The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-07-14

first business life OF Iowa was south
erns and her great men were southern
IN their sympathies and characters
tics. South OF the one still hnds
the political and social life profoundly
affected by the early settlers OF the
Boone and Crockett stripe. Here and
there are the descendants OF the
French Yoyageurs and coureurs de
bois.s
But there came sitting in through
Illinois. Michigan, Ohio and Wiscon-
sin the sturdy stocks OF New York
and Pennsylvania-and the New Eng
land conscience in its migration from
New England gave Iowa to local self
government and the comm on school.
And after old-fashioned Americanism
had become entrenched In the towns
and on the farms. there came the best
people OF Europe Danes, Mortimer,
Celts, Germans, British-and filled the
state with their vfrile strains anu
their democratic PHILOSOPHERS.
God is the supreme opportunist. he
proved 1t by keeping back the best
lands in the world for the best peoples
in the world. and then turning the
plant over to the stockholders-the
people OF Iowa.
Iowa's wealth is staggering Her
farms are worth more than all those
| of Maine, New Hampshire. Vermont,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connec-
| ticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Mary
j land, West Virginia. South Carolina,
Florida, Alabama, Arizona. Utah, Ne
vada, New Mexico, MOntanA and
| Wyoming combined. Her farm build
ings are Of more value thar all those
In New Hampshire, Vermont, Knodo
Island, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana,
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming. Arkansas.
New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oregon,
Washington and West Virginia COM
bined The live stock industry ~
Iowa is now suffering from depres-
sion, but her live stock is worth more
than all that OF Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Vermont, Massachusetts. Rhode
Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Della
ware, Maryland, Florida, Arizona,
Utah, Nevada, West Virginia, Louisi-
ana and New Mexico combined.
She is fifteenth in population among
the states, and twenty-thtrd in area J:
but she ranks first in total value Of
farm products, in value of live stock,
In value Of farm property per farm,
in percentage of farm property Inn
proved, in percentage Of total area in
farms, in number of automobiles per
thousand Of population, in the value
Of her horses, in the value OF her
cattle, in the value OF her swine, IN
poultry, in egg production, In farm
Inn plements, in tonnage OF forage
crops-in spite OF the alfalfa OF Kan
sas and the west--in corn production.
I Her wheat crop Is Of greater value
than that of all Canada or the Argep-
tine. Her corn crop is. worth more
in money than all the iron ore, or
anthracite coal, or petroleum pro-
ducts, or the gold, copper, or silver of
all the United States. Iowa is poor
apple state, she thinks, but she has
more bearing apple trees than any
two Of the Pacific states, and, in
apple production falls below the
states Of New York, Pennsylvania,
Michigan and Missouri only. Her
swine production is worth more than
all the farm crops Of any OF the
eleven mountain and Pacific states.
except California. The cattle she
than the whole tobacco crop OF tho
United States. Her women and chill
dren sell more eggs eyerS- year than
would buy all the oranges grown In
the United States.
The swine Of Iowa exceed In value
all the farm crops of Maine, New
Hampshire. Vermont, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jer-
sey, Maryland, West. Virginia, Florida,
Delaware, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming,
Colorado, New Mexico. Arizona, Utah,
Nevada or Oregon.
The horses OF IoWa-in spite Of her
automobiles exceed in value, the total
farm crops of twepty-seven states.
And now / come to lowa's peril.
She is too rich. God has turned over
to her people the create st plant for
generating human happiness which
the world has ever seen. He has
given it to them under the most favor
able auspices. Will she prove herself
equal to the task? Will she see to Vt
that her wonderful soil is kept for
her people and not for some OF her
people? Will she keep herself from
going in an American way the down
ward road of Poland-a rich upper