Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-30
The Vermont Society Holds Its
goth Annual Meeting in
Montpelier.
ADDRESS BY PRES. BROWN
Speaks OF the Value OF Military School,
Congressman Haskins Elected
President Meet Next Year in
Rutland-Ask for Promotion
for Gen. w. F. Smith.

Montpelier. Oct. 23-The S9th annual
meeting of the Reunion Society of Yer
mont officers was held at Montpelier this
afternoon and evening with large atten-
dance of members and their wives. AT
the business meeting held at the State
House in the afternoon Capt. stephen f.
crown of Swanton presided and Col. j.
II. Lucia of Montpelier acted as secre-
t1ry and treasurer.
The following officers were elected:
PRESIDENT, the Hon. Kittrdge Haskins of
i'rattleboro: first vice president, Col. G..
G.. Benedict of Burlington; second vice.
president, Thomas Harmon of Benning-
ton: secretary and treasurer, Col. j. II.
Lucia of Montpelier; marshal for the
evening, Col. T.. G. Butterfield of Troy.
1t was voted to hold the next annual
meeting In Rutland and Gen. w. Y. w.
Ripley. J. ID. Hanrahan and Senator Red
field Proctor were elected an executive
committee to arrange for this meeting.
on motion of Gen. w. w. Henry a me-
mortal was adopted which Is to be pre-
scented TO the Vermont congressional dele
cation, praying that Mai.-Gen. w. f.
O3aldy) Smith who is living on the re-
tired pay of major of the engineers he
commissioned major-general in the reg
ular army with the emoluments of Il re-
tired officer of that rank. EX-Gov. J. l..
Barstow of Sheburne, Senator Proctor
and Col. G.. G.. Benedict spoke in favor
of this memorial.
Headed by the Montpelier Military band
the members of the society with ladies
marched from the Pavilion at $50 this
evening to the hall of the House of Rep
resentatives, where the public meeting was
held. Gen. L. G.. Butterfed of Derby act
ed as marshall. Capt Stephen +. Brown
OF Swanton, the retiring president had
charge of the exercises and the Rev. j.
I'd pr1 iyh Of 1t4t of igi ia tod n
cha plain.
After two spirited selections by the band,
the chairman introduced Commandant A.
ID Brown of Norwich University. North
field as the speaker of the evening. Presi-
dent Brown was repeatedly interrupted
10y applause. He spoke in part as follows:
PRESIDENT BROWNS ADDRESS.
Mr. President, Members of the Reunion
Society, Ladies' and Gentlemen:
l do not know Just why have had the
honor of being selected to deliver your
annual grafton in this place and in this
distinguished presence, for / am not a
native of Vermont. When l selected my
immediate ancestors, owing to my lack
of experience in this line, l made in view
of what was coming to me later, a great
mistake in not choosing a Vermonter for
at least one OF my parents, My father
was New Hampshire man, my mother a
New York woman; but when l became of
age, l took the first opportunity to repair
my error, and became a Nermonter by
marriage, and thus became eligible for
the duty which / have the pleasure of
performing this evening. This may have
been the reason l am here, or perhaps it
may have been because my good friend
who invited mo in the name of the execu-
tive committee knowing that my rela-
lions to the federal government deDar ms
from ever occupying seat In either
branch of the august body which meets
in this building, thought 1t no more than
fair that ! should have at least one op-
portunity to speak from this rostrum
As ! look over the list OF those distin-
Euished persons who have been your or
ators in years past l feel very highly
hOnored to be called to the task which
has beset me to-right.
II seems hardly possible that only a
little more than four years ago. we had
begun and finished the Spanish War a
war marked by the same patriotic spirit
as that which has animated our either
soldiers In every war in which we have
been engaged; a war In which we werc
found, as usual, in n state of unreadiness
but In which. owing to our superiority ir
certain directions over our enemy, anC
also owing the fact that ii was largely 6
naval war we were speedily victoriou,
almost before either we or our opponents
knew that we had begun to fight. ON
victories upon the sea were made possible
IL has always been the tradition of the
navy to be even though the tools with
which the officers and men were provided
were new and untried in war Thank:
TO the wise foresight of the man who was
then assistant secretary of the navy, but
who was destined to win higher rank anG
place, the squadrons afoat We're in a bet
ter state Of preparation and least ham
pered by red tape, than ever before known
in our service.
This, however. was not so with the
army; this was not the fault of the of
iicers in control Of affairs; the system (ol
rather want of SYSTEM which Congress
had deliberately chosen to adopt, in spite
IF the remonstrances and pleadings of tn,
experienced soldiers of the army, was re
sponsibe for almost all the misfortune.
Of that short campaign. Preparations Of
supplies and of officers to distribute
those supplies, which were adequate FOL
an army of % 900 men. proved totally in
adequate for an army of ten times tina
number. Officers were appointed, anC
necessarily so, TO important positions
without any previous training. under
great political pressure, and the thunder:
of wrath which broke upon the devoted
head of the secretary of war and finall,
forced his retirement, We're utterly anC
entirely undeserved, for ii was not he
but the people primarily and Congress
secondarly, that were responsible for tn,
unfortunate state of affairs; and / do no
hesitate TO say that ] for one, am yer,
glad to know that Secretary AIger hai
been vindcated by his State, and that h
now holds the seat of a senator from
Michigan.
Four years ago at this time. not onl,
our own State. but all the States, wer,
in ferment as to what should he tn
outcome OF the Paris commission then il
sGSsion, endeaVorirg to frame n treaty o
peace between Spain and the Unite,
States. Some OF you will remember tina
after the signing of the protocol by tn
two beligerents, the principal daily pape
Of the State sent a circular to n larg
number of gentlemen throughout the va
rous counties, asking whether In thel
opinion 1t would be advisable for the Uni
ted State to retain the Philippines land
strange to say, of all the men who an
swered that circular letter. there wa
but one whose voice favored the retention
Of the islands. all others We're very strong
ly opposed to it. And later. at the meet
ing of this society four years ago, thos
who were present had the pleasure of lis