The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-01-29
Large Attendance Of Members
at Dinner, Address and
Business Session
Last Evening.
THE WITTEN PHILOSOPHY
Called the Best Speech Ever
Heard by That Audience
and Contained Much
for Thought.

81 wouldn't give two. cents for a
follow who wouldn't lie just a little
about the population of his own
town" T. N. Witten said last even
ing to the Industrial association, re-
ferring to the population OF Keokuk
as told him, and continued: THE
size of Keokuk is the size OF your
trade territory-yes, 1t is as large as
your circle of influence. Anybody
who weakens the trade territory or
sphere Of influence of your city
weakens not only Keokuk but the
state of Iowa, of which it is a part"
4Its going to be up to every one
of us to do our little part" he said
apropos of service stripes on SOL
diers later, and this was really the
text of the entire speech, which
glided almost imperceptibly from
soldiers to retail trade conditions
after the war.
.You have the opportunity here,
and whether you accept 1t is up TO
you" he said, referring to the water
power and surrounding rich land.
Don't get discouraged; I'm not;
I've often said keokuk, Iowa, is COM
ing to her own. If we could just get
every fellow to take an interest i'm
his neighbor it would be easy. Every
institution or city that is failing to
render the best service is foolish.
An optimist and Folks.
Mr.. Witten said he and his father
were reared in Grundy county, Mis-
souri,, and that everybody there
knows every defect he has, and be-
gan his address with an eloquent
paragraph on the value Of charity
toward all mankind.
Don't let's think too much OF fac
tories and stores and paved streets
and big dams, but let us think more
fof the most important thing in the
world ard that's Just folks
Il am an optimist." he said, and
an optimist is a man who looks out
on dark night and sees a light
where there is no light; the pes
simist is the son-of-a-gun who blows
out the light
Then followed panegyric on la
Dor, and especially the labor of
youth and the duty to- be a produc-
tive citizen of the community, lead
ing into a list of the very useful men
that his Grundy county has pro-
duced, from generals to the leading
breeders of cattle.
Some ofs the things Mr.. witten
said Were these:
The Need of Harness.
"Keokuk has lots better opportu-
mites here than many towns, IL you
Just harness yourselves together
1T is easy for me to see that II
] can get the farmers in my COM
munity to raise five bushels more
corn to the acre, Witten will get part
of that $3.50 more money per acre.
the farmer gets"
DO you believe God gave you all
these big things in your city and
then placed you here simply to ac-
emulate dollars and cents?"
Love the home; love the work;
love the people-these things make
the successful business man.
IF you haven't got the best job in
the world, get out OF it."
The man who smiles and takes a
little interest in his neighbours child
or his dog is not the man who is
driven out of business"
Too many times we allow the
boys to so away to help build up
Chicago by not giving them oppor-
tunity at home"
One Banker Made Good.
In this great agricultural country
around you, you ought to be the bust
ness, educational and religious CEN
ter, community of $4,000 people
belonging TO you"
Il love one banker still because he
was the first man to get hold Of Tom
Wltten's boot straps. A banker with
vision can get big lesson out Of
my little story"
Every good, honest man who is
intelligent and Industrious is worth
trial"
Il don't like doctors; I've been
operated on eleven times; have only
one eye left and part of one leg, and
1 have five doctor brothers-in-law:"
There amt many good lawyers;
tne way to tell good lawyer is to
ina one smart enough to make
money out of a farm-if he's smart
enough to do that, he's smart enough
10 be good lawyer"
The dollar in some old miser's
box never was worth anything in
the world"
You can be ,cootie on civiliza-
.ion, or like check, worthless till
somebody puts signature on it, il
you choose
You can make this city nation
any known by helping one another
ana rendering service to your fell
As to Knockers.
me biggest liar God ever made
Is me man who says he is self-made.
rus father and mother and the So
eieey he rubbed elbows with made
him what he is"
=. me knocker is the best institu-
non you have-put him on salary.