Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-18
FIVE NATIONS IN
SALUTE TO FLAG.
Newly Naturahzed Citizens in
Celebration at the County
Building.
SING PATRIOTIC SONGS
Instructive Addresses Are Delivered
by Judges w. HI. Gest and
+. G. Graves.

GU OuI ldSI evening 10
attend the reception in their honor at
the court house under the direction Of
Circuit Clerk G. w. Gamble. This was
considered a very good attendance, as
there are probably less than hundred
newly naturalized in this city and Mo
| line Since the new laws went into
effect in 1906 there have been III GER
tif1cates of final papers issued, and the
holders of about a dozen of these faAl-
ed to qualify, so there has in reality
been about 100 foreigners naturalized
In the past three years.
First Reception Held.
The idea Of holding a reception to
welcome the newcomers to the ranks
of American citizenship was not orig
inal with Mr.. Gamble, but he deserves
credit as being the promoter of the
first such meeting. The matter has
been discussed in Chicago and other
large cities, where prominent men have
expressed the opinion that the cere-
mony of making citizens of our erst-
while foreigners was not nearly enough
to give the newcomer an idea of the
dignity being conferred upon him. 1t
was for this purpose that the reception
was given last evening. Among those
present were natives of Sweden, Bel
GUM. Denmark, Norway, England, and
in fact practically every one of the
old countries. Last night, however,
they were all Americans, and they
closed the meeting with three lusty
cheers for the stars and stripes, the
flag of their adopted country.
Circuit Judges Speak.
The program for the reception as ar
ranged by the circuit clerk included a
number of patriotic songs by a quin-
tet of men and addresses by Hon. w.
H. Gest of this city and Hon. E c.
Graves of Geneseo, the presiding judges
on the circuit bench here. The sing
ers were T. NJ. Wheelock, ]. B. Sim
mons, w. A. PAIL. A. A Ellison and J.
A. Johnson. and Frank Friestat accom-
panied them on the piano. Three Sc
lections were sung, THE Star Spangled
Banner" Illinois" and America
Judge Gest was the first speaker on
the evenings program. He opened by
telling the new citizens of the pride
he always felt in his native land and
his native state. He said he did not
expect the American citizens who were
born in foreign countries to completely
forget their native lands, their native
tongues and customs, but it was their
duty as citizens of this great country
to transfer their patriotism to the
United States and to remember that
upon taking out final papers that they
owed their allegiance to the United
States. The judge told of some of the
beauties of their adopted country. in
Guiding among these the mountains
which are on the east and the west. the
long rivers, the great lakes, the for
ests and the plains, and, over ALL
free people who are causing the coun-
try TO make wonderful strides in
growth and advancement along every
line.
One Great Law:
The speaker said that at the bottom
of all this growth and prosperity was
one law-the greatest law known to
mankind-the law expressed so en-
phatically in the declaration of indie
pendence, which says that all men
are created free and equal" Here we
have a great, grand empire, said Judge
Gest, but where is the emperor?
There is none. or. rather. every man
is an emperor There is no class
which rules and no class which is
ruled. Every citizen is a ruler who
rules through the men he places in /
office"
The Judge exhorted his hearers to |
educate themselves in regard to their /
adopted country so that their worth as /
citizens of it be increased. He advis- /
ed them to study history, TO be good .
men, and to exercise the right of the |
ballot, but under no circumstances to .
sell the franchise He closed by ex-
pressing a hope that the time will /
come when there will be a law to COM
pei every man to vote at every cleo
ion
Brains Count in United States.
Judge Graves expressed his pride in
he state of Illinois. which he said was
IN adopted state for him, inasmuch as
lie is a native of New York. He told
he erstwhile foreigners that there was
10 reason why they could not feel the
same pride and love for their adopted
country as he had for his adopted
state.
He launched into an explanation of
ne ethics of naturalization, and ex-
claimed the reason why foreigners were
flowed to become citizens with all the
lights and privileges of the native
'orn. There were some requirements
xacted from the applicant fo- citizen
hip, however, and the judge enlarged
N these. Intelligence" he said, 'is
he basis on which men are rated in
his country, not BIRTH
The judge expanded on this subject
nd drew a vivid picture, comparing
he conditions of the ordinary man in
his country with the same in the old
ountries. He touched upon the sub