Rock Island Argus., 1895-11-18

MONDAY. NOVEME
have an asylum located in the north
west portion of the state. In each
successive legislature in that time q
representative of Rock Island county
has placed upon the calendar bill
looking to that end, and at last it be-
came the good fortune Of Represen-
tative Payne to be identified with its
success. He touched upon the
beautiful lands and prairies, the ele-
vations and the majestic streams
which are at the doors of Book Island
county. Natures gifts in fuel and
timber, in transportation by rail and
by river, not only in the waterways
created by the Master Hand. but in
the Hennepin canal, were extensively
dwelt upon-in fact Rock Island
county was prepared to fulfill every
requirement contemplated in the bill
lappertaining to the location of this
hospital. The water supply was
taken up as the all important factor
and the disadvantages other state
institutions had labored under in
being less fortunately situated were
fOrcibly presented.
President Owens. of the town OF
Milan. was next presented, and he
introduced ex-Supervisor S. w.
Heath to speak for him. In behalf
of the people of Milan, Mr.. Heath
said he joined with Rock Island and
Moline in full confidence in the wis
dom of the commission, and if the
hospital was to be located on the
sunny hills south of Rock Island on
the banks of the beautiful River Rock
and the Hennepin canal, or on the
majestic Mississippi. the people of
the county would feel that the water
way advantages of this community
had at last been appreciated. and
in any event the pleasures of this
occasion would ever be treasured.
| William jackson was called upon
by Toastmaster Ainsworth, and be-
gan his remarks by the suggestion
been privileged to attend ian insane
banquet. Entering then seriously
into the subject he said it was one
above all others that should have the
most grave consideration. The
question was one OF considerable in
terest. It was one in which the
whole people of the state were inter-
ested and we had no right to antici-
pate that the commission would take
a selfish consideration of it. The
trustees must be actuated by such
conditions as will be for the best and
highest interests of all. 1t was a
great thing for the state to commits
sion such a trust. What beautiful
feature it is of our civilization that
the people of this commonwealth are
seeking to take care of those of our
fellow creatures of unfortunate fate.
The idea is to find for them a place
with opportunities for comfort and
care and such a degree of pleasure as
will relieve their unfortunate condi-
tion and aid in restoring to them the
faculties with which God has blessed
man. The purpose to provide insti-
tutions of this kind shows the good
and great heart of the people of the
state. 1t is the carrying out of
the same humanitarian principles
that look to the uplifting and better
ment of the oppressed and the afflicted
and to the protection of the lowly OF
the earth. 1t is a manifestation OF
the wonderful civilization of the cen.
tury that gets down to every strats
of human existence and seeks to re.
lieve, to better and to elevate it,
We are here to meet, to greet and to
aid these gentlemen in their commits.
sion to find and to build pleasant
home for the unfortunate. MIR
Jackson spoke of Illinois as one Of
the grandest states of the union and
Rock Island county as one of the
representative counties of that state
of which its people were proud. as
they might justly be. They were
not seeking to magnify theil
advantages or to glorify themselves
They were aiming to do that which
was the right and proper spirit oi
every American citizen to uphold his
own locality and to express his pride
in the same. Mr.. jackson closed b,
depressing his full confidence tha,
the commissioners would do theil
lull outv to themselves and to the
state.
f. W. Masterson made one of hi.
. Enthusiastically witty talks, and
d. l.. Framing extended the greet
ings OF Milan.
William McEniry was invited tt
speak, and he dwelt upon the import
ance OF the occasion and expressed
his conviction that the governor Of
Illinois had made no mistake in the
selection of this commission. He
believed that each member Of it real
lied In the fullest sense the respon
sibility of the task imposed. 1t is 8
noble mission-that which has fol
! its object the care of those whc
, either by accident or the will of God
have lost their reason. and the
speaker felt that REALIZING the re.