Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-21
ALTERATION FOR
APRIL IS ADVISED
n. q A. Andreen Asks Illinois Gel.
,eses 10 Celebrate Centennial
in the Spring.
srxps OFT LETTER on SUBJECT
n.c,srcs Of Three Dates for Observ.
ancc the First Is Best for the
Higher Schools.

celebration on April Is. 1918 of the
.sn,eunial of the admission of the
.,.,o If Illinois into The union is rec
amended by President G. A. Andreen
- aueustana college in general let
-, bejng sent out 10 the presidents OF
III Illinois colleges.
president Andreen in dispatching
40 letter is acting in his capacity as
.ras,deut OF the Association of ILL
,o,s colleges and the recommendation.
,serefore. unless ii meets with serious
'A,ection. will doubtless mean the set
NO aside of this date by all the insti-
,n,ions OF the association.
Anrll IS is the date Of the passage
=. ,he "enabling act passed by con-
.,ess which opened the way for the
sdmission of the state. 1t is one Of
three possible dates for celebration,
M, inasmuch as Aug. 26. one Of the
otbers. comes during the summer va
atom and Dec 3 at one of the busiest
INES of the year, April is was con-
sdered the best date for college
+ celebration.
celebration will doubtless consist OF
holiday and appropriate exercises
commemorative of the admission of
the state.
The text of the letter sent out to the
presidents Of the Illinois colleges is
as follows:
AT the annual meeting of the AssO-
e;ation of Illinois Colleges at Decatur,
representative of the Illinois CEN
.ennial commission urged the colleges
10 make special arrangements for the
Celebration of the Tooth anniversary
If the admission of the state of Illi-
nois into the union. In accordance
with this recommendation and the SEN
tments expressed by the members of
the Association of Illinois Colleges,
hereby, as president of this associa-
tim. desire to recommend to you that
during the college term a special day
he set aside as holiday for the proper
and patriotic celebration of the Tooth
anniversary of the admission of Hi
no;s into the union as d sovereign
state.
There are three dates which stand
out as of special Importance in this
celebration, namely, April IS, 1918,
when the enabling act became law. To
use the words of the bill itself, it was
Intended to enable the people Of Hi
nois territory to form constitution
and state government for the admis-
sion of such state into the union on an
equal footing with the original states.
The second date is Aug 26, 1918, when
| - a1nnf
cd by the constitutional convention,
which had held its sessions in the old
/ town of Kaskaskia from Aug. 8 until
Aug. IS, when the final vote on the
constitution as whole was taken
This constitution has many admirable
features in addition to its pronounce
nent against slavery. This date Will
be celebrated at Springfield. Ill. on
the state fair grounds, in which eel
ebration all colleges as well as other
Illinois institutions are invited to take
part by having an historical and edu-
cational display of the various insti'
tutions; no doubt all our colleges will
take part in this display. The third
date is Dec 3. 1918, when the presi-
dent signed the act passed by con
gress admitting Illinois as state In
the union, after which the representa-
tves from Illinois Immediately. tool
their seats in congress.
/ Suggests April 49,
"0f these three dates april IS, Aug
Is and Dec 81, two come when oul
colleges are in session, namely, Apri
Is and Dec 3
"0ne of these, then, should be cho
sen as the most suitable for the Hi
nois centennial celebration at our edu
eational institutions. After havin,
talked this matter over with severa
members Of our association, | hereb.
recommend that the colleges of Hi
nois set aside April IS. 1918, as holi
DAY, with the purpose of celebrating
this Tooth anniversary in order t
stimulate and strengthen the patriot
ism of our youth and to lead them T
become more thoroughly conversan
with the splendid history of our state
4 also recommend that the college AL
horties in each place cooperate wit
ne local committee so that the cele
ration may be joint one of colleg
md city and thereby become all tn
more impressive. The anniversary vii
iurely also be cOmmemOrated in con