As I've often said, Wisconsin's greatest strength continues to

Hear, O listeners, the voice of Jim Doyle, who as governor spoke not of towers of wealth nor of legions of armies, but of the simple greatness of his people: “As I’ve often said, Wisconsin’s greatest strength continues to be the dedicated, hardworking people of our state. They go to work every day, pay their taxes, and raise their kids with good, Midwestern values.” In these words lies an ancient truth—that the true power of a nation, or a state, or a people, is not in the splendor of its palaces nor the gold in its treasuries, but in the steadfastness of its citizens, the quiet and enduring strength of ordinary lives lived with dignity.

The dedicated and the hardworking are the unseen pillars of every land. They do not seek glory, nor do their names often echo in the annals of history. Yet their hands build the barns, their sweat waters the fields, their hours keep the wheels of industry turning. They rise before dawn, labor through storm and snow, and still return home to nurture their children with the heritage of values that endure beyond generations. Doyle’s words echo the voice of every leader who has known that the greatness of a people rests not in its rulers, but in its workers, its families, its quiet faithful ones.

Consider the history of Wisconsin itself: forged in the toil of immigrants who came with little but their hands, who felled forests, tilled fields, and braved the bitter winters to make a life. The state grew strong on Midwestern values—honesty, humility, perseverance, and community. These were not values carved in marble halls but etched into the calloused palms of farmers, steelworkers, and teachers. When Doyle praised them, he was naming what had always been true: that the soul of a land lies in the character of its people.

The same truth shines in the story of Abraham Lincoln, son of the Midwest, born in a log cabin. He was not raised in luxury but in the hard soil of labor and simplicity. His greatness did not spring from wealth or privilege, but from those same Midwestern virtues—integrity, endurance, faith in work, and reverence for family. From such roots grew the leader who would preserve the Union. Thus, history bears witness: the strength of a land comes from the moral soil in which its children are raised.

Doyle’s words remind us also of the sacred cycle of responsibility: to work, to pay, to raise. Work sustains life, payment sustains community, raising children sustains the future. These three are the pillars of any society that would endure. When they are honored, the state thrives; when they are neglected, the fabric of society unravels. To honor work is to honor dignity. To pay one’s share is to practice justice. To raise children with values is to invest not only in one’s family, but in the destiny of the land itself.

O children of tomorrow, take this teaching to heart: greatness is not distant, reserved only for kings and generals. It lives in the daily faithfulness of your hands, your words, your homes. When you labor honestly, when you give back to the community, when you raise children to love truth and honor, you are building the strength of your nation. The farmer in the field, the nurse in the hospital, the teacher in the classroom—these are the true guardians of civilization.

Practical is this counsel: each day, embrace your duty with honor. Whatever your task—whether great or small—do it with dedication. Pay what is owed, not begrudgingly but with gratitude for the common good it sustains. Raise your children, or guide the young, not only with comfort but with values—teach them perseverance, honesty, and reverence for others. In so doing, you live out the truth that Doyle proclaimed: that the strength of a land is measured in the character of its people.

Thus remember: “Wisconsin’s greatest strength continues to be the dedicated, hardworking people… with good, Midwestern values.” Let this not only be the anthem of one state, but the creed of all who seek to build a just and enduring society. For it is not monuments that make a people strong, but the steadfast souls who rise each day to labor, to give, and to love.