Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-05

has been Characteristic of US from the
very first-not only the birthright of
our own children, but a gift also to
the foreign born. Our earliest pio-
neers were from beyond the sea, and
a large proportion of them of alien
blood. Spaniard and Swede. Dutch,
German and French plunged into the
forests of the new world, explored IN
known rivers and lakes. and built
homes in the heart of the wilderness.
They were of adventurous blood. or
they would never have come: their
children, born in hardship and amid
peril, were naturally Of the same
hardy stock. They possessed the
same spirit of venture, the same ply
steal strength, the same independence,
and love of land. In pressing sternly
forward they merely followed the in
stincts of their nature, taking the path
of least resistance. Free land, cheap
land, home of their own, was the
real magnet which drew them for
ward. This is no sordid thought, no
unworthy motive. The real freeman
has always been the one who possess
ed his own property. The pioneer has
always realized this fact; il has been
the secret of his labor, his enterprise,
his hope. Here is the true foundation
stone for all patriotism. Under such
an inspiration these iron-willed men
surged westward, generation after
generation in great human waves.
They reached the Alleghanies and the
Blue Ridge; they found the passes,
and plunged forth into those vast
woodlands beyond. They f1oated
down the rivers. and skirted the
shores of the lakes, to the prairie
! lands, and claimed their own. They
/ fought for what they took, and held it.
They battled savagery with the rife
and conquered nature with the axe
and pillow. They were not uncommon
men, but men with a specific work 10
do. They represented something
which has been in the human race
from the very hour of its birth; which
will remain with US forever. They
were not a class separate from theil
fellows-they only composed part Of
that great chain stretching back tC
the steppes of Asia, and the outpour
ing of the Ayrians into European val
legs; of a great chain which shall
stretch on, and on, so long as there
Is a rod Of land unconquered, or Z
thought unknown.
OUR GRANDFATHERs.
After these came our grandfathers
and our fathers, bridging the Missis
sippi and the Missouri; treking across
the great plains, and gazing fortl
J over the broad Pacific. These wer
= men worthy of remembrance; we ma.
we'll be proud that We know som
= among them; that we saw them a
. their mighty work; that their bloo
flows in our veins. Their battles wer
? fought to no stirring bugle call; n
p gay flags fiuttered along their &C
: vance; no cheering multitudes CAV
, them courage. Alone, and in silence
! amid grim desolation, and in the pres
a ence of death, they lived and toile
J and died. Yet they were only men, n
3 more. They were of all kinds, a
; classes, all conditions; educated and III
J. tuuNdAtis III uldA anu Sthll0s SAlOl
L and weak There is no need for m
\ TO glorify them now with unstinte
), praise. They did their work, fougI
). their fight, and passed on. But tn
y soul, that which made of such q
] these masters of the wilderness, di
q not die; was not buried in their sea
t tered graves. That is as alive toda
d a ever it was; and so long as me
s live, and throb with hope, and ami
n ton, that soul will give new birth {
e pioneers, and send forth those WI
v will conquer the unknown. 1t is
y our blood, an inheritance of our rae
4. part of our destiny. Every gener
e ton will produce its scouts, its tn
g line of skirmishers, pressing forwal
10 discover a way for the great arm
of behind; adventurous feet will tres
ID the unbroken wilderness of endeavo
e adventurous eyes will look out ov
k, unknown seas. Then, back from tn
ID far frontier, the traveller will return
tell his tale of wonder. The water
re the sky, the earth will be challeng,
1e for the secrets; mysteries will be u
II GONtitus lIuilA ItNtdlCus anu lle II
pc of the multitude bettered by the de-
re ing of the few.
to The one and only thought which
Id seek to leave with you tonight is thi
e, The spirit of the pioneer is not
a mere physical thing. 1t has no nec'
re sary relationship with the blowing
ly the prairie sod or the ring of t
nj
ey has lived in a city attic, and breath
Is factory smoke. Thought sweeps
It, in advance of action. and the drea
IS. comes before the reality. They tell
er- today there is no longer a fronti
lie They take me into the far southwe
to the far northwest; they say, here
lis your last glimpse of the old frontie