The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-09-24
JEFFERSONIAN IDEAS.
J.H. Eckles' Speech.
A Mastery Effort by Ottawa's Young
Attorney, Worthy the Perusal
OF Every Citizen.

The speech delivered by J. II. Eckles,
ESQ, last week, on the occasion Of the
anniversary of the adoption of the fed
eral constitution, was such a scholarly
and brilliant Grafton, that We have been
requested to produce it verbatim, which
we take pleasure in doing. 1t was as
follows:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLE>
MEN: The democratic party is again in
power. Today its chosen representative
sits in the seat of national authority; the
laws of national government this day are
in democratic hands and upon the demos
cratic party is placed the responsibility Of
the proper discharge of the functions of
the national government. Most wise is it
and most fitting that upon this recur-
ring anniversary of the adoption Of the
federal constitution, that we of the dem.
ocratic faith should meet and review the
origin of the principles enumerated in that
instrument and to do homage TO him who
so interpreted them as to lay broad and
deep the foundation Of the democratic
party.
No time could be better chosen, nor
could there be any occasion better suited
for the calm discussion of political prin>
ciples. Today we are freed from the
turmoil and strife of party conflict; our
vision is not dimmed by party lines and
our Judgment not dimmed by party pref
udice. Today we meet as citizens TO
calmly dispassionately and deliberately
debate on that which affects our citizens
ship, which affects the veal of our coun-
try. The occasion is most BETTING for
today IS the anniversary of the adoption
of that instrument upon which the demo-
cratic party has been planted, and which
has been the credited instrument of the
democratic party for more than 80 years.
deem it source of congratulation, Mr..
Chairman, that you here in Rock Island
feel so much responsibility Of your citi-
zenship that you could leave your indus
tries, could leave the field, could leave
the busy hum of the shop, to meet here
anu discuss the duties OF your citizenship.
l hold it to be the duty of every citizen
TO inform himself upon the duties and
responsibilities attached to his citizen
ship, as well as informing himself of the
privileges attached thereto. / hold 1t to
be the duty Of every young man to give
his time and thoughts TO a proper study
of the questions of public interest and Of
constitutional governme Mt, for the safety
of every republican form of government
rests in the intelligent youths, and the
privileges and rights which his citizenship
devolves upon the electors; and know no
way so well calculated to know these du~
ties as by gathering in such meeting as
this; for know it to be true that that cit>
izen who properly understands these du>
ties and responsibilities and discharges
them towards the government, works a
greater benefit to it than all the laws en-
acted and that are today found upon the
statute books. A citizen who has thor>
ough knowledge of the political history
Of his country, and of the political needs
of his country, can exercise among his
fellows a much farther public good than
an army on the tented field.
This day, one month ago. in the state of
New York man was struck with death,
one whose loss feel more than brother;
man who more than any other man
within the range of my acquaintance,
while discharging the duties of private
citizen, affected the political history OF
this country and promoted the success OF
the democratic party; that man though be
filled no public position, walking in an
humble sphere, an humble citizen, exer>
cised the largest influence upon the coun-
try; that upon his death flags were at hall
mast and bells tolled in tn city of Ithaca,
aud one living on the banks of the Hud.
son and an ex president grieved over his
loss, and in the northern wilds of New
York, tears were shed when it was known
that the man who had given US our press
ident of the United States, Edgar P
Apgar, was struck with death. That man
was simply citizen and occupied an
humble position with no ambition of his
own to crafty, with no desire to fill pub,
lie place, simply desiring to do all he could
do honorably to bring the man who today
sits in Washington as president of the
United States. He acted simply as cit>
izen and discharged his duty as private
citizen, and so shaped the aims and ends
Of the democratic party that Tilden was
nominated at st. Louis and Cleveland at
Chicago. Did it all because as citizen
he understood his duty and had the en-
ergy to perform it. Crave not public po-
sition. desire not to fill public Office, but
so study the affairs of your government,
so discharge your duties as citizens that
you may exercise more important honOrs
than feeding at some public crib. An.
other trouble with our citizenship is this.
We avail ourselves OF its privileges, but
refuse to do our duties. We take ali our
privileges for granted, but our duties we
refuse TO perform. The result is in this
country nine tenths of our citizens be-
lieve that they have done all that is re.
quired of them when they have gone to
the polls and voted. That is the smallest
part of our citizenship. There are higher
responsibilities than voting. The highest
responsibility is to see that none of the
public matters are neglected; that the best
elements of your party represent you and
not the worst.
don't desire to enter into political
discussion of the federal constitution.
You know what led to its adoption; you
know of the thirteen colonies struggling
in dependency, with no revenues, com
ing out of a long war They were filed
with discomfort, factional differences and
weaknesses, which finally led to the cou>
vention at Philadelphia. But scarcely
had the debaters in the halls of that con
stitutional convention ended. when the
political issues joined there were taken
up and discussed pro and con in the va.
rious colonial conventions held in the
original thirteen colonies. The adoption
of the constitution was largely due to the
aHnrfa of tho fndaral rAarfu nndnr th,, Loo 4