The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-06-17

of common Anglo-Saxon stock. There
could hardly be a greater calamity for
civilization than war between the Unit
ed States and England. Men who have
any true regard for the good of the
world will do what lies in their power
to make and keep a good understand
iEg between the two great English
speaking nations.
We win hold in honored remembrance
the fathers who fought for and won our
independence. They served well their
own people, the modern world and Eng
land herself. For England in friendly
trade with the United States has been
more profited than ever she could have
been by disaffected colonies, held I'M
der the old system. There were no bet
ter men in all the world than they who
first faced English troops at Lexington
and Bunker Hill. They had the stern
training among these New England hills
which makes character and sense of re-
sponsibility and loyalty to duty. They
feared God rather than men and had
the courage of their convictions. That
hey were shrewd and calculating makes
their course more honorable. They
were not carried away by enthusiasm
or moved by excited appeals. They
took their course with GOODNESS and de-
liberation and bore the hardship and
fought on through those weary years
from Lexington to Yorktown. To trace
descent from those men is an honorable
thing, although | suppose all of us re-
member that what we are, not what
our fathers were, determines our worth
in the world. 1t is an honorable thing
to bear the name of that military COM
pany which marched out of New Haven
one hundred and twenty years ago
New Ravens response to the call Of
Massachusetts, for help. 1t is well to
keep up these old associations, to main-
tain the traditions of an honorable past.
But our duty lies in proving worthy
successors Of our fathers by doing our
work for state and country as well as
they did theirs Another task not less
important comes to us if we would pre-
serve the heritage which they left
You look back with pride across the
one hundred and twenty years to that
April day when news came to New Ha-
ven from Lexington, where "once the
embattled farmers stood and fired the
shot heard round the world" And
some of you say that you are descended
from men who then marched to Boston.
Others will say that they are members
of the company in which those men
then marched away. But are you all
sure that you are worthy to stand in
their places, that you are as good men
in your day and generation as they were
in theirs? There is fighting enough to
be done in Connecticut and New Haven
now to engage our attention. The bat
tie is on now for good government in
state and city, for honesty and Justice,
and 1t is, in some respects, a harder bat
tie than that which our fathers had to
fight. There are worse foes than those
which the fathers faced at Lexington
and Bunker Hill. They are the selfish
enemies of honest government. One
finds more Of which TO be proud In the
history of Connecticut one hundred and
twenty years ago than to-day. with
small men of low ideas In power using
their positions to advance their per-
sonal interests. Our public men are
argely sells eeking politicians and place
hunters, who have put the interest of
self and party above that Of state and
city, and It is hard to arouse public
sentiment and drive them into deserv-
I'd obsourity. The narrow, petty, schem-
ng politician, without generous thought |
FOR the common good, has his way, and
the people are content to have 1t so,
and the fair name of Connecticut suf- |
fers reproach.
1t is time to plead for a higher con- |
,eption of citizenship, for higher regard |
FOR state and city, than for party. Pa
.riotism now means rising above parti- |
sanship and laboring unselfishly for |
better government. And this is the |
ask to which we are, or ought TO be, |
committed If we are not ready to |
make the fight against the corrupt and |
and selfish men who degrade |
,ur public life, who defeat wholesome
egislation, who thrive upon bad admin
stration, we are degenerate sons Of good
nen. We dlshonor the heritage that
We have received, My duty is to plead
With you to set your face against the
men who are bringing dishonor upon
and who are opposing the
ighteous effort to improve state and
ity administration. You will to-mor-
ow lay flowers and wreaths upon the
raves of patriotic men who gave your
Inheritance among the nations. Better
till is the conservation Of yourself to
he preservation in righteousness of
hat which they won for you.