Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-09-06
WETTlNo FOR PIcNIckERs.
Rain Storm Brings a Sudden End to Labor
Day Festivities.

and hied themselves hoDaeward, but
others intent on sticking through the
piece remained and received dows-
ing.
notwithstanding the interference of
the elements, the celebration was a
great success, and the officers and
mem bers of the Rock Island Industrial
Home associat ton, under whose aus
pices it was held, are deserving of
no little amount of credit for the
business-like manner in which it was
handled.
Everybody enjoyed themselves.
Crowds thronged the grounds day and
night, the street car company carry
ing train after train from both the
east and west. to say nothing of
those who walked.
The speaking occupied couple of
hours and was attentively listened to.
Mayors L. j. Medill, of Rock Island.
and Gustav Swensson, of Moline, as
stated last night, made opening re-
marks. w. II. Schillinger. president
of the Industrial Home association.
presiding.
States Attorney C. j. Searle, speak
er of the day, delivered his address
course of his remarks he said: Il
would caution all those who unself-
ishly have at heart the interests and
welfare of their fellow men, not to be
discouraged in their efforts. by tenn
porarv, or oft-repeated failures. 1t is
true that it is too often the case that
however unselfish and honest your
motives, your efforts to am eliorate,
and even your discussion of prevail
ing conditions, will call down upon
your heads the ephithets, abuse and
maledictions of those entrenched in
the en- joyment of the fruits of those
conditions. You May be character
lied as pessimists, agitators and dem
agogues; if indeed YOU are not classed
outright with those twin 'bogy' men
of intrenched greed and seliishness,
anarchists and socialists. But YOU
may be encouraged in your efforts by
remem boring that the history of re-
form, liberty and the bettermcnt of
mankind, is the history of agitation
and martyrdom. Reform of abuse
never originated with government.
Neither does it come from those who
profit by the abuses. Reform is not
like the thunderbolt that strikes from
on high, but rather is it like the gen
tie mist that slowly rises from the
lowland and plain. So the most bene-
iiccnt form of government is that
which hearkens to the voice of the
people and yields To its demands; and
he, the truest statesman, who is
wise enough to detect popular senti-
ment, and honest enough to do its
bidding. Taking into consideration
the natural selfishnesS o men, | am
never surprised to see those, whom
NE entrust with power, and from
whom we often expect much in the
battle of progress, falter and fail.
The path of the traitor to the interests
of the people is too often str6wn with
roses. The immense interests that
NAV profit by his treachery, stand
port, favor. flatterv and bribe." Mr..
Searle referred to the Ubiquitous Allen
bill, and contrasted the social and
economic conditions of the past with
those of the present. Our public
domain is gone, he said, and lands for
homes and farms are no longer ac
cessible to the poor. and
very large proportion of the perma-
nent wealth of the country. which has
all been created by the people, con-
sists in the franchises and property
of huge companies. No political
party can long retain supremacy in
this age of enlightenment that lays
in the rear too far in the march
of modern thought and progress.
so long as all parties keep in view
the same end and are honestly ami
mated by the same purpose, no harm
will come from "A difference of opinion
as to the best means to attain that
end. And while we, as members of
the different political parties, may
differ on such party questions as the
tariff or finance, we can still be hon
estly and earnestly striving to iniiH-
ence our respective parties in the
right direction on these non-partisan
questions to better advantage than
by preciPitating the parties into
discussion. While the favored classes
will always strive for the mastery in
all parties, the great ma lority in each
party ought to, and must neces sarily,
be made OF men having at heart the
interests and welfare of the many
against the few The overwhelming
majority of the people when they un-
derstand question are almost invar-
iably in favor of right and justice.
This becomes very manifest when the
attention of the people is attracted to
some great industrial disturbance and
its causes Such, for instance. as the
great Pullman and resulting railroad
strikes three or four years ago, and
later the great miners strike. In both
cases the people were very quick DO
detect injustice to labor. and just as
quick to condemn the injustice. The
troable is not the lack of desire on
the part of the people to see justice
done The great mass of the citizen
ship of the country does in politics
and government what it thinks is
right The difficulty il in recognize
ing evils and discovering remedies