Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-10-17
COLUMBIAN DAY.
How it was Observed Yester-
terday in Rock Island.
THE SERVICES IN TWO CHURCHES.

Those at the First NJ. f. in the Morning
and also in the Evening Appropriate tc
the Day Outlines of the Discourses--Foul
Hundred Years of American History Dis.
r cussed 1T the First Baptist Last Evening
Columbian Sabbath" was observed
yesterday at the First Methodist church
with appropriate services. in which the
spirit of progress and enlightment as ex-
hibited in our system of education today
was linked with the same spirit as shown
in the advanced ideas of Columbus 400
years ago. In the morning Rev. F. w.
Merrell preached from the text, What
hath God Wrought from Numbers 90:
%. taking for his subject, The mean
ing of four centuries The providen-
tial element in our history was analysed
into three factors-first, an inspired dis
coverer; secondly. providentially pre-
pared people to COLOMBO the newly dis
covered country, thirdly, a providentisl
preservation of this land to be the arena
where the problems of civil liberty and
free. self governing Institutions could be
wrought out unhindered by the effete in
situations of the past. The prosecuted
sects of the Reformation more fearless
of ignorance than of persecution or pris-
on bars, founded the common schools
where all men might be taught to read
the word of God No nation that reads
that word can be enslaved. That book
has in it the breath of freedom. The
public schools were the natural fruitsge
of the bible.
The growth of personal liberty was
traced in the framing of the Declaration
of Independence. advancement which it
would have been impossible for unedu-
Gated, unenlightened men to frame, much
less to live. To live. that immortal docu-
ment demands universal enlightenment.
In the Evening.
In the evening platform meeting was
held with q magnificent attendance, a,
which Rev F W. Merrell spoke first on the
topic, The Little Red School House." He
said he believed in the common school
system for these reasons: Because igno-
rance is sin, when there might be intelli-
gence; sin for the state and for the indi-
vidual Because also knowledge is
power. power for the individual and for
the state The best educated nations to-
day are the most powerful. But this
power ought not to be in the hands of
the few to the enslavement of the many.
Because in this country especially our
government rests for security and perma-
nence on the intelligence and virtue of
It's citizens 1t is menace to our gov
eminent when the ballot is in the hands
Of men who cannot read or think for
themselves Because printed bible
i'm plies and demands universal education,
that the people may read Gods word for
themselves We are individually re-
sponsible for this. Because they are
maintained by the state. 1t is the duty
of every state to see that its citizens be
educated, so as to WELD the ballot intelli
gently Other nations are following sf-
ter our common school system; Italy es-
tablished common schools in 1860 and
made attendance compulsory in 1877;
France did the same in 1882; England
founded the common school in 1870;
Ger many is the leader in this move. etc.
The churches cannot do this work.
Wherever they have attempted it. illiter>
acy has been noticeably great. Roman
Catholic Italy and Protestant Sweden
are alike moving to establish common
schools. Said Mr.. Merrell Let US
learn this lesson well, that God is in the
work of universal education"
Principal Dougherty's Remarks.
Professor L G. Dougherty. of School
No. /, was the second speaker on the
tonic Our Schools of Advanced Grade. "
He gave q thoughtful and carefully pre-
pared statement of the work of the col
lece, especially the Christian college,
which led up to the third topic. THE
American University" at Washington,
D. c., great institution for advanced
learning. Post graduates of colleges
were here to have an opportunity to in
vestigste along all lines of thought and
under the influence of devout minds.
Our young men in increasing numbers
are flockipg to the great universities of
Germany and often to the detriment OF
their religious zeal. These tendencies
were to be counterscted by giving them
the opportunity To do equally good
work on this side of the Atlantic The
American University has the free use OF
the congressional library at Washington.