Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-01-22
GOV. HARDING
TAKES OATH
Inaugural Address Plea for Better
Living Conditions-Iiits Food
Gambler.
NEED STATE AID
TO PROTECT FARMERS
Touches ON the Language Question
and Gives His Views ON the
Subject.

An ideal Iowa--in which every
citizen may own home or rent ono
at statdregulated rates; in which
teachers shall be we'll paid and enl-
lployed for life. farmers shall be pro-
itected from price manipulators, and
the English language alone taught in
grade schools-is the theme Of Gov.
W. L. Harding's inaugural address,
delivered to the Thirty-eight general
assembly Thursday afternoon.
| Declaring that individuality and
private ownership are primary and
ffandemental principles in the de-
velopment of lasting civilization"
the governor said:
-''It is my firm conviction that the
time is now here when, as state,
we should interest ourselves in seeing
to 1t that plans are laid and oppor-
tunity offered to those who desire to
own their, own homes
Homes for the Soldiers.
The secretary of the interior
proposes that the federal government
in conjunction with the state, pur-
chase cut-over, swampy aud arid
Hands forathe use and benefit of the
returned soldier who may desire TO
farm, provision to BE made by the
two governmental activities in the
plan for financing over a long period
of years, with easy money, allowing
the soldier to pay back aud thus be-
come owner.
Iowa has no waste land to be
reclaimed for farming purposes.
if2this plan is feasible as applied
to- farm lands. why cannot the same
principle be applied to smaller divi-
tsions, even as small as a tosn lot,
and thus accomodate the returned
soldier whose training in life calls
him to an occupation in the city,
Embrace All Citizens.
''And if it is feasible for the pur-
pose of rendering aid to returning
soldiers, why is it not equal of ap-
! plication to every citizen who may der
sire to avail himself of the oppor-
tunity and thus become a property
owner?
''This is submitted for your con-
sideration with the hope that it will
at least result in investigation"
In turning the language question
of war time origin, over to the
Legislature for the consideration in
peaceful times, the governor declar-
ed:
A Union; Not Asylum.
This union of states called AM
erica is a nation, not an asylum. We
are big enough, old enough, and good
enough to have a language of oui
own, loved and used by all our citi-
zens. If all loved the language they
would the more desire to use 1t, for
it has beauty of expression and di-
rectness possessed by no other Ian,
kguage.
4 perhaps the best way to create
this love for our language so de-
sirable is to insist. under proper
rules, that all learn it.
81 know there are those who argue
THAT it is narrow to insist that as a
condition precedent to citizenship
the official language of the country
be mastered and used, or that the
youth in his very beginning be re
iquired to gain his first impression oi
1.-THE country and in the language OF
1.-The country. The answer to all such
Icontenders is Your first love is not
America; it is some other country
or il may be greed for gold. 1t is ona
or both.
/ "The strength of our nation lies
lin the understanding and love oui
reople have of it's ideals and tradi-
tions. Handicapped indeed for citi'
senship and growth. is that indiyidu,
lal who has not read the Declaration
Of independence and Lincoln's Get
tysburg address in the language o.
their authorship.
\ For Universal Language.
"sad. indeed was the plight .oi
the country when, engaged in grea'
\ lworld war, it found it necessary te
stop in the preparation OF men 70
.lfght, to teach them to speak ano
even TO read and understand the Ian
sguage OF the country we'll enough SC
THAT they could be drilled and take
Iorders. 1t was not wholly the faui'
ICf the men. Asa nation we opened enc
door and left it. We should hayt
stood by in those other days ane
Continued on page %