Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-02-25
NEW YORK EXECUTIVE AND
PRESIDENTIAL POSSIBILITY
WASHINGTON DAY ORATOR AT
UNION LEAGUE CLUB EVENT.
CITES LESSON FROM
WASHINGTON'S LIFE
GOV. HUGHES SAYS THERE is
NEED OF THE HONOR AND
FIDELITY OF FIRST PRESIDENT
TODAY IN PUBLIC LIFE.

| TODAY IN PUBLIC LIFE.
| Chicago, Feb, 22.-Washington'
birthday was generally celebrated
throughout the city today, the banks
and business houses being closed. The
principal feaure was the Celebration
| held under the suspicious of the Union
| League club The chief orator Of the
day was Governor Hughes of New
4 York, who spoke at the auditorium
this morning on various phases of the
character of Washington. In the after
noon Benjamin Ide Wheeler president
of the University Of California deliver
ed an address, devoting his remarks
to the desirabiliy Of the establishment
of national university at Washington,
d. c., in accordance with the express
| ed wish of Washin gton during his life
and in mis- will
Gov. Hughes in his address said:
We venerate Washington because
in supreme test, he indicated man.
hood. The standards of liberty were
unsullied in his hands. We must all
take to heart the lesson of his life If
we are to realize American ideals. 1t
is the lesson of the supremacy of duty
| 1t is the lesson of honor, OF fidelity
| 1t must be enforced in executive cham
bers, legislative halls, in courts of JUS
tic, in newspaper offices, in banks, in
/ trusts and insurance companies, and
professional and commercial life in
the marks Of trade, III the counting
room, and in the shop by employer
and employed"
There is no legislative road to
character. If the spirit Of Washington
could permeate our public and private
life, We should neither nor seek gov
ernmental panacaa. And it only is 80
far as in fact this spirit inbues admin
istration that the government of free
people can perform it's function.
4 The country is morally sound. It's
standards of business were never
higher. Making all allowance for the
extremes Of avarice and artifice for the
unwholesolne spectacles of eXploita-
ton and infidelity to trusts, without
! blinking any evil or CLOSING over any
wrongs, the fact remains that the bust
ness men of the country are for the
most part honest men, representing
fairly the moral standars Of
the people. And never more
than today have they, taken as a
whole, earnestly desired that abuses
shall be stopped, that an end shall be
put to corrupt dealers and unfair
practices, that gambling shall not
parade in business livery, and that
American industry and trade shall
have free scope for development and
extension along the lines of honorable
rivalry and with justice to stockhold-
ers, to employees and to the people at
large
Pessimists and cynics cannot de-
velop this country We must have
confidence in the stability Of our in
situations, in the sanity of the people,
and in their realization of what under
lies our prosperity
We have only begun to develop the
commerce of this country. We take
, just pride in our present enterprise
and achievements, but we may believe
! that the commerce of the future will
as far exceed that Of the present as
; the varied production, the vast exten.
heads of communication of today
transcend the hope and even the
dreams of Washington.
This is no time for encouragement
or hating but for appreciation OF
, American opportunity, and for To-.
intelligent and united effort by which
: alone We can avail Of it and deserve
the blessings of prosperity.
To support this confidence and to
gain these ends we must have set
tied governmental policy. And it must
be right policy
Hughes Outlines Needed Policy.
1t much be policy consistent will
tho genius of our institutions. TIL,
people Of this country do not desire
> socialism even as an experiment. They
do not propose to pass through
:. dreadful quarter of an hour" of rev.
. dictionary changes to satisfy them
selves of those imperfections OF hui
: nah nature Of which they are alread,
; well appraised, and which make i'm.
j. possible the constitution Of society il
accordance with socialistic theory. W.
must make progress. and 1t must b'
steady and consistent, conserving wha'
is good and safeguarding the opportu
mites for honest effort. Otherwise
gains will be offset by unnecessary
losses and expert accountants ma,
search in vain for a credit balance. We
may accomplish needed reforms b,
making our institutions work as the.
were intended to work. and by effect
ing, in the light of the benefits thu
secured, such changes as experience
may command and deliberate judg
ment may approve.
MOREOVER there are public rights II
forests, in lands. In mines, in water
powers. they mus be safeguarded anC
protected rom spoilation. Wheneve
the public grants privilege, 1t mus
be upon consideration of the common
benefit and under conditions which
insure to the public proper return
for the grant. We must euard on
ranges, our coal deposits, our public
landa our forest treasures. by suita