Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-05-31
LIBRARY TURNED
over TO COLLEGE
and Friends Cele-
brate Completion and De-
livery of Denkmann Gift.
| IMPRESSIVE EXERCISES
Entire Day Is Given Over at Instr
tuition to Celebration of the
Event.

The first session of the dedicatory
exercises OF the Denkmann Memorial
library took place in Augustana col
lege chapel at 10 o'clock this morn
ing with DR.. c. E. Lindberg presid-
ing. Music was furnished by the
Augustana military band, Professor
Peter johnson at the organ, and
Messrs. Tage and Yngve Joranson in
a duet.
After the reading of scripture and
prayer by Rev. F. o. Hanson of
Galesburg Mayor Harry NJ. Schriver
rendered official greetings to the in
stitution from the city of Rock Is
land, stating that not only the col
lege but also the city should be con-
graduated upon the acquisition of
such a building.
DR.. Edward T. Horn, pastor of the
Trinity Lutheran church at Reading,
Pa, and president of the Pennsyl-
| vania ministerium, one of the largest
Lutheran synods in America, deliv-
cred the principal address upon the
subject, The Library in a Church
School" He brought out the rise
of the Swedish-Americans in this
country and the necessity for good
Libraries in church schools in this
age of new learning, naturalism and
socialism. so as to train men who
think. He said in part:
xx-nnE-
The magnificent building we are
about to dedicate shows that the col
lege and seminary have but begun
their work, and gives promise of the
future. The work that has been
done at Augustana is the work of
Swedish men, and I compare it SYM
pathetically with the work and call
ing of the Pennsylvania Germans.
You have, however accomplished in
so years what it has taken us 200
to effect. But in these 200 years
our forefathers have been here their
blood has proved stronger than that
of those they lived among. They
have preserved their identity and
their popularity; and now their Ian
guage is dying out. and they are
merging into this great American
people, which owes so much to other
elements than the Anglo-Saxon.
You brought your pastors along;
you came into country with larger
opportunities, arriving at, too, thu
crest of a great immigration. Or
thing has marked you and us alike
we never have been content to for
get or cast aside that which is our
own-the traditions and faith of our
fathers.
INTO NATIONAL LIFE.
THE stage which our educational
work has reached betokens the COM
pletion of this preparation and our
emergence into the national life OF
the American people as distinct
and responsible element. 1t is sig
nalized by the erection and dedica-
ton of this great library. A library
is a storehouse of the thought of all
times, and a clearing house for the
thought of our own times.
The tone of the intellectual life
of our time is not in harmony with
the traditional character of our peo-
pie or our church. The intellectual
life of our time is very like that of
the TthudISSduNe anu II Is
by heather philosophy and what is
called the scientific spirit. which
measures and limits every thing by
experiment The burden of modern
university teaching and modern lit
erature is. naturalism.
Lutheran spirit is devoutly con-
sentative. The main problems which
we will have TO meet are exegetical
and practical; and the application of
the word of God to new and pressing
needs in the life of man. We are
compelled to examine our system of
belief in the light of modern discov-
cry and with improved methods of
proof.
FORCES SWEEPING WORLD.
Lutheran teachers have not been
unfruitfuI in the field of ethics. We
have to meet not only those processes
of social dissolution which are Pc
culiar to a new country but those
forces which under the Impulse of
the new learning are sweeping over
the whole world. Religion today is
decried as hebToism. Men spread
out their arms in the air of a new
freedom. Conscience is confused.
The family was the unit of the for
mer ethic, but now the family seems
to be doomed. Socialism is pro-
claimed as the new gospel, promis-
ing all earthly happiness and claim
ing TO say the final word in the de-
velopment of society.
"In the conflicts of labor and cap
ital. of poverty and wealth, the
angry debate of those who cIamor
for an equal division. for an average
of happiness, for a general level of
condition and opportunity, may we
not now TO bear one another's bur-
dens, and so fulfill the law OF
Christ ?"
PROCESSION TO LIBRARY.
Headed by DR.. Gustav Andreen, |
president of Augustana, and Dr. L. |
A. Johnston, president of the board I
Of directors, the procession. compos- /
~