One word as to the greatest question with which our people as a whole have to deal in the matter of internal development to-day—the question of irrigation.

Not of recent years has any more important law been put upon the statute books of the Federal Government than the law a year ago providing for the first time that the National Government should interest itself in aiding and building up a…

We all know that when you once get irrigation applied rain is a very poor substitute for it.

They realize, and all men who have actually done irrigating here will realize, that no man is more timid than the practical irrigator regarding any change in the water distribution.

He has learned from bitter experience what damage can come from well meant changes hastily made.

I could not resist the chance that was offered me to stop and dedicate this monument, for great though we now regard Abraham Lincoln, my countrymen, the future will put him on an even higher pinnacle than we have put him.

It is a good thing that the guard around the tomb of Lincoln should be composed of colored soldiers.

A man who is good enough to shed his blood for the country is good enough to be given a square deal afterward.

More than that no man is entitled to, and less than that no man shall have.

It was written of old that “by their fruits ye shall know them”; and we can show the faith that is in us, we can show the sincerity of our devotion, by the fruits we bring forth.

For that reason I always take a peculiar interest in the attitude of our churches toward the immigrants who come to these shores.

I feel that we should be peculiarly watchful over them, because of our own history, because we or our fathers came here under like conditions.

Now that we have established ourselves let us see to it that we stretch out the hand of help, the hand of brotherhood, toward the new-comers, and help them as speedily as possible to get into such relations that it will be easy for them to…

I trust that with the consecration of each new church of the Reformed creed in this our country there will be established a fresh centre of effort to get at and to help for their good the people that yearly come from over seas to us.

Another thing: let us so far as strength is given us make it evident to those who look on and who are not of us that our faith is not one of words merely; that it finds expression in deeds.

One sad, one lamentable phase of human history is that the very loftiest words, implying the loftiest ideas, have often been used as cloaks for the commission of dreadful deeds of iniquity.

No more hideous crimes have ever been committed by men than those that have been committed in the name of liberty, of order, of brotherhood, of religion.

People have butchered one another under circumstances of dreadful atrocity, claiming all the time to be serving the object of the brotherhood of man or of the fatherhood of God.

I wish that everywhere in our country we could see clubs and associations including all our citizens, similar in character to that Society which has furnished the reason for the assembling of this great audience to-night.

No greater contribution to American social life could possibly be made than by instilling into it the capacity for Gemüthlichkeit.

No greater good can come to our people than to encourage in them a capacity for enjoyment which shall discriminate sharply between what is vicious and what is pleasant.

No more wonderful example of governmental ability, ability in statecraft and public administration, has ever been given than by the history of Virginia’s sons in public life.

The University of Virginia has stood for much in our national life.

It is a good thing for any nation to have as beautiful an institution of learning as is this University.

It is a good thing for the taste of a nation to have such an example of good taste ever before it.