The Newtown bee., 1893-07-14
NEW PRESTON HILL.
THE GREAT CELEBRATION,

] The exercises cn the Fourth were car
 ried out in accordance with the plans of the good people on the Hill and vicinity. One or two criticisms might be made with profit. An effort should be made to have all speaking done in the daytime. When evening comes and the boys meet here,
 there is sure to be great commotion
 with firecrackers, pistols, etc. It was so this Fourth and the effectiveness of the literary exercises was marled by the noise. It would be well, therefore, in the future to take care to confine speak ing to the morning and afternoon.
 The lady who spoke in the morning gave very interesting address. Her re- marks bore generally upon the liquor l question, as she was here to speak for the w. c. T. U. In the evening the ex- ercises were, prayer by Rev Mir Braman, address by Rev MT Luddington and one ] by Rev MT Alcott.
 MT Luddington gave a very patriotic address and spoke of the curse of intem- perance and the great need of personal effort in the work of saving men from the slavery of sin and drink. He was urgent on the point of active Christian effort in the work of making Christianity practical and effective. Rev Mir Alcott had longer address, as he expected to be the only speaker on the occasion. In his speech he dwelt upon character as the basis of genuine patriotism. Upon the great importance of the position which country people held with regard to the people of cities, since cities must depend upon the fresh blood of the boys and girls from the farm for existence. Upon the public school question and up- on venal voting at elections. He deplor- ed the efforts to undermine the public school system; alleged that the paroch~ ial system which is advocated has been tried in various countries, both Pro- testant and Roman Catholic, and found wanting, since nearly all states or coun- tries where the secular and religious ed- ucation of the young have been pursued together have given up the system and are establishing state or public schools, modelled after our public schools in place of the other method of education. He deplored the establishment of paroch- ial schools, since if the various denomi- nations were to set up denominational schools, our grand public school system would be destroyed and there would be to take it's place, a lot of narrow denomi- national schools, poorly equipped and poorly attended. He admitted the right of denominations to provide their own schools, if they cared to support them, but doubted the wisdom of the course
 He intimated that should the Catholic movement to extend the parochial school system be very generally successful, the country would have the spectacle of two antagonistic school systems, the one SUD- ported by the Catholics, the other the Protestants. And this, he said, was a result to be deplored very much. He was fair in his treatment of the subject No one could be hurt by the address. But he strenuously insisted upon the preser- vation of the public school system. If 1t is necessary, he said, let the Bible go from the schools; compromise with the citizens of the Roman Catholic faith. By all means, preserve the schools in their integrity, supported by all alike and clear ed of everything that would offend any denomination. And then he urged the necessity of making the homes and Sun day schools the center of religious in struction. He closed by dwelling briefly upon the purchase of venal voting in this state, since about II per cent of Connec- tieut voters were willing to sell their franchise. He closed with an exhorta- tion to the people to strive to make the elections of our country and state pure and incorruptible.
 John Mitchell, who runs the Dea Patterson place on New Preston Hill. has put in three acres of tobacco, this year. He also raises four acres of corn and an acre and half of potatoes. He is one of the patrons of Ford's Marble dale creamery. The Dea Patterson farm comprises about 250 acres.
 Mrs Fred Griswold of Bristol is a I guest at the home of John Mitchell.
 Joseph T. Whittlesey of Danbury, spent last week at the home of V. B. Hatch of Lanesville.
 Miss Campbell, who assisted in arrang-