Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-01-21
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
Delivered by Governor George w. Clarke to the Thirtysx
Session Of the General Assembly, January 1915.

means a spirit that understands the
needs and knows how to build great
anybody thinks that this this is but the
work OF a day, but II means that there
is a clear vision of what ought to be
Iowa life and a determination to work
out and realize gradually that ideal SO
far as possible. Did you ever know
garded as an opportunity for public
service than now3 Have you not OBJ
served that there is far more talk about
very few y.sSs asoa have noted
how more and more men are giving ~
their time and money to the public
as And Il has not All en-
ment. 1t is seen on the farms Of the
/ Stakeholder homes and farm buildings
thar better sit. ana se %oss schoo
many years before. More children in
the schools. A higher average paid for
fine high school buildings have recently
been erected ranging in cost from $l5,-
goo to $4,000. Aside from these there
| two consolidated school buildings rang
ing In cost from $1,000 to $4,000.
There are In the State eighty consoli-
last two years was sixty-four. There
was more paving done in the towns OF
Iowa, ! am told, in the last year than
/
me If I were to attempt to speak fully
| of the wonderful progress made In the
last two years, largely animated by this
Of that is moving upon and inspiring
the lives of the people for better things.
May the great State move on.
| There are some obstacles, OF course
Indeed. 1t must be said there are many
and the regrettable thing Is that 1t Is
SO often based on human selfshness;
mean that a man will sometimes place
4 deems
pecuniary interest above what II Is per-
fectly clear would be for the enhance
ment of the interest of ALL There are
men who would charge. a battery for
Iowa against a deadly fire with SPLEEN
/ did bravery who would not have the
rm courage and patriotism 20 Sohseh ~
| the change of a law that would divert
Atty or hundred dollars from their
annualyd artn clearly re5
thousand dollars annually TO the people
There is but one question, 1t Is impos,
sible that there gould be any other. ana
| If 1t is, every personal consideration
should instantly disappear.
/ You start. Senators and Representa-
tiyes, into this session under the nre
Before you have introduced bill, even
before you have come to- the Capital
City, the discrediting talk about the
Legislative session and what may or
may not be done begins. 1t Is one OF
| the most unfortunate things of our
American life that with an air OF super
ciliousness and superior wisdom a large
part OF our citizenship assume TO speak
OF State legislatures. and the Congress
of the United States as WELL, with at
least poorly disguised ridicule. Men
| who have never given any time at all
to the consideration of public ques-
tons and who have seldom. or never,
work OF a legislature will begin. and
have already begun to discount your
1 work. 1t has actually become habit.
people especially the iaw-making de-
| partment of the Stately far the most
important, bearing greater weight OF
mspt Of govsrnme a Neither the Exec
utive nor the Judicial department can
be compared with 1t in its Importance
sne ss Happiness Hss a ye Sa
the truth, when I say that to be known
as a member of the legislature is to be
by %any T VI saeS certain exs9
has this thing grown up among the ,peo-
pie that have known most excellent
men to shrink from the unpleasant pub
candidate for a member OF the legis-
liature-a place capable OF commanding
ysy peat ssen any sn StheG In
respect for law. Indeed, IT breeds the
hs failure Ssc to s ENFORCE the Iaw II the
/ people and the newspapers assiduously
but. perhaps. sometimes thoughtlessiy.
open condemnation bring about the I'm
an instrument of evil than anything
for the iawmaker's law. There are men
who do this and then talk about good
citizenship, forgetting that this is the
not taking about fair, dignified. honor
able criticism. or corrective suggestions,
but / refer. as you know, to the lam
snS sort SrS Of
i not to move you but am frank to say
you start with this handicap-the hand.
leap that Smakes al. man hesitate sit, a ,S
| Another thing win be your expe-
rience. and It grows out Of the habit OF
| the public mind of which have just
SPOKEN Whe Sor your work IL done the
worthy worth of yourselves and the State. L
you make a record for really wise. con-
structive legislation, especially IL you
thing--a way adapted to by-gone days
and conditions. to wise up-to-date busi-
ness methods. II you do something for
| loose from a few dollars-per-year posi-
ton or from some business graft. you
may be assured that storm Of con-
you have been home thirty days. o.
/ course II you do nothing. you will es-
cape all this The man who never does
onlsms. The man who is never close
enough to the battle line to hear the
music of the bullets and shells never
Station sss does the most t for are OFTEN IL
men who will condemn you most severe
lily. After you have given weeks. some
/ ton Of a measure and reached a wise
who have not given the, subject tive
thought, with pour out their vials O
wrath on your heads That Is what Is
coming to you. II 10 not decent treat
.son ON On y sSs G sdss.. hang i
OF your abandonment OF the public well
fare.
these days to the building up and de-
velopment Of particular interests in the
State. 1t is well that II Is so. but II
has sometimes seemed to me that there
done and the advancement Is made all Of
the time but more could be accomplished
IL there were a greater combination Of
annual meetings OF the Corn Belt Pro-
County and District Fair Managers. the
Keepers. the swine. Cattle and Horse
breeders and perhaps other organiza-
tons all having to do primarily with
| Fundamentally, with the development OF
the wealth and greatness OF the State
These meetings are all held separately
In this way every man Is taught to
/ consider only his own individual In
terest and business. Each one of these
only represents, however. one element
entering into the increase OF the State 8
| wealth and the betterment of conditions
The exchange of ideas. the discussion
/ Of subjects pertaining exclusively to the
/ particular industry Is admittedly very
| helpful, but such methods do not make
| for the bigness of the man in the best
sense. His vision becomes too circum-
scribed.
~ Agricultural Conditions.