The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-04-21
WELCOME ADDRESS
The Convention Greeted by William S,
Evans, ESQ.,, on Behalf Of the
Eikton Council.

To the State Council Of Junior Order
of American Mechanics, Elkton Council
No. p, extends hearty welcomed We
are glad that you have selected our town
as the place at which you shall hold your
annual session, to deliberate upon such
questions of importance to our patriotic
order, as occasion may require, for the
government of its affairs and the adj
varcement of its interests. This organi
cation is charged with the most exalted
trusts. To it more than any other asso
citation, is committed the great reforms,
so urgently demanded In local, state and
national affairs. In no other country
could such an organization exist, and
nowhere else has the occasion and cxig
enCy arisen to make it practical.
The God of nations has cast our lot in
pleasant places and invested us with the
greatest privileges the sons of men ever
enjoyed.
Ours is the new Eden. We have a
territory of 1907 COL square miles. ex
tending from the Atlantic to the Pacific
Oceans, and from the Lakes to the Cult
of Mexico. Nowhere else on the face OF
the earth are there such picturesque
mountains, beautiful rivers, high hills,
fertile valleys and vast prairies. Nowhere
in the universe are there such inexhaus
tible stores of mineral wealth as in her
mountains, or soil which responds more
bountifully to the hand Of agriculture
Nowhere in the past or present history
of all the other countries of the earth
can be found an instance of such rapid
development in everything which tends
to nations greatness, or with such
boundless possibilities for the future
With population of $4,000, 900 engaged
III developing her natural resources, she
stands pre- eminently at the head of al
the nations of the earth. With her free
institutions, fostered and protected by
an organic law, framed after the SINH
itude Of the one which God gave the
Israelites from Sinai's lawful heights
she demonstrates that Americans car
govern themselves.
When we contemplate the unprece
dented strides she has made in the arts
and sciences, we are awed by the magn
tude OF human intellect, and are
impressed with the belief that it i.
as eXhaustless as nature; that it know:
no limit except that which God has
fixed for human attainment, a limit no
yet discovered.
Such is the home of freedom. 1t is
our country, and he who passes these
portals, dedicated as they are to Goo
and country, stands pledged by the
most sacred ties Of home and freedom
to use his best endeavor to preserve anc
maintain our free institutions.
To that end we demand that emf
grafton be restricted. But the
stranger fleeing from despotism ano
oppression, will ever find a ready
welcome on these shores, if he come
attracted by our beacon lights o
liberty, with the desire to better hi:
condition and, by so doing, to ado
to the material wealth of our country
but he must come with the homes
intention to cheerfully conform to
our form of government and submit
to our laws, otherwise we do no
want him.
But the ignorant, the vicious, thu
depraved, and all. those who quit
their homes and come, not to better
their condition or enjoy the blessings
OF our government, but to SpreaC
incendlary doctrines, or who are
here under contract to compete with
and by competing exclude our owl
citizens from employment, are no
welcome, and it is our mission no
only to see that this evil is refnedied
but that in the future it shall rot b'
permitted.
Neither is there any place in thi:
country for the anarchist, the nihilis
or the communist. This fungus
growth on the body OF humanity i:
not indigenous to our soil and WI
are determined they shall not exls
in our midst. They are the natura
products of the empires and monarch
les of the Old World, and there they
must remain. Prompt Legislation
and summary execution of our Grim
inal laws we most urgently demand
to protect us from this class. whose
principles are so, directly in conflict
with all our principles Of persona
liberty and personal security. The
evils with which they menace US are
more horrible than the front OF bat
tle-more to be dreaded than fire OF
pestilence.
We believe in and insist upon tho
education of the masses. Let the
children of the rich and the poCl
enjoy like educational advantages.
To educate the people is to increase
the spirit of enterprise and add to
our material wealth. 1t is thus the
taxpayer receives ample return for
every dollar he pays for the
support of our public schools.
Our educational facilities are fair,
but the system is imperfect and
needs further legislation and greater
resources. 1t is our province to
remedy these things.
We hold that The doctrines Of
Christianity and the plan ofsalvation
shall be instiled into the minds OF
our youth and therefore we will
always insist that the Holy Bible
that rule and guide to our faith and
practice-shall be read in our public
schools. No man can be a patriot
who does not reverence and fear
God. Atheism is the twin brother
of anarchy and despotism.
We insist that the American flag
shall float over every school house in
the land, so that our children may
learn TO love and reverence it. That