The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-06
Memorial Services Held in the Senate
in Honor of the Late William
Boyd Allison, of
Iowa. a
A USEFUL STATE A1
Served During Time en- Country
Needed Wise and Courageous
service-Reviewed Ali.
sons Activities.

WASHINGTON Feb. 6.-SerTices in
memory of the late Senator William B.
Allison was held in the senate today.
Hale, Teller, Aldrich and many others
spoke, all paying the highest tribute
to the late senator. Senator Dolliver
said In part. The death of Senator Alli-
son removed from American public
life statesman everywhere recognize
ed among the greatest and most Useful
servant nthe past fifty years. The
business of the government was never
out of his mind. He locked upon the
most practical details Of legislation
and was without a rival in this body.
He was gentleman in the purest
gracious and kindly man, and counted
no labor loo severe that prompted the
welfare of his friends"
Senator Depew spoke in part:
We raise the curtain today upon the
most momentous events in the history
of the Republic. The life of our ma
tion can be broadly divided into three
eras-its creation, it's preservation,
and it's development. The two last
are vividly recalled by the career of
Senator William b. Allison. He en-
tered congress in 1862 and died a
senator in 1908. Never during re-
corded time has so much been done
for liberty, humanity, and progress as
is crowded into this period. The
,swhoIAsMerfd- -is--its debtor hut the
United States is our retrospect at this
hour.
We are here in the assembly hon
ored by his membership and the hall
which witnessed his activities to pay
tribute to the memory of one of the
most influential statesmen of these
wonderful years. He took his seat in
the house of representatives when the
future seemed darkest. A solid south
and divided north, disaster to the un-
ion cause in the field and threatened
intervention by Europe, our credit SER
iously impaired. and widespread dis
content created situation full OF
peril for the preservation of the union.
The continent trembled under the
tread of armies greater in number
than any before marshaled in modern
times, and the shock of battles be-
tween brothers. each willing to die
for his idea, had desolated every home
in the land. Lincoln voiced the first
and greatest necessity to save the
union in these memorable words:
Il would save the union. would
save it the shortest way under the
constitution. If there be those who
would not save the union unless they
could at the same time save slavery,
l do not agree with them. If there be
those who would not save the union
unless they could at the same time
destroy slavery, | do not agree with
them My paramount object in this
struggle is to save the union, and is
not either to save or to destroy slav-
cry If could save the union without
freeing any slaves, would do It. and
if could save it by freeing all tie
slaves, l would do it, and if ! cou'd
save it by freeing some and leaving
others alone. | would also do that"
He stood like ~Nck against aboli-
tionists and radicals who would have
him try to free the slaves at time
when public sentiment would not
have sustained him and the loss of
union supporters would have been
fatal. but when all saw it was neces-
sary to save the union he issued the
emancipation proclamation.
The success of the national cause
in the civil war placed the union upon
firmer foundation, to be made secure
for all time by the reconstruction ri
the states and the acceptance by those
lin rebellion of their equal enjoyment
of American citizenship and unity III
loyalty for the old flag. Our govern
ment was then the least in power and
consideration among nations. But II
advanced by leaps and bounds until NJ
the peace of Portsmouth between Rus
sia and Japan. brought about by Pres
ident Roosevelt, we took front rank
and won the right and recognition ol
voice and vote in all matters affecting
the welfare of the world.
People prosper and nations advance
according to the wisdom OF the poll
cies and measures which govern them.
The waste of war must be supplied by
credit and money The country re-
auired revenue bills to enlarge its in
come. the development of its re-
sources to furnish the basis for IN
creased taxation, and currency sys-
TEN in harmony with great industrlai
nations. It was in these fields that
Senator Allison did most wise, Dene-
ficient and farreaching work. Happi-
ly his state of Iowa. approaching ms
yalue to the country, kept him con-
tinuouslv in the senate. The record
and rewards of his career were due
IN neither luck nor chance. He won
and held place and increasing poWs'
by ceaseless industry, rare judgment,
tact which amounted TO genius, anu
the graces which command loyalty
r.