The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-05-17


Vermont's favorite sons, and which was a
source OF pride and qualification to all who
heard it. Following is only brief abstract
GOVERNOR DILLINGHAM; ADDRESS.
Governor Dillingham; spoke without notes,
and there is no printed report of his speech
His address was a survey of the elements
Of the Vermont character. a strong indi-
vidualism was its most conspicuous trait
trait that was essentially American, but
was most pronounced in the Vermonter
Vermonters had gone to all parts of the ma
ton. They had maintained in their adopted
homes their sturdy individuality, and had
been leading factors in the growth and
prosperity of every community to which
they had joined themselves. Chicago itself
was not the product of an organized force,
but of the aggregation of individual effort
Vermont and Kentucky the first states adj
mitted to the Union, had sent to Illinois,
the former a. Douglas, the latter Lincoln,
and each in his own way and along his own
lines had begun and worked out his indi-
vidual career Spanish civilization four
hundred years ago was Mohammedan. Eng
fish civilization was dominated by forces
that, as in Spain under the inqusition,
stamped out and repressed individual
thought and action, but the spirit of indi-
vidualism was moving among the people.
The revolt of the Netherlands was its prod
uct. The evolution of the Puritan grew
from the assertion Of individual beliefs and
rights; the Netherlands afforded the Pur-
itans shelter and thence they sailed away to
transplant in the new world of Columbus
discovery the principles of personal liberty
and personal independence in matters Of
conscience that they in England and, be-
fore them, Martin Luther in Germany, al
most contemporaneously with the discov-
On this continent the individual de-
veloped He produced the American Rev
olution He settled Vermont and in that
green land of the mountain and the flood"
the individuality of the citizen reached its
strongest and most marked development
1t made Vermont's early history. 1t
founded the purest democracy the world
has ever known and it has maintained that
democracy in all its purity. Vermonters
have gone forth to all quarters of the ma
ton They have carried their democracy
with them and have been the leaven that
has leavened the whole lump of citizenship
wherever they have established themselves.
They remember the mother state. They
are proud of her and intensely loyal to her,
and to-day the mother state has built this
house and dedicated it to the use of her
children everywhere, that they may have
place to meet and greet their kindred who
come from the old hearthstone or that
assemble here from the four quarters of the
nation.
The above is brief and exceedingly
crude synopsis of an address characterized
by all the orators fervor of expression,
wealth of diction and depth and richness of
thought and conception. The reporter sor-
rows with great sorrow that the material
for an extended report of this speech is not
in existence and is not procurable
The ceremonies concluded with a trip
around the buildings in which Vermont has
exhibits. The natives and residents of the
state which bearsson its shield the single
star, the pine and does head have no reason
to be ashamed of their building, cut OF
which appears at the head of this column
In the way of architecture 1t shows no ex-
and, with the exception OF some
of the furnishings which were purchased in
Chicago, the material of which it is con-
structed was taken from Vermont, The
floors are of Rutland marble, the tling is
from Swanton, and the handsome marble
is surmounted by decorations fur
nished by Mrs, Dana of New Haven. A
fine oil portrait of Senator Morrill, is the only
painting that was in the building at the
time of It's dedication. The purpose of the
building is 10 furnish a resting place and
state home for visitors to the fair from YER
mont, and for that it is admirably adapted.