Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-16
CHAPTER KIN.
An ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

TIME day following Bivens' offer
to Stuart was made memorable
by a sinister event IN Union
square mass meeting of
the unemployed had been called to
protest against their wrongs and par
ticularly 70 denounce the men who had
advanced the price OF bread by Great
ing corner in wheat
On bis way down town Stuart read
with establishment that Dr. WOodman
would preside over this gathering. He
determined 10 20. As be hurried through
the routine work Of his Office. giving
his orders for the day. he received a
telephone call from Nan. asking him
10 accompany her to this meeting.
II don't tlink Won ought to go" be
answered emphatically. There might
be a riot"
I'm not afraid"
And you might hear some very
plain talk about your husband"
That's exactly why 1 wish TO go!
I'll send one OF my cars to the office
for you Immediately"
An hour later when Stuart. seated
by Mans side. reached Onion square.
the automobile was stopped by the po-
lice and turned into Seventeenth street.
Every inch Of space in the square
seemed blocked by solid mass OF mo-
tionless humanity Stuart left the car
! in Seventeenth street and succeeded
! finally In forcing a way through the
crowd TO a position within a hundred
feet OF the rude platform that bad
been erected for the orators The
( scene about the stand bristled with DO
licemen.
. Besides the special detail OF pickeG
men who moved about the stand. o.
I. casionally clubbing an iuOrensive man.
( a battalion OF 300 reserves was drawn
Up In serried lines about hundred
yards to the north on the edge OF
Fourth avenue Between these re-
serves and the crowd about the stand
an open space was Kept clear for their
E possible assault in case OF any dis
( turbance.
When the speaking began stuart
pressed his way as close as possible,
drawing Nan with him. He was as
tonlshed at the genuine eloquence and
power with which the first speaker.
! evidently OF auarchiStic leanings de-
veloped his theme. a passionate plea
for freedom and the highest develop
ment OF the individual man. His con
Guiding sentences reused his crowd TO
pitch OF wild enthusiasm
''In the old world. from which your
fathers and mothers fed 10 search Of
freedom. men enslaved their fellow
men by becoming lords. dukes or
kings. numbering or poisoning their way
70 a castle or a throne. The meth
DDS OF your modern masters are more
subtle and successful You vote TO
make them your masters. and still
ipagtne that you are free"
A cheer like the roar Of an angry sea
swept the crowd Again and again II
rose aud fell. increasing IN volume as
its contagious spirit set fire to the rest
less minds OF the thousands who had
packed the square. but could not hear
the man who WAS voicinE their faith.
In the deep roar OF their cheers there
was no soddeu despair. AS Stuart
looked into the faces OF the crowd be
saw NO trace OF the degeneracy and loss
OF elemental manhood which make
the sight OF a European mob loath-
some and hopeless. These men were
stlli men. the might OF freemen in their
souls and good right arms.
When the last echoes Of the cheers
had died away there was a stir near
the stand and Stuart saw the stalwart
figure OF DIR. Woodman suddenly rise.
He lifted his arm over the crowd. de
manding silence.
The doctor plunged at once into the
message with which his heart was
quiverlng:
let no man tell you. my friends
that the God or our fathers is a myth
You can't lose faith in God becau
you have not lost faith In eternal jus
dee This faith Is just coming into
conscious existence in the hearts OF
millions. BY this sign we know that q
Lew age Is born. Poets and artists nc
longer gaze into heaven. Their eyes
are fixed on earth Men have ceased
20 long for another world. therefore
their hope rs now for this one. To brinl
justice and beauty 10 pass on this
earth IN wisdom and fearlessness oi
death-this Is the new creed OF the
people!
My friends. the workiugman OF to
day lives better than the kings OF the
middle ages. Have patience, ms
friends, the worElngman OF tomorrow
will be- the heir OF all the knowledge
of all the pain aud all the glory of the
centuries. We should not be so i'm
patient. We should not be discouraged
The progress Of the world has really
Just begun. And so |. who watch the
darkness pass and see the eastern ski
begin to glow cry % you who may
still be below: BE OF good cheer. tn,
day dawnsF"
feeble cheer rose from the hun
ored OF mere who knew the dOctO,