Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-06


rect them may be successful.
l am sanguine of the outcome want
to go on record as making this pre-
diction. In time the Mississippi river
will become the greatest artery of
commerce in the world, and will be a
mighty factor in regulating freight
rates. Why not? 1t Is natures great
highway 1t is the logic of the situa.
ton. Its right Of way belongs to the
people and will remain theirs forever.
No monopoly can ever secure its con-
troll / look to see great steel steamers
and barges loaded with flour at Mimi
eapolis proceed to New Orleans, then
transfer the cargo into ship bound for
both the occident and the orient. Then
will be safely and cheaply carried to
all the markets of the world.
This Improvement will soon be an
absolute necessity. Every rs years
since the Revolutionary war we have
doubled our population. If this ratio
should continue, in 1890 we will have
$50 millions of people. Is it not the
so that when the Panama Canal is
completed we may enter upon a new
era of progress?
From Holland.
I believe we are as smart as the
Chinese. Look at the Grand canal,
running from the plains to Pekin, over
a thousand miles in length The coun-
try is more densely populated than
any other country in thA world, bu'
the stream makes it possible for them
to exist. The streams are swarmins,
with fish. They have muck rakes with
which they rake the muck from the
the bottom of the canal and this IS
hawled to their farms where it is
scattered over the ground as fertili-
ger. They catch the sticks and weeds
that float on the surface and use them
is a wonderful country. although
small. l am from Holland and ain
proud of it. will tell you a story l
once heard about a Frenchman, IL
Scotchman and a Dutchman. The
Scotchman said to the Frenchman. IF
wasn't Scotchman, would rather
be Friedman" The Frenchman re-
piled. IF | wasn't Frenchman I
would rather be a Scotchman." This
left the poor Dutchman out in the
cold but after looking from one to the
other he scratched his head and said,
IF l wasn't Dutchman I would be
ashamed of myself"
Gentlemen, did not come down
here to talk of water ways alone but
want to say some good words for ou:'
country as we'll We have several
- SebI clSSSio. oul SICdICSI oSsOI 1911 =
our water ways or railway facilities.
Our greatest asset isn't our great
factories. Our greatest asset isn't ou.'
agriculture out put. but our greatest
asset is our American manhood. We
have never yet known defeat. There
has never been a question that we
could not solve. We are thoroughly
united people.
No Fear of FOREIGN Powers.
We need have no fear of a foreign
power. although we do not keep large
standing armies we do not need. We
have patriotic people-people who
do things. The Spanish-American wa:
was one of the greatest forces this
country could have had to more unite
the people. The north and south re-
sponded alike to the call for soldiers.
And during the rebellion people stop
to restore the union. After four
wears of fighting and the war was end
ed and the union restored they return
ed and picked up their work where
they had left it four years before. That
is the kind of people we have in Amer
lea. Some people think we are
going too fast. but we are going in
tn right direction and we can not go
too fast. Our Investigations of TIL,
protect the widows and orphans, our
pure food law and many others have
been made because we have a man al
the head Of our government who does
things and do you think any of those
things were done too fast? We have
laws now to prosecute the rich crimi-
nal as well as the poor criminal who
has neither friends nor money. We
have a higher standard of government
than ever before and it will continue:
to advance and there is no way to
stop the progress of the American
the presidential election and do our
duty. I feel no alarm for the welfare
Of the country. You have a duty to
preform gentlemen. I am also in
favor of maintaining this high govern
ment Of ours Of equality and liberty.
feel more than repaid by my coming
here. / resided !, in the state of Iowa
twenty-five years ago. am proud OF
Iowa am proud of Illinois, the state
where I was born. I am proud OF
Minnesota, tho great state Of the
northwest, / am proud am an Amerl-
can citizen.