Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-04-28
Addresses Of W. Bryan and Lieut. Gov Norhcott at the
Woodmen Cornerstone
AUSPICIOUS CLOSING OF A GREAT DAY.
Speeches at the Banquet at the Tower Inn Last Night ant
Other Events.

way. concerned in that thing. You
cannot get men to join an order un-
less the benefits of that order are such
that they themselves participate in
the benefits. In other words. self
interest, the advancement of self. and
those interests that center in self.
these must be considered in all mat
ters, whether they be public or pri-
vate. In fact, my friends, you will
fail to accomplish anything in the
way of bringing people to you unless
you can bring your cause into actual
contact with every citizen whom You
hope to secure. But if you believe,
as / believe, that self interest must
always be considered, you can believe
as l believe, that there are different
forms of selfishness, some higher than
others. / will 90 further than that.
| will assert that the highest form of
selfshness is to be found in that
motto. the Eleventh Commandment,
Thou Shalt Love Thy NeighbOr as
Thyself.' The man who loves his
neighbOr as himself does not forget
himself. because if he didn't love him
self, then love of his neighbor would
not amount to anything. daughter. J
When you say that you must love
your neighbor as yourself. you recog-
niZe self love as a permanent lasting
thing. To my mind our form of gov
ernment is based upon the theory that
all men are brothers. and that each
one of the brothers finds his own
highest advantage in recognizing the
equal rights of every other person.
The parable of the Good Samaritan,
which we read and talk so much about
in the order of Modern WOodmen,
illustrates the point. That parable
points out to us that our neighbor is
not necessarily the man who lives
right in the next lot to us, or in
the same town, but the neighbor is the
man who is your friend in time of
need. That parable teaches us that
we ought to be friends to each other
in time of need, and that we ought
not to wait until the need is too
pressing before we begin to show our
friendliness.
"ln fact. my friends, underneath
this order lies the idea that the people
are linked together as brethren and
that they ought to so act as to ad-
vance their interests and the inter-
ests Of their fellows at the same time.
In other words it lifts the individual
out of sordid selfishness into a
broader selfishness. 1t takes away
from him all idea of lifting himself up
either by his own unaided efforts or
upon the PROSTATE forms of those
about him, and gives him noble idea
of lifting himself up by lifting up the
level upon which he stands. He
helps himself at the same time that
he assists those that are associated
with him.
Once Prejudiced.
Il confess that there was a time
when l was prejudiced against frater-
mites. | remember that when l was
counting the lady who afterward was
foolish enough to join responsibilities
with me, told her that while she might
find some things to complain of that
l didn't belong to any secret societies.
and therefore she would not have to
complain of my going to lodge all the
time. Uaughter). l don't remem-
Der that Isaid. this in any loud tone,
and yet l don't think that anything !
have said made deeper impression
upon her than that. because she re-
membered it when l joined the first
secret society. Laughter). But
have convinced her that when I be.
came member of fraternity like
this that l was acting for her welfare
rs well as mine. And the more
have studied, and the better | have
understood these organizations the
better satisfied have been that they
are doing great work.
Let me suggest few of the wavs
in which these orders are doing good.
We are living in a country where the
government comes up'from the peo-
pie, not down from some honorable
parsonage. We live in a country
where the government, if it is good.
must be made good by the people
themselves. We live in a country
where every citizen isa sovereign and
where no one cares or dares to wear
crown. And in such a country and
under such government, questions
constantly arise about which people
differ, and questions which they must
discuss and understand if they would
act intelligently upon them. And
submit in these lodge rooms, where
speeches are made, and where people
are taught to speak upon their feet,
they are fitted for more intelligent
participation in the work of the gov.
ernment. The man who accustom:
himself to discussion in his lodge
room is able to go out and in the as
semblies where his neighbors NEE,
together for political action is com
petent to express his opinion. The
matters which arise in the lodge
room and are crystalized in speecl