Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-11-24
PEACE SOCIETY on DELAWARE
Its Annual Meeting Held in
This City Last Night Week.
THE LIST OF OFFICERS ELECTED
George A. Rhoads the New
President. IL



Ferris of Wilmington and Alfred II. Love
of Philadelphia, the Latter President of
the Universal Peace Union.
The annual meeting Of the Delaware
Peace Society was held last night week
AT Friends School, Fourth and West
streets, and the following officers were
elected for the ensuing year: President,
George A. Rhoads; Vice-Presidents,
the Rev. Alexander T. Bowser, Ashton
r. Tatem and Solomon Il. Barker;
Secretary, David Ferris;- Treasurer,
Henry j. Barnard Executive Commit
tee, Ezra Fell, Richard Maris, Benja-
min X, Smedley, Enos L.. Doan and A. |
Il, Barker. B. X. Smedley, A. r. |
Tatem and A. e. Barker were named as |
the committee on finance and collec- |
tions and David Ferris and S. E.
Barker as the committee on new mem |
bership.
Howell s. England, who had been
president since the organization OF the
society, declined reelection. He and
the other retiring officers were given a
vote Of thanks for their services. Ac-
cording to the report OF the treasurer,
the balance in the treasury amounts to
35 cents.
s ADDRESS BY DAVID FERNS.
David Ferris made an interesting adj
dress to which those present gave
marked attention. He spoke as follows:
1--WE have assembled, friends and
fellow members, at our annual meeting
to renew our allegiance to the prln
ciples of our organization as recorded
In our Constitution; to elect officers
and an executive committee for the
ensuing year, and to consider what are
our present duties and what action
we can, or ought to take to endeavor
to benefit our beloved country and our
fellow citizens.
"Our society was organized mo
, vember) 18th month, 7th, 1895. We
then unanimously adopted a consti-
tuition declaring that our object shall
be to discountenance all resorts to
deadly force'between individuals, States
or nations. In all our action and in
our resolutions since that time we
have been consistent with this funda-
mental principle.
SAT this first meeting we sent q
memorial to President Cleveland and
to the Congress Of the United States
SAYING: we do most earnestly beseech
the Congress of the United States to
inaugurate peaceful measures and send
ambassadors of peace to those now
engaged in bloody warfare in and with
reference to the island Of Cuba; to
compose by peaceful consultation and
to arbitrate the existing dispute. 'Presi-
dent Cleveland and Secretary Olney
did offer to mediate between the
government OF Spain and the insur-
gents in Cuba; assuring Spain of the
kindest motives on the part of the
United States; urging that the good
Offices of this country be accepted in
the spirit proffered. Our society sent
a resolution congratulating the Presi-
dent on this friendly offer and ap-
proving thereof. But unhappy Spair
did not accept it. 1t seemed as il
those things which most nearly con
oerned her peace and welfare were hiC
from her eyes. From the first oul
society has used the small influenc,
it could exert for peace and for thu
highest welfare Of cur country. ~.
1--WE have opposed military drill il
our public schools and also churcl
brigades; we earnestly endeavored Il
support and strengthen our Presiden
in his endeavor to avert the Spanisl
: war. But the war spirit like hoo'
swept away all opposition and pre-
cipitated this disastrous war, equal
disastrous to the victors as to tn
vanquished. Now the situation i
which we are placed is most critical
our responsibility most momentous
Would that the earnest exhortations {
the immortal Washington could b
needed now: Observe good faith an
Justice toward all nations, cultiyat
peace and harmony with all. VIII
quit our own to stand upon foreig
ground? Why, by Intervening OF
destiny with. that of any part of E,
rope entangle our peace and prosperii
in the tolls of European ambition
rivalship, humor or caprice?' Ho
widely has our nation departed fro
these safe counsels Of the Father of H
Country; what a disastrous revolutit
has occurred in this country durir
the past year. Who would have su
posed we could SO far depart from Il
good advice OF resident McKinle
given in his inaugural address, wh'
he said: we want no wars of co
quest we must avoid the template,
Of territorial aggression; war shou
never be entered upon until eve
agency of peace has failed arbitr
ton is the true method of settleme
of International, as well as local
individual differences Our Pea
Society could scarcely ask full
declaration of peace principles tn
this; but how greatly and disastrou.
has our nation departed from it. WI
millions of wasteful expenditure
have incurred; what burdensome Ia,
ton; what disease and death to Q
young men; what moral relapse a
degradation.
1.-THE venerable Prof. Charles Ell
Norton of Harvard University, one
our best and most revered patriots, sa,
Peace has nominally come; but |
than 100 days of war has resulted
revolution in the United States. I
foundations on which the repuh
rested have been unsettled; the pr
ciples upon which the government
ponds have been violated We, the
great military power of the wor
have suddenly Joined the ranks of
nations burdened with great armies
navies. We have loaded ourselves W
an enormous additional debt and W
an enormous increase of annual
penditures, a permanent, Cypress
tax upon the industry of the peo]
Whatever disposition may be mad,
the Philippines, we are already, thro,
holding them, brought into entangl
relations with the nations of the
World and run the risk of losing
inestimable boon, which has hith,
been ours, of freedom from the O,
pIications Of the international poll
uf the Old World. Our hearts h
been heavy with new weight of Ct
and the very brightness of the 6
shine has but deepened by contrast