The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-05
A NATIONS NATAL DAY,
FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVITIES.
Three Days OF CelebratiOn-The DEM
constructions at Andalusia and
Taylor Ridge.

thankful to the man who made the caien-
dar. 1t seems eminently just and proper
that the time for the celebration of the
glorious Fourth should be enlarged, as
one day is too short a time for the Amer
lean citizen to get of all the patriotism
that has been accumulating in his bosom
for whole year The arrangement is
only temporary, but the citizens will take
advantage of it, The small boys, indeed.
began their celebration some days ago,
and their labols have had the beneficial
result of getting the public nerve accus>
toned to the racket of celebration. They
have led up to it by degrees. and tonight
there ought to be grand climax.
SATURDAYS CELEBRATION
at Davenport WAS reported in Saturday
evenings ARGUS. and today the successful
demonstrations at Taylor Ridge and An
dalusia are given. These were both
commendable affairs and attracted people
from all over Rock Island and adjoining
counties.
TAYLOR RIDGE, July 3.
The basket picnic and Fohrth of July
celebration in Miller's grove Saturday
was a complete success. Early in the
morning the people from the country far
and near came pouring IN. until 1t was
thought best for the procession to move
to the grove at Il. IN. instead OF $50 a.
IN. The procession was headed by the
Reynolds martial band, which dIsCoursed
its sweetest and most patriotic music.
A great many were unable to reach there
| IN time to move with the procession. At
least two thousand people were on the
ground by II a. III. After reaching the
ground, the following programme was
| carried out.
Prayer ........,-.. ........, Rev I K John on
Song, "Stir Spaugled Bannef" ...............
Declaration OF lndependence.,.. A. {. Thompson
Grafton, The Day We celebrate Rev. 4. R.
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ..-.......... Morgan
The Grafton was one of the finest. be>
| ing listened to with the closest atten>
ton by all We give a synopsis. The
| speaker said; 1t comes to us in ut
terances that are wonderfully beauti
tul in conception, and far reach
ing in its significance 1t speakes
of the struggle for freedom and consti-
cutional lIbery. 1t were well, that we
should enter upon the exercises Of the
day by grateful recognition of our
| dependence on the supreme. No foreign
Toe threatens MS; We have no internal
| strife. Peace reigns within and without.
| We are approaching most bounliful
harvest for which we should beHhankful
The influences aud power of our
nation is felt and acknowledged through
out the world, the declaration OF indep.
Evidence was the most wonderful
instrument ever penned by man 1t
stands alone In unapproichab!e grandeur.
II was indeed a most startling deciara>
ton which those men thrust upon the
| world. TWAS the strangenesS of the doc
trlDe together with the b0ldness with
which it was advanced that excited the
envy of the world.
Previous force prevailed Power con
stituted right, and beneath the heel of
the mighty the weak and the poor were
pulverized. No such thing as the
equality Of man was recognized, no one
respected the slave. None regarded the
poor; the condition of woman was but
| little better than the slave. Slavery was
taken for granted to be necessity, but
who were these men who came to give
81. 81.
| ed--the PIlgrims-they were self made
men, born in the midst of conflict,
! educated 10y all that they saw,
Being SUBJECTS of Great Britain, they
became objects of her unjust dlscrimna
ton and exactioDs until their cup Of bit,
terness WAS filled to overlooking, when
with one determined effort they threw off
the yoke snapped asunder every cord
which bound them 10 the mother country.
| and declared their freedom. rhe Amerl.
can republic, then IN its simplest and
most primitive form is, but the throes of
conscience. Little did England think
that from the cOlUnIsts on whom she WAS
unjustly laying her cxaclions, should
come the first notes of liberty. The hour
came, the die was cast. and ii nation was
born in a day, Then followed recital Of
| the long and bloody war. They gave us
| "a government whose powers are vested in
| the people. The two agencies to which
We owe our freedom are list. Free schools,
End. The ballot box. These stand or
fall together. The speaker then spoke
at length of the one sad defect--slavery
and its abolition. He gave to the sol
diers of the late war the honor Of making
"The stone rejected by the builders the
chief stone Of the corner" But the mis-
sion of America Is not yet ended. Grand
has been her influence on the nations OF
the globe, but there is still work for her
to perform. lntemperance and polygamy
must be Overthrown. Then will come an
enlarged freedom, nobler manhood, a
new world.
The Grafton was followed by song
ooh, Hail Us, Ye Free. " Then came a
feast Of good things, it being the noon
hour. and the inner man was RECALLED as
only the ladies of our county can do.
The people were again called to order at
p. M, when an hour or more was spent
IN songs and responses to patriotic toasts.
On the whole 1t was most ENJOYABLE
day.
The fireworks in the evening were
brilliant and were witnessed by great
many.
NOTES
Corbett and Lundy, the Andalusia ora
tors, arrived on the grounds at 4;30 p.
m. but had given vent TO their cnthusi-
asm previous, hence were peaceable.
Thanks are due the members of the
choir for the fine music which they dis,
c0urscd.
S. W. Heath, president of the day. did
credit TO the occasion.
The school teachers of Bowling and
Edgington seemed to be well represented.
ANDALUsIA, July 3.
The celebration here today was grand
ann fntg