370 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



They passed the bill to grant a portion of the public 

 lands to found the agricultural colleges, and this great 

 institution born amid the shock of battle began its ex- 

 istence. 



A vast grant of land was made to found this great 

 institution. 



The land was not held by the college as a landlord to 

 collect rents from the toiling tenant of future years but 

 has passed into the hands of agricultural owners. 



It is dotted with farm houses, barns, and orchards, and 

 the sons of those farmers come here to school. 



I have often heard the suggestion that it was a great 

 mistake to sell the school and college lands. But it was 

 a wise act. The state does not have the title but the land 

 and the farmers on the land are the great asset of the 

 state. It is better to have tax payers than state tenantry. 



The people should take care of the government and 

 not the government take care of the people. 



The ownership of the soil should be in the tillers of 

 the soil, and to the wide distribution of our farming lands 

 among the people is to be attributed much that is good in 

 our state. 



We are fortunate in having no great cities with their 

 social problems in our state. With more than two and 

 a quarter million of population our largest city has only 

 seventy-five thousand souls. 



From this vantage ground we have an ideal common- 

 wealth. 



Iowa is the very center of fertility. Go in what direc- 

 tion you may and the best land in each of our neighboring 

 states is next to Iowa. 



With fertile land, farms not too large, a healthful 

 though severe climate, splendid schools and clean govern- 

 ment Iowa has a future for us to look forward to with 

 confidence as well as hope. 



