Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-01

government Of the people, by the PEG.
pie and for the people.
The speaker next proceeded to speak
OF the centennial celebrations that have
been held during the past years common.
Grating great events in our history, that
such celebrations were educating in their
character, familisrizing the people with
the nations history, and encouraging
sentiments OF loyalty. and urging the
people to do as we'll for their country In
the future as the fathers have done in the
past.
MIR. Jackson spoke Of the necessity
OF government that grew out OF
the very nature Of man; that human
governments were the slow growth
of mankind seeking to make life happy,
safe and permanent; that the form of
government was largely dependent upon
the habits, morals and intelligence of
mankind; that mankind was naturally
inclined to form and to De taught BY
symbols, the kingly Office was the crea
ton of mankind, when men were de-
pendent and lacked self reliance and in
telligence. but as men became enlight-
ened they learned to depend upon them
selves. and then kings became mere figure
heads and the government became more
and more of the people.
The speaker then referred to circum
stances that gradually led to the organi-
cation of government of the Anglo
Saxon race upon this continent. showing
that the race. though loyal to the country
from which 1t came, yet was more loyal
to the great principles Of human
liberty, and rather than sacrifice
these. was willing to sunder the
ties of country and kinship that rep
resentative government should prevail;
that every thing in the history of this
country showed that there was divine
mind moving and guiding the people of
this continent for great and holy pur-
poses; that the material world showed
great order and purpose in the
gradual fashioning and moulding OF
things material for mans use In intellis
gent methods. So in mental paths men
aud nations were guided to consum-
mate great purposes, not intelligable at
first, but the order and beauty of which
could be discernibIe In time.
The speaker then proceeded to show
how The cOlonists OF this country. accus.
toned to government with an I'M
written constitution, were led to adopt
constitution with certain fixed prin-
ciples and limitations, suited to their
changed conditions, and calculated to
meet the crisis in their history likely to
occur.
The confederation of the states pre-
liminary TO the adopting of the constitu-
ton was referred to. and finally the es-
Enlistment of constitution that has
been pronounced by Gladstone as the
greatest mental product ever produced
by men OF limited experience in the line
of human government.
The purpose sought to be accom-
plished by the fathers of the constitu-
ton was discussed, and how the ma
chinery of the government was arranged
to meet the end in view; the object was
to form q more perfect union that these
blessings to the people might follow.
To establish justice. to insure domestic
peace, to secure protection. to advance
the general welfare, TO secure the bless
ings of liberty to ourselves and our
prosperity.
The speaker then referred to the great
blessings that we. as a people, enjoyed
while living under govern ment pledged
and formed to carry out these ends. How
many people in other lands had longed
for such civil privileges. that. in view of
all that we have enjoyed and our fathers
before US have enjoyed. no wonder that
We. as people. should be called to cele>
brate the formal organization of the
government under the constitution.
The individual lot that each citizen
has in the government. aud his individual
duty to maintain its principles, was
forcibly urged, that where
much is given much Is re-
quired that no man under the corstitu-
ton could absolve himself from his in-
dividual obligation. that the duties of an
American citizen could net be performed
by proxy, that it was patriotic to main
tain. broaden and enlarge the principles
of the constitution; that failure In this
regard was a neglect of duty that might
be mentioned in language severe.
In this connection the triumphs of the
constitution were referred to; following
this the dangers to constitutional gov.
eminent, where there Is want of indi-
vidual patriotism and departure from
the real purposes of the government of
the fathers.
The speaker then referred to the diff>
erence In the personal integrity and
simplicity of the fathers to the ten
denotes Of the peop,e now claiming that
the remarkable progress of the nation
and the increase OF wealth had 80
oh mad opd oaporatod tho paonla into
classes, that the union of purpose and
effort, so essential to our continued sue
cess. was in peril. The growth of corpor-
ate influence and corporate consolidation
was destructive of the personal
individual character Of the citizen SO es-
sential to success where the nation re-
quired the personal action of the people.
The growth of corporate organiza-
tions, even to the most trifiing affairs Of
business, placed the citizen of limited
means always at a disadvantage and
compelled him while still an individual
sovereign to acknowledge that he was
falling behind in the race, while at the
same time he was actually making and
enforcing the laws under which monopo-
lies fiourished, these considerations led to
discomfort.
The unlawful methods pursued in OBJ
tanning wealth, and on which men have
ceased to frown. nave been a corrupt
ing influence among the people. Such
methods have led men to consider the
title by which men held their gains and
when once the masses were convinced
that the enormous fortunes we're wrung
from them and that by questionable
means it was not hard to persuade the
people that the title to the wealth so OBJ
tanned was not valid and that it really
belonged to those from whom it was
taken and thus socialism was the real
product of unlawful avsrice.
The speaker presented the necessity