Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-12
Nebraska
WEBSTER PRAISES
NEBRASKA PIONEER
President of State Historical
Society Proposes Monument
to the State Builders.
NOW IN OUR GOLDEN AGE

Lincoln. Jan. ll.-(Special.) John
Lee Webster, president, delivered his
annual address to the Nebraska His
torical society at its meeting here this
afternoon. Mr.. Webster's ,heme was
an historic eulogy of Nebraska, and
his remarks covered a wide scope Of
both the narrative and the philosophy
OF history. Most interesting is his
tribute to the pinoeers, Of whom he
said:
THE land OF the aborigines re-
manned to be adapted to the civiliza-
to, of the white men. This became
TIE life work OF the pioneers. When
they entered upon these plains they
still remained a desert coeval with
the globe. 1t may be properly said
o. the pioneers that they awakened
the west from its primeval sleep OF
countless ages. They travelled across
the wide cxpanse of the prairies and
OF the sun scorched desert. They
penetrated the solitudes. They plowed
up the soil and adapted it to agricul
ture. They utilized the uplands for
cattle ranges. They opened up the
country for the building of towns and
cities. That which had been waste
and solitude they made a part OF
the empire of man. Out o. this wild
crness of nature they helped to found
a new state where the sciences are
taught and where the arts are appre-
ciated. The prairies which had been
shroudcd in silence for millions of
years seemed to welcome the ring OF
industry OF new civilization.
Their Story Not Yet Told.
The true, and full, and inspiring
history of the times of the pioneers
has never been written. 1t is a sub
ject worthy of historian like Pres
colt. 1t furnishes material for a
romance that requires the versatility
of Walter Scott and the historic in
spiration of Bulwer.
THE city of Boston erected won
derful statue to the Puritan, designed
by the justly celebrated St. Gaudens.
The Puritan is represented in stand
ing posture with staff in one hand
and with a Bible under his arm, en-
blems of his character and his life's
work. Why should not the state of
Nebraska erect an even grander
bronze monument to the pioneer,
which should represent him with the
thrill of discovery in his eyes, with the
spirit OF adventure and courage i'll his
facial expression, with a strength Of
limb and body, with a gleam Of hope
and conquest in his features, and with
a scroll in his hand on which should
be written, 4 have opened and re-
deemed the west and given it to my
country for the future home of many
millions of my countrymen yet to be-
Our Mingled Citizenship.
in our citizenship there mingles
the blood of all the nations, yet they
are characterized by greater uni
formty of feature and a similarity of
conhguration than the communities of
Europe and America from which they
are descended. They possess all those
national virtues upon which mankind
has founded the most honorable right
to consideration. The great majority |
Of them are engaged in the pursuit of
agriculture, an occupation in which |
men acquire all elevation of mind and |
sense of personal dignity and an im-
patience of human control. We find
among them the model of every
moral excellence which adorns human
nature and.all the political virtues that
command the admiration of the coun-
try. Their humble residences have
not been put to shame by magnificent
palaces of exalted conceit of wealth,
neither have they felt the severity
produced by unequal fortunes, nor
have they been subjected to the ar
rogance of an aristocracy.
In Our Golden Age.
an other countries orators have ex-
tollcd in eloquent phraseology the
blessings of liberty. Poets have sung
with forid Imagination of the enjoy
ments of the simple and innocent life.
But in Nebraska our citizens are liv-
ing under the bencfcent influence of
lllS OllC dllu udhy SHJoyliS lliC nap |
pness of the other. Our people have
lived through wonderful experiences.
They. stood on the forefront of civil
ization. Their plow-shares from time
to time have turned up old Indian
bones. They have taken the lands
which were once old Indian camping
grounds and changed them to farms
and rich harvest fields. They have
built PUBLIC schools and Christian
churches where once were old Indian
Where once there was
savage lawlcssness there i; now civil
government with all the safeguards
for personal security. This region
was once the roaming land of dis
race of people, but our citi-
zenshp have made it state whose
star has been placed among that
clustered group which beautify the
blue on the nations emblem. With
out claiming the license Of unreason-
able enthusiasm, may VIC not justly
select this semi-centennial period as
the golden age of Nebraska's his
tory"
i. CI,.L