The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-04
Frederick Haskin's [ etter
Of
When Disarmament Worked.

the king. why. man. you bs,
bought them of me alreadyi" -
"Yes, l know l have. and -.
dear rate, too; but | did il onk
get thy good will. net that thong
thou hadst any right to the lana
The interesting fact about PEND
experiment is that for nearly a ceT
fury it actually worked. The al
kers established themselves in M
land in the belief that the IndS6
were by nature trusting and fra
". and according to the historS
they were justified.
The Indians were used TO prom
ises of justice from the white me
but they were not used to the prof
! ises being kept. Penn hetaG
known among the Indians as al
one white chief who kept faith vii
the red men. It is recorded tbs
the Indian tribes became so friend
ly with PENIS settlers that Chi
dren who were lost in the wood
around Philadelphia were commol
ly directed to their homes by al
Indians.
The old story of the latchstri6
told in many Quaker chronicles
illustrated in one of Miss Oakle
mural paintings. The latchstrif
was left outside at night by FrieE
as a sign of welcome to anyd
who might be passing. On one o.
casion a band OF Indians on Il
| warpath stopped at d Quaker hou
and finding the door uufastend
and the Quaker and his wife stand
ing with smiles and a greeting d
side, they retreated quietly.
PENIS Arbitration System,
Penn settled disputes betwee
white settlers and Indians By \
jury of six settlers and six IndianI
which proved satisfactory to aI
concerned. All through the year
when the Quaker government IA
in effect. there is record OF onI
! three Friends being injured in ID
conflicts between the white me
! and the Indians. 1t is recorde
that these three. a woman and ta
men, lost their faith and sought Il
protection of forts and arms.
The Quaker colonists prdgt
equal to the high standard of peal
seeking Sc. by Penn. But outsidei
who came into the settlemes
| brought weapons and tricker
They had trouble with the Indian.
Penn did not attempt to limit hi
peaceful community to Quaker
and the number of outsiders greV
When there were more of the o.
siders than Quakers. and the ideS
of the Friends were no longer
dominant force in the cOmmuni(
the control was turned over to u
majority element. Swords and gut
came into general use. The hoI
experiment was over.
To most of US who remembe
William Penn as a dignitied oil
man who made friends with tn
Indians it is interesting to reCa
that he was one of the most daTiu
and far-seeing pioneers Of our'hi
tory. To Benjamin Franklin is &c,
orally accorded the honor Of beit
the first to suggest union Of u
American colonies. But Penn
writings set forth this proposal
then radical one. b
Penn is also said to be the fE
to suggest a parliament Of natiql
Back in 1893 he described an y
ganization which was to be som,
thing like The Hague tribunal or
modern international conference,
which men of different nations we,
to gather to discuss their diff
ences and plan for their mqfua
advantage. >
1t took almost another CentuI
for the colonies to come to III
idea OF union. Two Centuri5
elapsed before international comic
ences became popular II may B
longer before Penn's ideal Of peac
is achieved. That It will be acAieT
ed is steadfastly held by those wh
have faith in Penn as sage an
prophet.