Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-12-03

Il
No. l. officiating as POSTMASTER. Rev.
DR.. W. 5. Marquis invoked divine
( blessing. Then came the feast. Ar
! tistically designed menu cards con-
| tanned the following, which it need
I hardly be said received the compli-
mentary attention it deserved:
Blue Points.
Celery. Olives Sailed Almonds.
Julienne Potatoes.
Claret.
49,, Roast Saddle OF venison.
Creme de Meathe Punch.
Quail broiled. English Bread Sauce.
LOBSTER Salad.
Assorted Cake. Neapolitan Ice Cream
Roquefort Cheese. Crackers
At the conclusion of the feast Toast
master Weld spoke few words of
greeting and welcome. He touched
upon the blessings of fraternity, and
likened the beneficiary insurance So
cieties to the noble order of the Red
Cross. As the Red Cross society goes
along administering TO those wound
ed in or suffering from the effects of
battle, so the fraternal insurance So
ciety finds its mission that of pick
ing up and giving comfort and consO-
lation to those who fall by the way
side of life, and of making such pro-
visions that the sufferings of those in
distress may be alleviated.
Pleasant Words for Rock Island.
Mr.. Weld then introduced Hon. j.
NJ. Brock, of Aledo, as the first speak
er. Mr.. Brooks topic was The First
Grand Tribunal" This he spoke of
as the connecting link between the
home tribunal and the supreme tri-
bunal. Its object was to bring the
two branches nearer together and the
membership in closer touch and bet
ter fellowship. He spoke of the wis
dom exercised in the selection of Rock
Island as the home city of the order.
Rock Island was spoken of as n city
of enterprise, good citizenship and
good fellowship, one of three cities
the commemorative of Illinois and
Iowa, and the nation might feel
proud. Rock Island was also alluded
to as the queen city of the tri-cities of
valley the Mississippi.
In the absence of Lient. Gov. W. A.
Northcott. head consul of the Modern
Woodmen of America, who was to re-
spond TO the toast. Hon. j. q. John
son, general attorney for the Wood
men order, spoke on ''Fraternities-
Their Mission" 1t was one of Mr..
Johnson's Enthusiastically appro-
pirate, eloquent and inspiring add
dresses. He spoke first of how in 40
years building and loan associations
had sprung up as cooperative means
of home building. and how, despite
the skeptical views, tinanciers held of
the idea in its incipiency, wise heads
and strong hearts had brought the
building and loan associations to that
point where thew handled greater saw
ings than the savings banks of the
country. Within n period of 80 years
had come the fraternal societies or beni- |
iiciary societies of life insurance. Up
TO that time the life insurance of the |
country was entirely in the hands of |
the old line companies, just as the |
money sought for home building |
was up to 10 years ago in the hands |
of the banks exclusively. And so as |
We're the iinanciers skeptical as to the |
system of cooperative home building |
in its incipiency, so, too, were men
of experience in conducting great life |
insurance enterprises skeptical as to
the success of the venture of cooper
alive life insurance. They were as
skeptical in the one case as in the |
other as to the feasibility of putting
these contributions of these unites of |
and thereby creating a sys-
tenn, the earnings of which might be
contributed TO the upbuilding of
homes in the one case, and the provid-
ing of relief for the widow and orphan
in the other. There were now in the
country, Mr.. Johnson said, 100 of
these fraJernal societies, which had
already distributed in the period of
their existence $3.50, 900, 600. The
system of fraternal insurance consti-
-uted the marvel of this marvellous
age. Mr.. johnson referred extern
,ivelv and in beautiful words and
glowing terms to the fraternal side of
his system of insurance, which he
said outweighed the material of finan-
:ial benefits.
DIR. A. l.. Craig. of Aledo, spoke to
he toast Medical Examinations and
Examiners" The doctor talked en-
ertainingly and in detail of the re-
Iuirements and objects of the medi-
al examinations.
The subject, ..Fraternitv-Ifs True
Office. - was taken by T.. ID. Sweeney,
who dwelt upon the significance of
ne term. fraternity; the watchword
I had proved in the great movements
# the world of what its frequent APP
,lication had meant in the bloody an
lals OF France Fraternity had had
Is false conception, drawn from false
Premises in the history Of nations.
n speaking of the true meaning of |
he pointed to the philoso-
,hy of Ben Franklin. his homeIy max
ms and their application TO the high
T impulses and inspirations that
hould move men to nObler deeds.
The speaker broadened into the sub
ect OF fraternaI expansion and from
hat to national expansion. America.
q safH stood - o.-o.. H. - a