The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-28
First Session Of keokuk's Firse A.
sembIy Was Greeted With GOOD
Sized Crowd Both After
noon and Evening.
HOME TOWN TALK GIVEN
Ernest j. Slas Tells Why He Likes
keokuk and Why keokuk Poo
pie Should Boost Their
Town.

With a fusillade OF reasons why one
should always boost for his home
town, coupled with some concrete IN
stances as to why Keokuk people
should be- proud of their towp, Ernest
| j. Sias, the home town booster, en-
tertained and amused keokuk aud
fence last night at the opening OF
the chautauqua sessions which VIII
be held in the big tent at Rand PARK
all this week. Mr. Sias and the
Castle Square Entertainers took the
lid off the event, and both afternoon
and evening sessions, despite the PAD
weather were we'll patronized.
Mr.. Sias started out in his talk
by SAYING that he was pleased with
Keokuk; that he was pleased with
the Hotel Iowa, which was the best
hotel In the state of Iowa and tho
best for any town Of its size; that
he was pleased WITH Keokuk's busl-
ness men, because they knew how TO
extend the good hand Of fellowship
He then launched into his lecture on
Howe Town Patriotism.
II any one in the audience was
too puffed up over the compliments
Mr.. Sias paid Keokuk in the first OF
his speech, he was soon to lose that
Initiation when he made few point
ed remarks about what allied Keokuk.
The dam was a source of danger TO
Keokuk, for the reason the town was
expecting 1t to make it grow, he said,
and warned against the towns lean
ing too much on the power company
owning the big utility.
snend Your Own Money.
when that dam was built. you ex-
pected to become great big city,
Just because Of it, he said. You
were leaning too much on the power
company. Don't expect them to get
your industries, get out and get. them
yourselves. Spend money in adver-
Using. Oh, / know you advertised
for awhile, but keep it up. Send your
literature out with every man that
goes out. Don't expect outside cap
ital to do all your pulling, do it with
your own capital.
"Your town is an old town, I know
it Is from some of the buildings Il
saw, and / would Judge from them
that 1t is 300 years old, and I'll bet
some of your buildings haven't been
steambo on your river. Don't get
too satisfied with yourself. If you
do, the world is not coming your way
Meet every stranger coming to yotir
town with brass band. Say, do you
know that for soil Keokuk and the
country right around here has Cali
fornia beat 20 to 1, but those people
out west have you people bested 100
to 1 when it comes to boosting
It takes spirit to make a town,
just as it does to make a man, Mr..
Sias said Mentality alone will not
get you any where, you must have
spirit People for miles around here
should be interested in Keokuk, not
only for the fertility Of soil. but be-
cause Of the social conditions
Here's a good motto for man or
a town, be a live wire and you won't
get stepped on. The town that is not
made up of live wires is in danger
of being stepped on. 1t takes people
and people Of the right kind to make
a town.
Best City in World.
III you live in Keokuk, or in the
vicinity of 25 miles around here,
YOU ought to stand up for Keokuk.
When you go to Chicago say I'm
from Keokuk, the best town in Iowa,
the best state in the union If you
don't do that you ought to be depriv-
ed of your citizenship.
"You need organization for any
community to advance. The trouble
with most places is not that they are
not organized, but that they are over
organized. Take 1000 people pulling
in different ways and it won't take
long to pull the town to pieces. But
let them all pull together, and think
what you'll make of your town. Cut
down the, fences that are dividing
your town, If you haven't them, you
are the first town in the world that
hasn't"
Right here Mr.. Sias injected a bit |
of national patriotism into his talk |
He spoke of the national crisis and |
paid tribute to the president.
Tribute to the President.
'If you are republican or didn't |
vote for the president, it is no reason |
why you should be entitled to get out |
your hammer and knock Mr.. Wilson |
or the federal government. I'm not
democrat, but I'll tell you that
never since the dawn Of time has
there been guide to any nation
more level headed, more sincere
hearted than Woodrow Wilson, who
today guides the destinies of this
nation"
There was a burst Of applause