The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-09-03
WILLIAMS
FAMILY
REUNION.

occurrence in the history or the Worio'
et,n rarer is II that the time, the place,
the man, responsible Tor an eveh'i "a
change may be clearly designaieo'
James Bryce apparently anciuues nm, =,
sen among those who hold tnat one OF
ths chief seryices which the United states
has rendered 70 the world consists In the
example set there OF complete dlsJuhc,
tton OF religious worship and behei from
che machinery OF civil government anu
this Gift as Mr.. Bryce says was ps
slowed upon America and upon tne clxi-
HEED world by Rhode Island uhoei '"e
leadership OF Roger Wilhams
al the period when New England was
heinr settled religion was the uppermost
sentiment I'm the minds or mankiho-
prominently so In the thoughts OF the
IMMIGRANTS 10 the New World. III was
aomInance of conscience which converted
the chartered land company OF Massa-
chusetts Bay into theocracy' was
rel,gioua enthusiasm which caused Roger
x,n1tsrns and his associates 10 be so con-
,antIously conscientious that they were
hanished from the soil OF the Puritan
commonwealth.
..The reason that successful departures
he a whole people from the ruts or Gus
fom have been few. that social advances
have usually been slow. painful ano matt
ing rather than speedy and complete, u
not that leaders do not appear. but ina,
communities have been unable TO for-
nulate and express their CONVICTIONS
HAD A CLEAN PAGE.
.r, the heetnnings OF Rhode Island sew
.raI happy circumstances coincided 10
enable that colony 10 understand ltseH
and TO act effectively, Chief among them
was that series OF prosecutions whicn mao
mt once converted their opinions INTO IN
delible convictions and thrown them To-
gether upon a virgin soil under ne" anu anu
untried conditions. Whilst almost every
re,ormer has found the community with
which he must deal fixed In its habits ana
surroundings. like a sheet OF paper al
ready scribbled over. crossed ana re-
crossed by other pens. Roger Williams
was youchsafed a page nearly clean up
on which to write. Under these clrcum-
stances he and his companions were en-
couraged 10 originate rather than copy.
what is needed for successful reform
fs not primarily leader. for leaders arr
continually arising 10 be submerged Dy
their enyironment-not leaders, but So
cfety capable first OF crystalizing its dif-
fused opinions and then OF carrying them
lnto effect. Many individuals. through
stress and trial, have learned not only TO
make known their yiews.-but- also 10 act
tn accordance with them. Not so COM
munities. The people OF every state ana
Is deaf, dumb and blind.
Only through their laws. or through
customs as binding as legal enactments'
can any community effectively voice its
sentiments At rare intervals In the past
and then chiefly in newly settled coun-
tries. has society succeeded In empooylns
in it's laws the will OF the majority. Thls
happiness befell the inhabitants or Rhode
Island in the seventeenth century, as oil
the thirteen American colonies in the
eighteenth century and OF Switzerland
and New Zealand in the nineteenth CEN
tury
In the United States and in Rhode ISL
and the power which they possessed one
and two centuries ago has been totally
lost.
POWER TO ALTER CONSTITUTION.
The conditions which were essential TO
the success OF the Lively Experiment
OF Roger williams II is possible again 10
revive IL is only necessary TO place the
hands OF the people once more upon the
lever OF their government.
IL is not nv intention at this time TO
attempt TO point out any reform whose
adoption would be analogous TO the soul
liberty taught and won by our forefath-
ers. but rather to indicate the means
by which any real progress must be
achieved. IL the road but be opened an
enfranchised throng will soon tread It's
surface into a beaten highway leading to
greater liberty.
To open that road It is only needed 10
carry out In practice the design OF the
founders OF the republic. An essential
part, and in fact the most fundamental
part, OF our form OF government, is the
control OF the organic law directly and
completely by the people. Without such
control its defects and errors continue It's
small inequities swell into great ones
whilst inventions OF the first magnitude
In the science OF government remain mu
tilted.
Give 10 the qualified voters Of this state
the power TO alter their constitution o.
government at will, and IL shall again b'
said and with yet greater emphasis, n
the words OF George Bancroft: "Mor'
ideas which have become national have
emanated from the little colony OF Rhod,
Island than from any other
AN INTERESTING PROGRAM.
At the conclusion OF the governors ad
dress n soprano solo was tastefuly rem
dered by Mrs. w. A. Burdlck, after which
Mr. Daniel A. Cook was presented. and
responded in his usual happy manner:
duet was then rendered by Mrs Kate
la Fetra Bosworth and Mrs. Burdick. a
reading given by Mrs. l.. r. Remington
end a solo by Mrs Bosworth. to the great
Executive Secretary Grieve was then
introduced In his response he touched
upon the topic. Roger williams and His
Descendants" as follows:
1T is a praiseworthy sentiment to he
proud OF a great ancestor. Even In these
days when 80 many OF the old ideas are
or have passed away. the belief In the
value OF a noble and worthy ancestry has
continued. We all believe that blood
VIII tell and modern science. which has
snattered so many other ancient notions.
mas emphasized this. although II has
oonotess put new interpretations upon a.
Ine descendants OF Roger Williams
nave right 20 be proud OF their great
ancestor. But with that pride should go
tne oetermination 10 be worthy OF their
prosecutor. and they should aspire 10 be
hs courageous. as nberty-loving. as eef.-
srous as aggressive for the right. and
resides all as lovable and genial a man
es MS contemporaries said he Was. Re
cause OF the great work that he ala FOR
THIS community and the world Al ia ami
nently fitting that his ancestors should
keep his memory green.
VIVID WORD PICTURES.
While there r. no authentic nor,,,,,
OF Roger Williams In existence we haVe
what r. better. word pictures OF him bv
while he IL also revealed 20 Us IN ths
work he accomplished From thse sources