The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-09-25

ting up fair for that purpose will be decided mp
on.
Crock Island, Nov. lOdtd.''
I'VE published the above notice till the day
of meeting, but no report of the doings of the
meeting has been given to the pu Bile. through
the papers We learn privately. however,
that the meeting was we'll attended and that.
after due discussion and deliberation, it Was
decided to hold fair to raise money to pay
off tie debt of the First Presbyterian Church.
Ii il said that it WAS also agreed to hold
fair nert Christmas in aid of the soldiers
families
Now, with all due respect to the ladies who
managed and controlled that meeting. we
think they came to a very lame and impotent
conclusion.
"Next Christmas will arrive when winter is
half-gone. Where is the propriety, the hu-
mainly, or the patriotism in telling the stsrv
ing shivering wives and children of our brave
soldiers that they must continue to starve and
SILVER till next Christmas, IN order to pay off
tho debt of some church society? We do not
object TO the holding of fairs to pay off church
debts II gotten up by the members of the
church which is In debt. But We do object
| to using the Soldiers Aid Society for that pur-
pose. This was meeting of the Soldiers
| Aid Society, not meeting of any church so
| ciety if the Soldiers Aid Society is
going to hold fairs to pay the debts of one
church it must for all. Read the call for the
| meeting again, then think of its abandoning
! the soldiers families to pay some church
| debit Had the soldiers faE1Ilies no friend
in that society? Are a majority of It's mem
bers in favor of abandoning the soldiers'fam-
| lilies for one-half OF long cold winter, to pay
| of some church debt?
1--WE respectfully suggest that a donation
| party be held the day before thanksgiving, in
eli Han I'D La rhn 1la IN
| their liberal contributions of provisions,
clothes, and money, and appoint a capable,
reliable and disinteres,ed committee to take
| charge of the contributions, and distribute
| them where they are most needed, and pub
/ lish full report of their dOings In the pa
| pers. Who seconds the motion Who will
take the lead in this movement"
From the Argus Nov. l6, 1868.
| Shall the Soldiers Families have a
Thanksgiving day!
ION Thursday last, the ladies of the Soldiers
| Aid Society of this CITY, held meeting called
for the purpose of deciding what TO do for the
| benefit of the soldiers families in our town, but
| nothing definite was decided upon. Their course
| does not meet the appreciation of the public
| What is to be done? Are the soldiers families
| to be neglected, on the day set apart by the al
ministration day of misunderstanding to Al
past years" On this day, the president recon-
mcnds Us to commend 10 His tender care all
those who have become widows, orphans sui.
terers in the lamentahle strife in which we are
! unavoidably e. gagged" And the governor, in hi,
proclamation, says: Let US also remember the
| widow and orphun, who, in desolate homes
mourn for the heroic dead" What mocktry il
| would be TO commend them to His care and dc
nothing TO relieve their wants How we
remember the widow and orphan III their desc
| late homes better than by relieving their wants
Are our well clothed and well fed people
aware how these soldiers families struggle Tor
bare, cherries existence Do they know
/ the temptations and trials TO which they tx.
! poseds DO -hey feel that they have any rcspon.
slEiilty resting upon them - shield them from
| temptation and relieve them from suffering -
! While they are holding grand fairs, dressed IN
gay clothes, fed with the ddintest and richest
food, and are happy in their luxurious homes, dc
they i've thought 10 the suffering families O
| the brave men who are fighting and suffering for
them Those who have always lived in com
fort until the shadow of this cruel war fell across
their path and who supported in comfort bS
the labor of strong arms, and cheered by the pres
ence of sunny faces, and sustained by the love of
| warm, manly hearts, are now lett alone land that
/ word dtOHe has terrible desO!atiOu in il nOw) %
hope against hope and bitterly struggle on
Aged parents, feeble wives, and invalid children
Responding almost 10 despair, are haughtily told
I
| These things must not be. Something must be
done nor. Let orphan children be made TO
smile once more, whose little hearts beat lonely
! and call in vain for their dead fathers and broth
ers. Let Responding wives tie made glad by the
assurance that their little ones shall not want
Let aged fathers and mothers, who have given TO
their country the hopes of their declining years,
be cared for.
How welcome IA sight, to them, would be a
procession of wagons and drays loaded with pro-
visions, clothing aud fuel. How it woulI tighten
| the burdened and oppressed heart, and give hope
and courage when near to breaking.
| "Shal IL be dOnes
| eve hear that suggestion, made Satur-
dav, for donation party tor the soldiers fami-
| lies, well received by the public. How shall
! the project assume organization Shall we have
! a meeting to appoint committee to receive and
/ disburse the donations Or will some gentle
] men volunteer to procure a room for storage,
| and receive and distribute the donations, and
| publish full account of all receipts and expen-
dtures? How would b. II. Kimball, jeremiah
| Chamoerlin and S. B. Stoddard suit, for com
mittee! Mr.. Kmball knows all the soldiers
| families, and the public would have full conf
| dence in all three of these men.
''If thew will acJ let them . ocIre ! store-roOm
and issue a call devutng Wednesday the 25th
inst. 1.-THE day before thanksgiving) 20 receiving
aud discussing the donations. The people don't
want anv fair or gay show, any expenses
about the transaction. Let it be grand day
for donations, and, let everybody give some
thing TO make the soldiers families thankful, and
give them a good start at the beginning of win
ter"
The effect of these appeals land no appeal
for such a move made by any other pa
per in the city, was TO cause subscription pa.
pers to be started and funds raised Tor din