Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-22
NEGRO's JOY DAY
T,f.City CoIored FOIks GaIher at H.
ber's Garden to Have Emnn-
ell alton Picnic.
WOMEN SERVE WARM DlNNER
Program of Speeches and Music-Past
Cortrasted With Present Day
Conditions.

The colOred folks OF the tri-cities
are having their annual observance OF
Emancipation day this afternoon at Hu-
bers garden on Fifth avenue. The
celebration began with the serving
of q fine dinner by the women.
There were addresses by Mayor
William McConochie and Judge c. J.
Searle. the set program opening with
prayer by Tony Harper, the chaplain.
The declaration of independence was
read by Mrs. II. II. Hoakins, of Dav-
export, and the emancipation pTOcla-
nation was read by Miss Ruby
Holmes. of Rock Island.
Robert Mitchell of this city, is mar
shall Of the day, taking the position
filed for many years by Sandy Terry.
Sandy declined TeappOintment this
year. saying that he was growing too
old for the job. and that he would
prefer to see it filled by one of the
younger men.
Schicberls orchestra is on hand TO
discourse music during the afternoon
and evening Tonight the young peo-
DIa will be out in force for the dane
ing. which will continue till midnight.
II is likely there viii be offered prizes,
as there have been ar former celebra-
lions. for the best cakewalkers and
the smOothest walters and neatest
two-steppcrs.
4 Look Into the Past.
Mayor McConochie said in the
course of his remarks:
AS we scan the musty pages of
history. both ancient and modern, and
especially that of our own country
during the last hundred years. study
ing all its changing phases, we are
amazed at the cruelty, cupidity and sell
fshness of some of the people, not
only in the past. but also the present,
which almost makes us lose faith IN
humanity Directly or indirectly, for
more than fifty years. the question OF
slavery was the paramount issue in all
our political campaigns. | suppose
this was on account OF the money that
was in il. We are always more or
less influenced in our views by our
business and commercial interests.
Old laws were changed. and new laws
were framed To protect slavery. So
cicty patroniZed and tried to make ii
respectable. This was solely on ac-
count of the wealth that was behind it,
"Churches sanctioned it and some
of them even went so far as to call 1t
divine. and would prove by holy writ
that il was ordained by the great Je-
hovah himself But the great major
ity believed the system was vicious
ami odiuus and had tendency TO de
base mankind.
Treated No Better Than Brutes.
AS We recall those days we can
sec the poor, ignorant black man, an
enforced emigrant. an alien i'll for
cign land. standing daZed and Devil
dored. the central figure in Tho great
political arena. while the angry tumult
surged around him with no rights that
the white man was bound to respect,
occupying = position in society but
little above the brute. scantily clothed
ana f,d. with the slave pen and the
auction block looming up il the bach
ground. These are scenes that viii
live as long as life remains.
Now. my co.ored friends. as race
freed from slavery. you have done
remarkably well. You have had TO
meet conditions and race prejudice
which are hard to overcome and which
cannot be accomplished in Il day. bat
You have outIived those conditions in
any reasonable community. But you
can do Il great deal better: at least
some of you. for you all know better.
You should quit shooting craps. go
TO work and stick to il. You must
learn to acquire those staying quail
ties that make men of any race. StoT
your foolishness. throw away your
razors You don't need them. If You