The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-01-13


Mr.. Chairman and Fellow Citizens:
The mayor of your city has asked
me to appear before you tonight to
make suggestions as to what, in my
opinion, is a proper course for you
to now pursue regarding any actly-
tiles that you should engage in for
the purpose of securing to Keokuk
the greatest measure of ultimate bene-
At that can come to 1t from the build
ing Of the dam across the Mississippi,
with its attending power develop
ment.
! cannot plead lack of thought on
this subject as an excuse for not
telling you what I think, for the
reason that at the time l decided in
my own mind to make the attempt to
secure the funds for the building OF
this work, | began to think also OF
changed commercial condition to re-
suit from the construction of the
works that I saw were possible.
Before stating briefly some of the
views that hold regarding what
your civic action should be, want to
discuss in random way some OF the
thoughts and incidents that have
| preceded the securing of the funds for
this enterprise.
| l think it is fair statement at
the outset to say that in 1905, when
first visited Keokuk, and after the
! visit OF the Keokuk and Hamilton
| Water Power committee, consisting of
| Messrs Irwin, Logan, Johnstone and
| Dadant, to the works that | was then
building at Niagara Falls, and at the
time of the signing of the option CIV
| ing me control of the Keokuk and
/ Hamilton Water Power companys
/ stock, neither the members of the COM
4 mittee nor the citizens of keokuk,
Il and certainly the speaker, had any
4 conception of the amount OF time and
y money, and patience, and knock-downs
sisard get-ups that would be necessary
4 to encounter, endure and surmount
II before | should be able to say defin-
) itely to the people of Keokuk that a
desire you have held foremost in your
minds for more than half cen
! tury is at last reality and not to
: be considered further as an expecta-
, ton.
? 1t is fortunate dispensation OF
S human affairs that the obstacles to
3 achievement are dealt out piece-meal
because otherwise the sum of out
i achievements would be very much re
t duced 1t will not serve any useful
g purpose that know of to recite the
: details of this long campaign. but to
d refer to the fact in general may serve
t, a useful purpose.
t The question of damming the Mis-
o sissippi has for a long time beer
l. used as metaphor for the impossible
t and some of the objections to the pro
ject on the part of some of tht
r worlds big financiers have been. t.
:, say the least, amusing. To rid the en-
5. terprise of even some of the silly OBJ
jections has taken from time to tim'
" an amount of patience and perseveI
e ence tnat is tedious to remember, AM
y shall try to forget this part of M,
When we come to realize that tn
st last five years has been time 0
r striking industrial depression through
1t out the United States, and in fac
~ throughout the world, and when W
20 come to further realize that durin
a. the last FIVE years practically no larg
10 undertakings have been financed, tn
IS thoughtful person asks the question
Il. why?
1t Personally do not believe that an
v. one cause can be set down as solel
o. responsible for the present low eb
a in industrial affairs. | am, howeve
10. fully OF the belief, and this is base
upon my every day experience for th
IL last five years, that the greatest di
,d ficulty that lies at the present time
40 the way of sound industrial reviv;
SIS in the United States is the wid
be spread. and to large degree u
is justified, anti-corporation feelir
or amongst our people
he j mention the foregoing simply b
cause it has bearing on some of I'll
,r- suggestions that will be made lit
he later.
he Referring again TO the original ke
lst kuk and Hamilton Water Power cor
ok mittee: At the beginning of the u
er dertaking l told the members, OF
and all, that | was certain we wou
ed have very long road to travel
slp gether, and that in order for us
succeed our relations must be so clio
that | could always have at least, Il
unwavering. conscientious support
=, the committee, and l am pleased
tell you that throughout the labo
we had together was always ASST
ed in a most effective way by II
- committee.
suppose it will not be amiss /
me to mention one peculiar circu
- stance in this experience. In me
tioning this circumstance would r