Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-04-27

look closer, and see that a hundred OF
our camps in Northern Illinois are
represented in this great assemblage,
and for them, Mr.. President, L thank
you for this greeting. l look closer
still, and l see neighbors who have
come from Iowa and Nebraska and
Missouri and Wisconsin and Kansas,
and in their name, Mr.. President, 1
salute you.
And if l could look close enough.
and far enough, Mr.. President, | am
sure l could see 10000 of our loyal
neighbors, whose eyes and hearts and
thoughts are turned this way at this
hour, as we, clothed with their au-
thority, are about to carry out their
oft expressed wish and establish in
this community the future home of
their great order, and in their name,
Mr.. President, l want to thank the
people of this community for the
warm place they have given this
order in their hearts. and in their
name invoke a long and unbroken
continuance of the cordial relations
which five years of mutual hopes and
fears have only served to cement and
strengthen. 1t is the desire of this
order to become an active factor in
this growing center of population and
to be an influence for good among
you, and it is our earnest desire that
this order and these three busy cities
may grow strong and substantial and
prosperous together"
Mr. johnson said he had three
thoughts to contribute at this
point in Woodmen history as
suggested by this occasion. The
first was that 1--WE are at the end of
one of the most remarkable centur-
les in the history of our race. A GEN.
tury of advancement in national
things by leaps and bounds. a GEN.
tury of marvellous money making. a
century of cultivation of the more sor-
did side of national and individual life
at the expense of those gentler and
kindlier feelings that make life worth
the living. As we gather here to eel
ebrate this auspicious event in the
history of our order that century is
fast drawing to its close, and already
the purple light of the new century
marks the eastern horizon. TIL;
century, fast approaching, should {
made memorable, less for national
aggrandizement and power, less for
colossal private fortunes reared, and
more for what such fraternities as
ours stand for-the betterment of hui
manity, the elevation of man. the car
ing for the wounded and the disabled
in the fierce battle for existence. If
such shall happily be the distinguish.
\ ing characteristic of the coming Gen.
ttury, no other force will have great
er influence in bringing it about than
the American fraternities. They
teach that man to fill his proper
place in the world must be a true
man, manly man, an honest man, a
sympathetic man. They teach tha,
he is beggar, who, though owner Of
a street of palaces, cannot take som,
worthy man by the hand and looking
through manly eyes to an honest
heart, know that it beats in unison
with his own; and they also teacl
that he is an emperor, who, though
poor in purse and to the world un
known, yet has within him tha
spirit of humanity which prompts
him to share even the crus
of poverty with one more need,
than himself. Then, if these are tn,
things hoped for in the coming time
why should we not rejoice that thi.
seems to be the opening day for fra
ternities?"
The True Cornerstone.
Mr.. Johnson's second thought wa
devoted to the subject of foundation
Beginning with that of the massiv,
building, which he spoke of as saf
and sound, he dwelt upon the advant
ages of a substantial superstructur,
laid broad and deep. and with mate
rial which was the product not of
lday, but ofages. And so the founda
tions of these fraternities are lai,
broad and deep, and rested on tn
solid rock of truth. For ages ther
have been in this world brotherl
love, and friendship. and thrift. an
ECONOMY, and morally. and patriot
ism and business. but it was left 70
the fraternities to gather these foo