Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-27
At City n all.

Mayor Newbert called in person to
drive the Speaker to City hall, where
the big auditorium was completely fill
ed-gaIleries and floor-wth a repre-
sentative audience of ladies and gen.
tcmen of the Capital and neighborng
places.
Mayor Newbert gracefully introduced
Speaker Clark, after fitting allusion to
the great men Augusta had given Ia
the nation and received within her
gates. Among the latter the mayor
said one of the greatest was Speaker
Clark, who arose, tall and statesman
like, in evening suit, his striking fea-
lures close shaver, his hair frosted
with years of labor, the last 90 of which
as he later stated, had been passed in
Congress.
The distinguished speaker was re-
ceived with hearty applause. AS was
the custom of the late Rev. DIR. Joseph
Cook of Boston, he said, he would in
troduee his evening talk with a pre-
Jude and he alluded to the fact that
he felt at home before this splendid
audience in the Capital City of Maine,
coming as he did from Missouri, for
Missouri was a twin sister of the Pine
Tree State, both having been born in
1920 into the galaxy of star-like states
that make up the American Union. He
explained that he had to cancel all
his previous engagements in Septem-
Der because they talked so much in
the Senate and he never would leave
Washington to lecture for money
while Congress was in session.
His lecture was changed from pic
turesque Public Men" to THE United
States of America in the goth Cen
tury." He had felt he said, the need
of some man coming boldly out with
such a lecture, a plain talk face to
face with the plain people in order
to combat the squirt of muck raking
and pessimism which had sprung up
in recent years. He could see for his
part only good accomplished and
promise for the future. His lecture
had been suggested by the pessimistic
talk of bishop of the church. He
had butted in to refute the bishop and
he wanted to shoot some of these
ideas into the heads of the American
people.
He compared the growth of the pop
ulation Of the states from 100000 a lit
tie over 100 years ago to more than
100000, 900 today. "At this rate of pro-
gress," he said, "in another 100 years
our ration will have more souls than
there are living on the whole globe to-
day"
Geographically he traced the extern
sion of territory in the past century
until now it stretched from Canada to
Mexico and the Atlantic on the East
to the Lord only knows where on the
West" In finances it had reached bill
lions. which, if equally divided, would
give every man, woman and child
more than 1925 now. and if the same in
crease kept on in another century the
national wealth would eclipse the three
trillions of dollars mark.
In politics We had come into clean
err atmosphere with the secret ballot
to protect the workers and the prima-
ries, Of which he claimed to be the
dad in Missouri In charities we had
increased beyond the ratio of our in
crease in wealth in the century. Duel
Inns and lotteries had been abolished
and religious tolerance had increased,
so that in some Western towns he had
found all denominations helping pay
each others ministers and Professionals
even paying for Catholic churches.