Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-06-23
GOVERNOR VESSEY'S ADDRESS
AT OPENING OF CELEBRATION

Governor Wesley in his address Of
Welcome at 2 o'clock this afternoon,
Iaid:
We have with us at this time many of
he pioneers of the original territory OF
Dakota; I'm fact, the gathering In which
We are participating is an old settlers
homecoming and reunion, and in passing
[ seems fit that we pay them our slight
Tlbute OF affection and gratitude. The
ales Of the struggles and ]priVations
which the early settlers of Dakota en-
!ured can never be forgotten. for 1t was
n order that you and l might occupy a
and second to none in our whole magni-
tcent country, that these hardships were
Undergone. Let us pause for q moment
.lso and hin OF the mothers who left
he old homes in the east and many of
nose they loved came to the prairie
where they moved into log and sod houses
n little old hacks situated on the barren
Ilains peOpled only by the Indians and
glld animals ReCollections of their sac
l1ces live in our memories like a bene-
1ction, renewing our taded energies and
purring us on to greater activity.
Present Debt to Past.
The debt we owe to our frontiersmen
an never be measured, neither the length
Tor the breadth, and the gratitude Of our
leaTts can well be proportional. BY him
he howl OF the wolf was often heard. to
Tim the hostile savage was not unknown,
md in his mind was ever the inquiry as
o whether or not he could Withstand the
ummer's drouth and the winters bliz-
lard. ..
But now all is changed and the old order
II things has passed beyond. The same
,road pra!ries which yesterday were the
iabitat of the buffalo, today furnish
comes for hundreds of thousands Of happy
nen and women. The whistle of the en-
dne has superseded the call of the wolf
md we fnd the Dakota which we know
IN entirely different institution.
Magic of Dakota's Growth.
In many sections cities have grown,
beautiful homes have sprung up as If by
magic, gardens are In evidence every
where and fields of grain and herds Of
took testify TO success. The old IDEAS OF
distance have all changed until now the
raveler may go into the never never"
ands of yesterday and still find himself
II the midst OF civilization.
Wave Of New Ideas.
At the present time the country through
tut is being swept by a cosmic wave OF
lew ideas In regard TO the rights Of the
'Iheir fellow" and j believe that the peo-
,le-the great, surg!ng mass of common
,~eople-are, slowly perhaps but surely
forcing themselves into their own. No
onger cas there be any doubt as TO the
:hange which has been accomplished IN
he order of politics. Time was when the
POLITICAL prestidigitator, smooth in speech
md adroit in manner, dealing in ambigu-
Jus and very often misleading statements,
vas able TO gain his purpose and win the
roal of his ambition without coming
,quarely into the open and defining his
,olicy.
On the Square in Politics.
Such tactics are rapidly being elm
mated from the course of political pro-
,edure, upon which fact we can we'll con-
~sratulate ourselves. n as year passes
,ear IL Is more and more necessary for
he seeker OF public office, the would-be
FOLDER OF political honors, 10 state his
platform to the people frankly, 10 let 1t
,e known without hesitation just what
lis action would be on the important ques-
Ions OF the day, to clearly define the con-
ines OF his policy, and various new acts
4 legislation now pending throughout
ne several states require that he keep
he faith and make good his promises.
The people are becoming SO we'll aware
sf their right to a square deal that they
ire more insistent In their demand for It
han ever before and as a result / be-