The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-18
IT is ONLY DESTINY
Weak Races Must
Give Way to Strong
er Civilization.
is DUTY.
Prof. W. HI. Ryder Speaks
Strong Words to Con-
gational Club.

About 100 members of the Worcester
congregational club sat down to a
bountiful repast last night at the AS
sociation hall in the Young Mems
Christian Association building. The
occasion was the 147th meeting of the
club and a right enjoyable time did
those present have. After the din
ner which began at 6.45 o'clock, an ex-
cellent address on DESTINY and duty
was given by Prof William H. Ryder
of the Andover theological seminary.
After the supper was over, which was
served by Rebboli, President John Lo-
San called the meeting to order and
the first on the program was the sing
ing of America Rev. DR.. Mix Of
fered prayer The following members
were voted in by ballot: w. H. Blodg-
ct, DIR. Carl Crisand, DR.. A. w. Eldred,
Charles H. Sibley, Esq, and j. W.
Stockwell of Sutton
The speaker of the evening was then
introduced Prof. Ryder spoke Tor
about 80 minutes without notes, and
was a most entertaining speaker. He
said in brief:
"AII of us these days believe that we
dEG DedIlAlS ii Heavy OulQtlli IL tANS
come upon us more this year than per-
haps ever before. We grieve at the
lives that have been lost and those that
are being given up in service in our
new possessions, and we are grieVed
perhaps most of all at the most seri-
GUS and difficult problems that we are
facing.
1--WE have never faced such a condi-
ton of things as are before us
To f1nictulxpG have
been made, but we must meet them
cheerfully, and we must bear our bur
dens well. with q hope and faith that
in the end we may overcome them. We
have erred and gone astray, but still
will carry our burdens in the same
spirit and determination in the years
70 come as we have in the past. This
is destiny ana duty.
There is such a thing as destiny
abroad in the land. and it is a mighty
force working upon you and society.
The force is there and it cannot be
suppressed.
"Then. again, we have duty. None
of US are fatalists; we all have a duty
to perform in meeting these currents
in our lives and 10 guide them. These
human currents we cannot check but
we can make them a source of profit
to us.
"The dominant force of today seems
to be wotldliness. We have come to
the conviction that the world is good
one. We take great delight in the
forces of this world and in our ideas
we are not selfish or narrow. I'm not
an advanced imperialist. Those that
are are unjustly criticised. These peo-
pile want to see our new possessions
developed, having trolley railroads and
the like We want to help these people
that are poorer than we, and thereby
help to bring the kingdom of heaven
to this earth.
fNow it is manifest that if we intend
to carry out our idea of destiny we
must Neld to our earlier destiny. We
cannot have a larger development of
the world and liberty.
"The Indian would not yield to the
idea of the Pilgrim so he had to leave
for the west or die on the spot The
same problem of the earlier years is
now being worked out in the Indian
territory. Our better civilization is
driving these people out.
what of the Sandwich Islands?
About so years ago some New England
ers went to those islands to Christian
ize the natives. The population at that
time was estimated at from 10000 to
10000. Twenty or 80 years later word
came back that all had been converted.
Where are these people? Only 100000
of them are now living, and 1T is said
that half this number are given over
to drink and are unfit to vote. The
reason of their decline was that they
could not meet the strong vices; they
had to Yield The same problem is in
the south. The negro of former years
was protected and looked after. 1t has
been said that when the negro pays
taxes on a million dollars worth of
property he will be respected. Unless
they can meet the white man on the
same plane they must go down before
the stronger civilization.
"This is destiny; this is the mighty
force in the world. Under these condi-
tions what is our paramount duty?
Our part is to face the issue soberly;
what is needed now is calmness and
sobriety. Another part is TO work, the
world is here to be used it must be de-
veloped. A nation that won't work is
a nation that must die. We ought to
go slow in the development; We have
been going too rapidly, and it might be
well to wait a little and give the back
ward races a chance to catch up. The
voice of destiny thus speaks out to US:
Bear ye one another's burdens Wait
for the weak"