Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-04-10
BOSTON LETTER.
Fast Day a Colonial Relic-- Why
Retain It2
The Proposed New Party--The
Dagos--Notes, Gossip, Etc.

nil. trust that this old commonwealth
will some day elect an executive who
will have the backbone to omit the day
from the calendar, and thus relcgate it
to the shades of oblivion No one be-
lieves that there Is any necessity for it
at this unreasonable period of the year,
and nearly everybody would like to see
it dropped from the list of holidays.
In the early days of the colonists,
when their lives were constantly men
aced by hostile tribes of Indians,
1t was customary for the General Court
to summon all the clergymcn for miles
around and hold a day of fasting and
prayer. These days were of frequent
occurrence. and are often referred to in
the journal kept by Rev. Peter Thachcr
in 1869. This divine was called, with
others, several times during the year to
come TO Boston for this purpose, and
that there was firm belief in the cfii-
cacy of prayer IN those days is evderccd
by one entry in his Journal, under date
of January IL al was going TO Brain
tree TO Mr.. FiskeS. met
Mr., Torrey coming TO see me Il
Father Tucker, so | turned back
with him, and we came to our home and
drank cup of wine d. strong beer.
Father Tucker told me he did
verify believe he was the better for my
prayer, the day before, for the fever
presently left him, a. swelling of his
leg was down" Nov. Q was this entry
IL went to Boston, was at the fast of
the General Court & Elders, after the
service We eat bit of cake & drank a
glass of wine Nov. %: "Gcneral
fast throughout the colony" Jan. j:
"General Court had fast & the
elders" For my part, should have
more faith in the prayers of our colonial
rcvercnds if did not find such entries
as the following in the Journal referred
to: May. Z, 1879; Il bought an
Indian of Mr.. Checklcy aud was
to pay Is month after | had
received ncr and five pounds more in
quarter of a year" Aug, Is, 1879;
"Came home from fast of General
Court and found my Indian girl had
liked to have Knocked my Theodore
on head by letting her fall, whercupon.
| took good walnut stick ana beat the
Indian TO purpose, till she promised TO
do so no more. As our statesmen un-
der the gilded dome are cndeavoring 10
wipe out the property qualification of
the governor, why not at th1 same time
abolish the custom originating with our
devout forefathers, who drank rum,
dealt in human chatlclS, tasted and
prayed?
1t looks now aS though the Farmers
Alliance and kindred organizations in
terested in labor movements would nut
ticket in the field the coming fall as a
feeer for 1892. However desirable
the much talked of millennium may he,
! confess myself somewhat crelulous as
to the means employed to bring it
about. 1t Is next TO impossible in form
Ing new political parties TO keep them
out of the hands of dcmagogues
and professional agitators, and it
will BE matter for surprise il
the new political move does not ul-
timately share the fate of so many of
Its predecessors. Edward Bellamv has
already realized his dream Of the mill
ennium so enchantingly pictured in
looking Backward but the world
has yet TO learn of any intention or de-
sire on his part TO practically demon
strate the workings of the system of
cooperation, as explained to the resur-
rected Julian West by the myth
ical DIR. Leete, even on small
scale. Humanity is "tarred with
the same stick" and it is mighty hard
work TO convince the most Jealous adj
vocate of social economy that 'it is
more blessed to give than receive"
am not inclined to be pessimistic. |
believe the world is getting wiser and
better every day, and it is only through
the gradual growth of intelligence that
we can hope TO right existing wrongs.
One great stride, however, in bringing
about a better condition of things in this
country could be to restrict immigration
until such timc rs those already here
from foreign lands can be educated up
to that standard of citizenship essential
TO the perpetuity of republican institu-
tions, aud until something is accom-
plished in this direction there can be no
hope of permanent good resulting from
any political party.
The recall of Minister Fava by tho
ItnIta,, hno gnnp,nI a.,
no unusual stir here in Boston. out
side Of the Dago quarters in North
square. Of course the daily papers
have made the most Of it, and it would
be difficult to find newspaper man
here who is not either diplomat,
or capable of instructing those
at the head of the govern
mental affairs in regard TO the situa-
ton. There are rumors afloat that Sc
cret agents of the Malta have visited
this city within the past few days for
the purpose of enisting Italians in the
vendetti which it is said will shortly Wis.
it New Orleans to wreak vengeance
on the lynchers there, bui
| very much doubt their truth. Mca n,
while the Dago pursues the even tenor
of his way and finds congcnial employ
nent in "picking dc pape to makec de
mon," endeavoring to solve the inscru.
tible mysteries of the garbage barrel ol
collecting pennies "wid de mon-kay'
to the collicky accompaniment of thu
hand.organ.
While our suburban neigl bors were
getting heavy fall of snow by the re.