Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-07
EMANCIPATION OF
C0LORED RACE is
DULYCELEBRATED
Fiftieth Anniversary of Free
dom Observed With Pro-
gram at Exposition Park.
OVER 1000 ARE PRESENT
n. M. McCaskrIn Makes Principal Adj
dress-Deciares European War
viii Bring Liberty.

The colored people OF Rock Island.
| Moline. East Moline. Galesburg, Dav-
export. Muscatine and Clinton cele-
brated the 50th anniversary of the
emancipation of the negro in a fitting
manner at the Exposition park yester-
day afternoon and evening. The pic
MO was held for the benefit of the
TrtCity Colored Social Settlement
workers of Rock Island, and over
1000 people attended.
In the morning the Colored Ladies'
Concert Band Of Galesburg toured the
tricities in a special car. An old fash
toned barbecue dinner was enjoyed at
noon consisting of beef, lamb and
pork. The athletic program of races
was postponed in the afternoon.
Shortly after the supper hour 10
young ladies gave fancy exhibition
drill with tableaux and marching. The
ladies' band also gave a concert dur
ing the afternoon. Dancing was en-
joyed during the evening.
Progress of Race.
The speaking program planned for
the afternoon was postponed until
evening. Rev. B. Z. Butler of Aurora
gave an excellent address in which he
referred to the Tri-City Colored Social
Settlement of this city, which he and
Rev. w. H. Saunders established last
October and told of the good this
work was accomplishing. He men,
toned the European war situation,
lauding President Wilson for his offer
of mediation.
In Of he bo
ored race is making, he quoted the |
following statistics: Negro towns, So:
settlements, IA; brokers, 135; banks, !
1000; preachers, 10000; lawyers, |
employees. us; journalists, $50; en-
gineers, $50; librarians, 100; archi- |
tects and artists, 300; business men !
and women, 100000; manufacturers,
200; retail merchants, 10000; whole
sale merchants, 100; dressmakers,
$4,000; undertakers, 500; photograph
ers, 800; Y. NJ. c. A. bldgs., 40; dis
trict church denominations, II;
church edifices, 31,400; church value,
S44 100000; church members 5,2O7, 305.
McCaskrin Speaks.
H. NJ. McCaskrin also made an in
teresting address. He said in part:
THE people of the world are grow
ing better. Dead people never fight
battle. While peace has her victories
no less renowned than war you Will
find no victories IN grave yard. 1t
takes living, growing, ambitious, in
telligent aggressive people to win the
victories of peace and war Every
victory leaves the world better. 1t
may mean sacrifice and suffering, but
eternal vigilance, sacrifice and suf-
fering are the price of liberty. Every
war has its lesson. In nearly every
war the people have advanced the
cause of freedom.
THE revolutionary war gave us this
nation. The Civil war gave us free
dom for the black slave. Who can
tell where the eagle of liberty will be
when Europe ends its war? Here in
our land we are straining every nerve
% show Europe and to the world that ,
We are able to govern ourselves, with
out kings, without caars, without :
princes or potentates. We, the people
ire our own masters. We have gov
erned ourselves. With intelligence,
We can govern ourselves. In war or :
'eace we have kept our flag in the
ky, with our object in view and that
o advance the cause of liberty.
War Means Liberty.
mo one can tell what will be the =
'esult of the European war today. {
But l am going to predict that when
hose nations get through fighting
here will be heroes made History 2
viii record the painful bloody steps ,
4 freedom and liberty. Every pang ;