The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-11-30
THE ADDRESS OF WILLIAM c. BROWN
nwdyE

Mr.. Toastmaster and Gentlemen of
the Railway Business Association:
Your association, as | understand its
purpose, was organized to promote
more harmonious relations between
the public and the great transporta-
ton interests of the country; and IN
this work, the Importance of which
can hardly be exaggerated, every citl-
zen, no matter where located or what
his business, may well wish you
hearty God-speed.
The question of the regulation OF
these great instrun1entalities OF COM
merce for the purpose Of correcting
wrongs and abuses and preventing
their recurrence has overshadowed al
most all other questions during the
last four years and promises to be an
important factor during the coming
session of congress.
There was time when the funda-
mental right of the nation and states
to regulate and control the railroads
was seriously discussed and question
ed. Happily for all-the railroads as
well as the public-this question IS
no longer open for debate.
The question of the limitation OF
the right of regulation, the extent to
which it should be exercised, Is still
open for discussion-not in harsh or
hostile spirit, not for the purpose of
fixing by law an arbitrary point be-
yond which such regulation shall not
go; but In spirit of friendly CO oper-
alton to try and ascertain, In the in
terest alike of the public and the rail-
roads, that happy mean which shall
result in the maximum benefit to the
patrons of the railroads and the min
imum embarrassment in the way of
restrictive regulation to the railroads
OF the nation.
The question has been narrowed
down marvelously in the last four
years, the distance which separates
the two parties this important
question is extremely small; and such
associations as yours, Mr.. Toastmas-
ter, can do much in bringing about
determination that will be fair and
just to all interests.
am particularly happy tonight in
having assigned to me subject, the
| far-reaching Importance OF which few
appreciate, and in regard TO which
when its full significance and import
ance is realized, there will be little
difference of opinion.
| From the dawn OF civilization tbs
/ drift of population has been from thu
east to the west; and through all thu
/ centuries. absorbing and assimilatini
the millions Of the overflow of olde
civilizations, the west has continual,
called for more.
From early in the seventeenth Ger
I fury the nations of the old world hav
found on this continent an impers
lively necessary event-a safety valve
The broad prairies of the Unite
States have beckoned to the discor
tented, the dispossessed and unfol
tunate of every race and cline, an
here they have found foundation III
! on which to build new hopes an
; aspirations.
) At the close OF the civil war in 1856
i the states of Iowa, Minnesota an
e Nebraska would have furnished
quarter section of government land
every veteran mustered out of tn
e military service of the nation. Gre;
a states and territories, with the
I. wealth Of primevai forest and yirg
4 soil, lay waiting to be peopled.
Today all this is changed. tt
:. day of free land for free-men,"
past. No longer can the homestes
be had for the asking The frontie
a like the Indian, has become trat
3 tion-an interesting item in the n
= tion's history.
The last county OF the last state
,e territory where cultivation Ia possih
ID has been settled. Temporarily t
tide of emigration is setting UP in
western Canada, but this limited II
ritory will soon be filed Occasic
ally an Indian reservation is open
~ for settlement and tens of thousan
of eager settlers gather on the horde
waiting the word that sends them Ii
a food sweeping over the land, real
ing that our once apparently I'M
haustible public domain is gone {
ever.
S The wave Of population, beginni
with the Grecian colonies gong I
Mediterranean a thousand years
fore the birth Of Christ, followed
the distribution of the Legions
Rome over Europe, and twenty-f
centuries later crossing the Allan
to the eastern shores of the n
nto world, has at last broken on the ca
ful ern shore of the Pacific; and just
ne yond that ocean lies the Orient W
OBJ Its teeming millions.
ana The advance column of this gr
'ay. westward-moving procession of
ent centuries has encircled the glol
the soon great human undertow-must
ne back toward the east, and the w
ol ward tide will settle in turbule
ere dangerous eddies and whirlpools alb
sne the great centers of population.
A H.