Rock Island Argus., 1897-03-31

and bull. that which the artist in
beauty designed. This court house
stands as q monument to the good
taste. broad and liberal spirit Of the
board Of supervisors of this county,
who, Notwithstanding many adverse
and discouraging criticisms. yet be-
lieving that the people o; Rock ISL
and county were worthy of q struc.
ture that shoald represent the intel
ligence and energy Of the people, had
the courage and determination to
buiid this structure. For the push.
energy and Official integrity that has
brought the work to so successful q
termination, we will today, with
merited praise, award to the board
of supervisors that measure of credit,
recognition and praise that is their
due. We should not. at this time,
when speaking of the means and
forces that insured the successful
completion Of the court house, forget
the faithful contractor, and the su.
Perintendent, who have so we'll per-
formed their labors. and won for
themselves the recognition of their
fellow citizens, who will award to
them the credit OF having performed
their work with signal ability and
merited tribute Of praise The
board OF supervisors had ordered
that on the 31st day Of March, 1896.
the people should be invited into this
public edifice, to cordially and qui-
etly Cenjoy and contemplate this
public enterprise SO auspiciously
completed; hence we are now sur
rounded with busy, earnest. ,hrong
of citizens, who are this day, with
music attending, treading the broad
aisles of this court house, e,joyinr
the delight Of its beauty. and ex-
pressing by their attendance their in-
terest in the work that has bean so
worthily conceived and has been SO
successfully completed.
And now, in the presence of the
court and the people, what shall be
further said on this occasion? We
have built this house, domed and
cupaloed, principally with iron.
stone and marble. not only because
we wanted to build, but to build
with such form aud grace that it
should stand in the midst of the peo-
pie as public recognition of the su-
premacy and majesty of the law; the
law not rs shifting and uncertain in
fuence to be changed by the casting
of q die, but q controlling. moral and
political force, that stands guard by
day and by night, shielding and pro-
tecting all classes alike; not only
the house of luxury and refinement,
but an all powerful influence
encircling and protecting the cabin
of the poor; a law 30 potent that it
tempers the power of the executive,
as we'll as the will of the people; the
Limitations Of the law being its
s,fety. it's adaptation to all being it's
strength and beauty. The majesty
of its influence was well illustrated
in the celebrated speech of Earl
Chatham. in the British pa, lament:
The poorest man in his cottage
may bid defiance to all the forces OF
the crown; it may be frail, its roof
may shake, the storm may enter it,
but the king of England cannot en-
ter it-all his power dares not cross
the threshold of that ruined tsne-
ment."
When the citizen surveys this pub
lie structure, he can not only enjoy the
grandeur of its appearance. but the
mental fact that it is the monument
OF free people, guided and inspired
by wise and just laws, and intent
upon the enforcement of them; laws
to be obeyed until repealed; and if,
in the course Of time, experience de-
mands the propriety Of change to
meet new conditions, then shall the
change be made, not by willful disre-
gard OF existing enactments. but by
legal and constitutional methods,
for only by such methods, and under
such conditions, shall the govern
ment Of the people, by the people.
and for the people," survive, and
not perish from the earth.
A Word to the bar.
l am loath to close my remarks
without few words to my asso-
SA0ICS ~ euC UoK. ne Oh yeatS VI
the judicial life of this court are be-
hind US. Many of us have passed
the summit; what we have done or
left undone, the world knows. The
personal and mental characteristics
that have marked our lives and ac-
tions during the years OF the past.
will probably remain unchanged to
the end. II our lives have not been
well rounded out with upright con.
duct and moral force, the fault has
been with ourselves. Happy for us
II our personal characters have SO
Impressed our fellows that they are
wiling to concede that our lives
have been we'll spent. Bat there are
at this bar at this time more than at
any former period of its history,
many young men of varied talents,
who will be the leaders @; the fature
1t is an interesting and important
question to ask what will be their
position in this court, and what esti-
mate their fellow citizens will place
upon them. Will they come and
plead at this bar only for personal
glory, that men NAV Drai. for their