Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-11-03

| time was TO be wasted, and, having as
semblcd in tho senate chamber, the bust
ness that had called them together was
to be Immediately begun. The sccno III
| Pennsylvania avenue when tho process
sion of dignitaries and royalties passed
up toward the capitol was one never to
be- forgotten. Bands were playing. mag
nifccnt cquipagcs flashed III the morn
ing sunlight, the flags Of every nation
on the earth huttered in tho breeze.
Queen Victoria, with tho Prince of
! Wales cscurting her, and riding IN an
open carriage, was greeted with ruars
Of cheers; tho Emperor William. fol-
lowing in another carriage with En-
/ press Victoria at his side coudc,cenGcd
10 bow and smile i'll response to the
greetings Of free people.
Each If the other monarchs was re.
ceived in u similar manner. The car
Of Russia proved TO be an especial ia
vOritc with the multitude un account
NJ the ancient friendship of his house
for America But the greatest applause
Of ali came when the president Of
France, followed by the president of
switzerland and the first syndic of che
!i,'lc republic of AndDrra, made their
al 'arance. Equally warm were the
g. = rs extended to the representa-
tN Gt Moxico and the South American
>,..%.
rho crowd apparently hardly knew at
first now to receive the .ulian Of Tur-
key, bEt tbe universal good feeling was
III his favor, and finally rounds of hand
clauping and cheers greeted his progress
along the splendid avenue.
y happy idca had apparently occurred
to the emperor of China and the mikado
Of Japan, for, attended by their inter.
mingled suits they rode together in a
siHglo carriage. This object lesson in
the unity of international feeling i'm.
mcnaely pleased the spectators.
The scene in the senate chamber
stirred every ono profoundly. That it
WAS brilliant and magnificent goes with.
out aging, hut there was II seriousness,
al intense feeling of expectancy, per
vading both those who looked on and
those who were to do tho work for
which these nagnates of the earth bad
assembled which produced an irerad-
cable impression. rhc president Of the
Cnlted states, If course, presided. Rep.
rcsentatives Of tho greater powers occu.
pied the front seats, and some Of them
w"rc honored with special chairs near
the president.
No time was wasted in preiminariea.
The president made a brief speech.
1--WE have come together he said,
"to consider question that equally in
tcrcSts the whole earth. need not re.
mind you that Unexpectedly and with
out "ocation on our part the people
- nStcrs, should rather say-of
Nj 'ntly came down upon tho
cai 'clscd us in our homes and
spr ,ulation around them. Having
th' ."ntNge of ages of evolution,
win for Us are yet in the future, they
brought with them engines Of death
and Of destruction against which we
found it impossible to contend 1t is
within the memory Of every one in
reach Of my voice that it was through
the entirely unexpected succor which
Providence sent us that we were sud
denly and elfectually freed from the in
vaders. by our own efforts we could
have done nothing.
But, as you all know, the first feel
ing Of relief which followed the death
of our foes was quickly succeeded by
the fearful news which came to US from
the observatoroS that the Martians
were undoubtedly preparing for "A sec.
ond invasion of our planet. Against
this we should have had no recourse
and 10 hope but for the genius of one
Of my countrymen, who, as you are all
aware, has perfected means which may
enable us not only to withstand the at
tack Of those awful enemies, but 70
meet them, and, let us hope, To conquer
them on their own ground.
"Mr. Edison is here 10 explain to
you what those means are. But we have
also another object Whether we send
a fleet of interplanctary ships to invade
Mars or whether we simply contine our
attention to works Of defense, in either
case IL will be necessary to raise very
large sum Of money. None of US has
yet recovered from the effects of the re.
cent invasion. The earth is poor today
compared with its condition a few years
ago, yet we cannot allow our poverty to
stand i'll the way. The money, the
means, must he had. 1t will be part of
our business here to raise a gigantic
war fund by the aid of which we can