Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-10-03

them Tor the nations use. Our knowl-
edge at this time is not such as to
permit me to go into details, or to
say definitely just what the nation
| should 90; but most assuredly cur
great navigable rivers are national as
| sets Just as much as our great sea-
coast Earbors. Exactly as it is for the
interest of all the country that our
great harbOrS should be fitted to re-
cieVe in safety the largest vessels OF
; the merchant fleets of the world, so
Dy deepening and otherwise our
rivers should be fitted to bear their
part in the movement of our merchan-
disc; and this is especially true of the
Mississippi and its tributaries, which
drain the immense and prosperous re-
gion which makes in very fact the
heart OF our nation; the basin of the
great lakes being already united with
the basin Of the Mississippi, and both
regions being identical IN their prod
ucts and interests. Waterways are Pc
culiarly fitted for the transportation
OF the bulky commodities which come
from the soil Or under the soil; anu
no other part Of our country is as
fruitful as is this in such commod-
tiles"
The president spoke for the educa-
ton OF the farmer. AT present" he
said. there is a gap between our pri-
mary schools in country and city and
the industrial collegiate courses,
which must be closed, and if neces-
sary the nation must help the state to
close it. Too often our present schools
tend to put altogether too great q
premium upon mere literary educa-
ton, and therefore to train away from
the farm and the shop.
We should reverse this process"
he sail. Specific training Of a prac-
teal kind should be given to the. boys
and girls who when men and women
are to make up the backbone of this
nation by working in agriculture, III
the mechanical industries, in arts
and trades; in short, who are to do
the duty that should always come first
with all Of us, the duty of homemade
ing and housekeeping Too narrow
literary educaLIon is, for most men
and women, rot a real education at
all; for real education should fit
people primarily for the industrial
and home-making empIoyments i'll
which they must employ the bulk OF
their activities. Our country offers un-
paralleled opportunities for domestic
and social advancement, for social
and economic leadership up in the
world. Our greatest national asset is
to be found in the children. They
need to be trained to high ideals of
everyday living, and to high efficiency
in their respective vocations; we can
not afford - have them trained
otherwise, and the nation should help
the states to achieve this end"
In conclusion the president discuss
ed the question Of the public domain
especially those large areas of semi
arid lands in the west. In some way
or other" he said. I'VE must provide
for the use of the public range under
conditions which shall inure primarily
to the benefit of the actual settlers on
or near 1t, and which shah prevent it's
being wasted. This means that in
some shape or way the fencing OF
pasture land must be permitted under
restrictions which will safeguard the
rights of actual settlers. l desire to
act as these actual settlers wish to
have me in this matter But
the present system is wrong, and l
hope to see, in all the states of the
great plains and the Rockies, men
seriously take up this matter and
make their representatives in con-
gress understand that there must be
some solution, and that this solution
shall be one which will secure the
greatest permanent well-Deing to the
actual settlers. the actual home max
ers. l promise with all the strength l
have to cooperate toward this end"