The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-03

HlouuS, >. \. blSHOp.
Capt. Charles S. Holden i'll his address
of welcome, said:
Il take pleasure tonight in welcom-
| ing you to our fifth anniversary. The
Wellington Rifles We're organized only
five years ago, and considerable has
| happened of considerable moment to US
since that time.
"One year ago tomorrow we started
for birmingham. The night previous
we all stayed here at the armory until
after II o'clock, preparing for the work
ahead of us.
Il tried to find two OF three toastm9S-
tiers to take my position tonight, but did
not meet with any success. The first
toast of the evening will ne to the pres
ident of the United States, and | ask
the band to respond and all to rise.
The Worcester band played the star
Spangled Banned While all present
stood in silence.
The POSTMASTER explained that the
toast, the CITY of Worcester, was to
be responded to by his honor, Mayor
Rufus B. Dodge, but owing to TIE ILL
ness of his father, he cid not desire to
respond. Col. Fred w. Wellington re-
sponded to the toast, Massachusetts as
she is today"
THE nation of the past" was the
toast responded to by Hon. John L.
Bates, who said There is no welcome
that l esteem more highly than that
accorded me from those who have de-
Tended their country. The American
people were elevated by the Spanish
war. Everybody feels everywhere he
COS that walking beside him is a hero
Y am satisfied that I have touched
shoulder to shoulder with heres."
This is only the fifth anniversary of
the Wellington Rifles. and 1 imagine
that when the company was organized
there was no suggestion that the
country would call for this service Our
people had come to believe that when
a man Joined a militia company he
would have valuable training and
feeling of sociability, but that nothing
dangerous would ever result. We real
ize now that the state militia is like
the minute men of old; that they are
an organization which the country
could call upon for its defense as the
minute men of former days.
Tonight is remarkable in many re-
spects, as it is the anniversary of the
muster of your company to the state
service and the leaving of your city to
go to the frnt, and is also the birthday
of your gallant captain. l hope that
you will live to enjoy many such &C.
casions.
POSTMASTER Holden in introducing
the speaker of the evening, Hon. John
r. Thayer, said: I'VE have with us
this evening a member of congress who
when he goes to Washington will help
to solve questions of state with the
same spirit he has displayed in the
past. He will respond to the toast,
The nation of the future
Congressman Thayer said:
The eloquent speaker of the House
of Representatives has referred to our
country in the past, called our attention
to her growth and development, to her
traditions and history, to her dignity
and honorable position recognized by
every nation on earth. Shall this glo-
rious past be but the forerunner of
more glorious future?
No one at all acquainted with the
traditions and policy of our American
republic will deny that we are adopting
a policy in relation to the Philippines,
heretofore entirely new and foreign to
the fathers who laid the foundation
and to those who came after and built
and defended the magnificent super
structure of the national republic.
There seems to be a more or less
popular and craving desire for some
thing new and different. The grand
eur%of the past the mastery strides
which America has taken in the race
of nations, in which race she has out
stripped and left far behind every
other nation on earth, seem to these
uneasy statesmen as nothing which
command their admiration or the at
tention of the people.
To be sure, such a record as we have
/ helped to make it, but the time has
now come for a change. We must not
be confined to the primitive and Puri-
| tan ideas which have been, as it were
guiding star in all this wonderful
! er~n y ~-t,Sr -.
/ lie We have Outgrown our sWaddling
clothes. We have become great and
powerful, we must impress our great
ness upon the attention of the great
powers of the old world. We must be-
come an empire. and the histories of
all empires shows that too nice dis
tinction between right and wrong must
not always be considered when you are
planning for an empire.
Little matters like personal liberty
and independence must yield to the
mighty march of empire. I have not
the time and this is not the occasion
for me to longer detain you in develop
ing this idea and tendency. Il remains
to be seen whether this imperialistic
idea is to take possession of the here
tofore liberty-lOving people of the
greatest, grandest, the noblest republic
on earth. America has unfurled her
flag over the forts and ramparts of
Luzon and the Philippines.
The one common and patriotic senti-
ment in which every true and loyal cit
izen joins Will never allow it to be
furled in defeat or disgrace. It must
there float in the tropical breeze until
the hand which placed it there shall
voluntarily in its own good time. if
ever, remove it We are Americans
all. and we support the flag wherever
for the time being it floats, however
much we may for the time being dep
recate the folly of those in authority
who have placed it where it does NOT
represent equality, freedom and indie
pendence.
Another matter l wish to call to your
attention, affecting as it does radically
the commercial interests of our peo-
pie. refer to the trusts and combines