Evening star., 1901-12-24
SONS OF NEW ENGLAND
MEETING OF THE PENNSYLVANIA
SOCIETY IN PHILADELPHIA.
Justice Brewer as the Orator of the
Occasion Review. Recent
History.

A dispatch from Philadelphia last night
says; The twenty-first annual banquet or
the New England Society OF Pennsylvania
was held tonight In horticultural Hall,
covers being laid for nearly 400 members
and guests Guests were present from New
York, Baltimore. Washington, Boston and
other cities. Assistant United States At
torney General James NJ. Beck. president
of the society. opened the speech-making
with brief address. In coming down the
line OF the illustrious New Englanders.
President Beck mentioned the name OF
George Dewey. This was the signal for
an outburst of applause such as was not
repeated during the remainder OF the even
Ing. The chairman then introduced as the
i1rst speaker. Associate Justice David J.
Brewer OF the United States Supreme
Court, who responded to the toast The
United States; A World Power" Justice
Brewers address was frequently punctuat-
ed by applause.
Among other things he said:
The last few years have written much
of history. The twentieth century brings US
face to face with the new conditions, ana
we are conscious that the United States OF
America has become a more important fac
tor in the worlds thought. Some fancy
that the Spanish war wrought the great
change. This is hardly so. 1t may have
cleared the air and brought us face to
tace with the consciousness OF the change,
but silent forces of commerce and religion
have been at work for many years bring
ing about that result. The merchant and
the missionary have lifted the republic from
her Isolation and given her the queenly seat
at the head Of the council of nations.
Again and again il Is stated that the
United States has now become a world
power. So 1t has-but what is meant by the
term world power, and how are we to
justify our right to that title? Not by the
manifestation OF military or naval strength.
While wars viii be, as wars have been;
and while there Is within the resources or
our country an undisplayed military and
naval strength that makes her the most
dangerous enemy on land and sea, yet the
dawn of the twentieth century unveils a
on any field of strife. While the events
OF the last two or three years have COM
PEELED an increase in our military and naval
force. while the amount OF money which is
called for by the Secretary of War and
Secretary of the Navy seem to many too
large, and while the roll of the drum and
the blare of the bugle are more often heard,
yet the sons of the Pilgrims will never turn
our country over to the man on horseback
nor will our dearest laurels be crimsoned
with the blood of the dying soldier
I'VE shall deserve to be called a world
power. because our relations with all ma
tons VIII be carried upon the highest prin-
ciples of truth and Justice. We stand in
the council Of nations strong enough to fear
no attempt to wrong us; so strong that we
cannot AFFORD to wrong any even the weak
to the most powerful Of nations and so
strong that We must be kindly Just with
the weakest We must be frank as well as
honest. Henceforth diplomatic language
must be something to reveal and not some
thing to conceal thought and purpose The
honesty We must practice Is not the hon.
esty or Shylock, measured only by that
which Is enumerated in the bond but that
of the golden rule, an honesty which com
pels us to see the other party to the trans
action
Justice Brewer briefly reviewed the rapid
growth of the exports of the United States,
and. continuing. said
Especially must we remember the golden
rule in our dealings with inferior races and
ignorant peoples. We cannot afford to grow
rich by wrecking them. A Yankee with
his strong self-control, may perhaps wrestle
with rum in safety, but woe be to the saw
age or Filipino who makes a like attempt
His doom Is written. The son Of the pill
grim may not be moved by the seductive
charm of opium, but the disciple of Con-
fucius hastens to his pleasure and his ruin
in the weird charms of De Quincy. 1t 10
gratifying to see the attention of Congress
directed to the matter and to note that
legislation is proposed which will stop the
sale OF narcotics and intoxicants to the
peoples OF the orient, whether under our
control or not" -s=
The justice In noticing some of the signs
and needs OF the times, touched on civil
service reform, in regard to which he said;
into all the avenues Of our official life
Is entering ciyil-service reform Promotion
by merit has ceased to be the joke of the
politician, and is coming to be the controll-
Ing rule OF all official life not merely in the
army and navy (and we have had of late
some very positive assurances In respect
to them), but In all the departments of on
cial life. national state and municipal.
Whatever may be the present defects In the
machinery employed to secure the desired
result-and very likely the defects are
many-t Is one OF the bright assurances
OF the future that the thought and purpose
or the people are turned in this direction,
and they viii not be thwarted"
David ]. Hill. first assistant secretary of
state, responded to the toast Patriotism"
He said the patriotism of place has played
a glorious part in the history OF the world,
and has nerved heroic men to noble deeds
on many field of honor. American pa.
trioism. he said. is not born Of possession.
but or aspiration; not of the influence OF
Saf t1a f1cr1 fsz,, -,