The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-04-02

does that of any other state in the
union; history of soldiers and of
sailors who. in field and flood anu
savage wilderness, have borne the
flag triumphant even to the gates of
sunset; history of statesmen who.
in the wisdom of their legislating,
and the wealth of their love, have
guided us to majesty and might;
history of seers and prophets and his
torians who have given to the early
generations of the earth haven and
hope; history of state whose
cradle song was the continent MUIR
muir of the two greatest rivers on
this continent, whose constitution is
the guaranty of civil and religious
liberty to all mankind, the stamp of
whose imperishable knighthood Is
noble, honest toll and whose crown
jewels are a Kirkwood and a LARA
bee. an Allison, Dolliver, a Gear
and Harlald, and gentlemen, with
all this marvellous history behind us,
We are prompted in this generation to
more strenuous endeavor, more glori.
GUS achievement. 1t is indeed emf.
rently fitting and proper that we OF
this thirty-sixth general assembly
should set aside this morning to do
honor to you men of the generations
of the past.
The study of the beginnings of rep
resentative government. no matter in
what part of th.. world. seem to me
to be the most interesting study that
can attract the human intellect. not
withstanding that SO much of it is
legendary and so obviously false, and
have sometimes wished that some
great historian, some divinely gifted
man or woman might write down for
us the marvellous history of the be-
ginning of this state of Iowa, might
take us back to the beginning of
things, might show us the people and
the pioneers of those early days, the
houses in which they lived, the lam
guages they spoke, and their lives as
they lived them, for, gentlemen, tits
a marvellous study. the early history
of this state, and the significant thing
to us today IS, that it was you pioneer
lawmakers and the generation that
preceded you. beginning away back in
the first territorial legislature in Bur-
lington. coming on to Iowa City and
then to Des Moines; 1t was these
deep and firm and true the founda-
ing today and upon which the genera
lions of the future will build tomor-
row.
And so, gentlemen. it is not only the
past that belongs to you. but the
future as well, you who have been
the moulders of our future, and it
takes no prophets vision to behold
the future Of this glorious state of
ours, to see it the home of happy mil
lions of people who rise up every
morning to vast hives Of industry and
thrift; her country side the treasure
vault from which her wealth is
drawn. her streams everywhere vocal
with the whirr and hum of wheel and
shuttl her fields tranquil il the white
and gold of the harvest, her hilltops
showering down the music Of the bells
as her f1ocks and herds go forth from
the folds; her rulers honest and her
people contented; her homes happy
and her hearthstones bright and her
conscience clean. Peace and sobriety
walking hand in hand in her borders;
honor in her midst, straight and
simple faith In the hearts and the
faces of her sons and daughters AID
sunshine everywhere and all the time.
That, gentlemen, Is the Iowa that you
pioneer lawmakers have given to us
and to the future, and now, makers
of our past. moulders Of our future.
on behalf Of this thirty-sixth general
assembly I bid you welcome to the
fellowship AID deliberation of this oc-