Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-01
SILENT TOAST is
CLIMAX To GREAT
: KNIGHTS SPREAD
Twelve Hundred h. of C. and Guests
Take Part in Feast Preceding Open
ing of Supreme Convention.
HELD AT DAVENPORT COLISEUM
Patriotism and Religious federation
Keynote Of Business
Sessions Are Begun.

After a silent toast TO the president
NJ the United States. 1000 Knights of
Columbus and their guests gathered
al the fourth degree banquet at the
Davenport coliseum last evening,
broke into tumultous cheering The
toast was given standing and came as
the dramatic climax to the evenings
proceedings. IL was proposed by Fed
eral Judge NJ. J. Wade of Iowa City as
the anal words of the peroration with
which he concluded a stirring address,
the fnal one of program permeated
with patriotism. The response brought
10 a close the days program in con-
nection with the exemplification Of the
fourth degree preceding the official op-
ening of the supreme convention OF
the order in Davenport today. Lee ]
Dougherty OF Davenport, master of
the fourth degree for Iowa, presided as
POSTMASTER.
Forgetting creed and lodge, Judge
Wade with dramatic oratory. dealt
with patriotism. His subject was The
Constitution In reality, however, it
was Human Government" Beautiful
were his word painted pictures Won
derful were his climaXes.
Europe today is engaged in the
most awful conflict the world has ever
seen" said Judge Wade. "Out there
on the battlefelds of France men are
lighting and dying. Not last month or
yesterday. but tonight! Yes. tonight
they are dying under the stars,
War Ends All Differences.
What a wonderful picture of patri-
otism! They are forgetting all differ
ences-religious and social All have
wended away. The socialist and dem
ocrat. the Catholic and Protestant, the
Lutheran minister and Catholic priest,
are marching side by side to the valley
OF death.
What a wonderful thing when a ma
ton has such a spirit of patriotism, l
tell you friends, this awful conflict is
making men think like they never did
before of human government. Men of
America are thinking as they never
thought before. You went through the
ceremonial today and pledged your
faith anew TO your country. After all
there is in this country a splendid
spirit of Americanism.
We may differ socially or in creeds,
but every man and son would join the
colors, shoulder to shoulder, if this
country called him. There wouldn't
be any religious intolerance then. The
SuuJtNt VI SONGI LllACAt COIA-
mands our attention.
Freedom of speech-freedom of re
Hgious workers-think of it. And re
gardless. we would rise as a solid
body, behind the man who was chosen.
We may feel that he was making a
mistake, but America would stand be-
hind him,
We have always stood behind
president of the United States. When
Lincoln called they heard his voice.
When Mckinley called the American
people stood behind him.
And now. before the close of the
evening, | want 10 ask you to rise and
drink a silent toast to the president of
the United States"
Supreme Knight Flaherty Absent.
Owing TO illness Supreme Knight
James Flaherty was confined TO his
room at the Blackhawk hotel.
Martin H. CarmOdy, deputy supreme
knight, spoke for Mr.. Flaherty. MIR.
Carmody stated that Supreme Knight
Flaherty had been seriously indiSpoSed
for the last few days and that il was
thought best that he remain at the no
tel in order that he might preside over
the deliberations of the supreme con-
vention during the next few days.
The banquet doors were thrown
open at Z O'Clock, the dinner lasting
until $50 when the Choral club sang
two selections. "Comrade Song" by
Billiard. and The Star Spangled Ban
ner." The great crowd arose and
cheered. Only one-third of the club
was present Parnell Egan, the Chi
cago tenor, singing later on the pro-
gram, made good the claim that he is a
second John Mccormick. He was en-
received. Somewhere a
Voice Is Calling" by Tate, "Duna" by
McGill and Ills But a Shamrock
the selections he sang. The
last mentioned is by Erwin SwindeH
Of Davenport, who furnished the &C
The first number of the
program. knights Of Columbus"
march by the band, is also a compost
ton by Mr. Swindell.
Service Is without Flaw.
"A notable feature of the evening was
the splendid service received by the
knights at the banquet. The serving
of the dinner was supervised by w. +.
Miller of the Hotel Blackhawk.
The decorations were unique.
Striped Japanese lanterns OF purple.
pink, red, white and blue, hung from
the ceiling Of the coliseum. The