The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-01-08

izen and still thanks Philadelphia for his
| life, | refertO Col. and eXGOv. Samuel E.
| Pingree of Vermont.
| The soldiers used to talk over their camp
| fires and on their marches about the way
Philadelphia treated them. We did not
| compare this city with any other in this re-
spect, for we never mentioned any other in
The same connection The Yankee boys
used to say that those ''Filadlfy" Quakers
might be opposed to war, but they had a
queer way of showing it, for every regl-
ment that came through here had double
the pluck and fight as the result of your
hospitality. 1t made us feel as though we
had indeed country worth fighting for.
You may be sure that many brave soldier
from the far North has with his parting
breath blest Philadelphia, and that many
of the living at their reunions recall with
full hearts and mOistening eyes the .gener-
GUS treatment they received at your hands,
You grandly 0beyed the injunction of our
Quaker poet-the poet of the New England
home and hearthstone, of lake and river
and mountain
"And we may tread the sick bed floors,
Where strong men pine;
And down the grOaning corridors
Pour freely from our liberal stores
The oil and wine"
| thank you for your reception tonight,
but thank you a thousand times more in
behalf of my comrades for their receptions
and banquets of the past.
Your president has referred to the war
department. | do not see what bearing
that has in a gathering in honor of our Pill
grim fathers, unless it is the reason that
one of the first things they did after they
had landed was to organize war depart
ment and put Capt. Miles Standsh at the
head of it. We have not improved very
much upon their work. We have ever since
been fighting the same native race that they
did and in much the same manner.
Your president has also referred to the
representation of Vermont in the United
States Senate. The two grand men who
have, for quarter of century, sat in that
body for Vermont are worthy successors of
Prentice and Collamer, Phelps and Foote,
and an uninterrupted line of able and pure
men. In creed one is EpiscOpalian and one
Unitarian, but in faith and purpose both
are Puritan to the marrow. We might
safely challenge comparison with the sena-
torial delegation of any other State to show
so important constructive legislation as has
been formulated and carried though by
these two strong and true sons OF Vermont
Long may they live to serve and honor their
State and our common country. Through
my predecessor felt compelled for personal
reasons to surrender his official trust, you
all know that he is not the man to ever lose
his interest or cease his labor for the public
welfare.
We may justly claim for Vermont that
no other State so purely represents the old
New England blood and stock. Settled as
it was originally by good families from
and Connecticut, we have
been freer from outside admixture than any
other of the New England States. 1t is
true that Vermont, in common with all New
England, has many sons in other fields. We
are sorry to have them leave, but we wish
them success wherever they go. We are
glad to have them return as they are now
doing more than ever before. But they
rarely return as prOdigal sons, in fact the
are Oftener reversed. They have |
enjoyed richer pastures than ours, and they |
bring back the fatted calf with them and |
ask ms to pgrtake. But however they come |
they may be sure of a hearty welcome to |
the old home.
You may have heard of abandoned farms |
in Vermont There was never much good |
for the cry, and | am glad to say |
that there is already a great change for the |
better. Fewer are leaving the StaUe, more |
who have left are. returning and there is a |
great increase of confidence in the future, /
and a well-grOunded belief that we are |
entering a new era of prosperity. The /
seeming depression in the past has been, not /
because the soil was not good. FOR it is, but