of our whole
American system of civil, political and re-
ligious liberty achieved through the or
derly process of law. This was the work
allotted him to do; this is the work he did.
and only a master spirit among men could
have done 1t.
shrine of Puritnnism.
We have travelled far since his day. That
uhertv of conscience which he demanded
NJ himself. we now realize must be as freely
accorded to others as it is resolutely In
sisted upon for ourselves. The splendid
qualities which he left to his children. We
other Americans who are not OF Puritan
blood also claim as our heritage. You sons
of the Puritans. and we, who are descended
from races whom the Puritans would have
deemed alien-we are all Americans to-
gether. We all feel the same pride In tho
! genesis in the history, OF our people; and
therefore this shrine of Puritanism Is one
at which we all gather to pay homage no
matter from what country our ancestors
sprang
We have gained some things that tive
Puritan had Motive of this generation, Wa
of the twentieth century, here In this great
republic; but we are also in danger or
losing certain things which the Puritan
had and which we can by no manner OF
means afford to lose. We have gained
10y of living which he had not, and which
it is a good thing for every people to have
and to develop. Let us see to IT that We do
not lose what is more important still; that
we do not lose the Puritan's iron sense or
duty, his unbending, unhinching will to DO
the right as it was given him to see the
right 1t is a good thing that life should
gain in sweetness but only provided that
II does not lose in strength. Ease ana
rest and pleasure are good things, but only
~ they come as the reward Of work we'll
done. of good night well won. Of strong
effort resolutely made and crowned by high
achievement. The life of mere pleasure, OF
mere effortless ease, is as ignobls for
nation OF for an individual
Ease Not Main Aim I'm Life.
The man is but a poor father who teaches
his sons that ease and pleasure should be
their chief objects in life; the woman who
is a mere pctted toy, incapable OF serious
purpose. shrinking from effort and duty,
is more pitlable than the veriest over
worked drudge So he is but poor leader
of the people, but poor national adviser.
who seeks to make the nation in anyway
subordinate to ease. who would teach the
people not TO prize as the greatest blessing
the chance to Do any work. no matter hsv