The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-23
REID ON
DANGERS OF
EXPANSION

New York Dec 23.-The annual din
ner OF the New England society of the
City of New York held last night in the
Waldorf-Astoria was a more notable
affair than any held during the Ss years
since the Incorporation OF the society.
There were 654 diners. and the distin-
guishej speakers included Whitelaw
Reid. Andrew Carnegie, Rev. DIR. Newell
Dwight Hills Gen. III. c.. Corbin and r.
III. stuart-Wortley. There were also
present as guests at the main table Ed
mund Clarence Stedman, the retiring
president OF the society, Rear Admiral
Frederick Rodgers, u. s. N, Gen. Stew
art l.. Woodford, Col. Daniel II. Apple
ton, Horace Russell, former Secretary
Cornelius N Bliss. j. Pierpont Morgan.
William Butler Duncan, president OF st.
Andrews society; William T. Emmett of
the Society of the Friendly Sons OF ST.
Patrick: Robert c. ogden, president OF
the Pennsylvania society and Robert l..
Harrison. president Of the Southern So
ciety
Addressing, the assembled New Eng
landers, President Stedman made a report
OF the financial standing OF the society
and the neurology OF the year. He paid
high tribute TO William Earl Dodge, his
FoREFATHERs' DAY.
After a toast had been drunk TO THE
President OF the United States" White.
law Reid talked of "Forefathers Day"
Mr. Reid discussed the immigration aues-
tion at considerable length and then
passed TO a consideration of national ex-
pansion. On this point he said:
Shall we find that safe course by xoam-
ingthe oceans TO drag in semi tropical and
revolutionary communities TO be made
states in the American Union equal from
the start with ourselves, with some time,
perhaps, a balance of power that may
enable them to govern US and the land OF
our fathers?
Such questions have burst upon us too
suddenly out OF our recent expansion 10
Justify at the outset harsh criticism OF
any rash or ill-consdered proposals that
may rise to the surface in the first froth
of public discussion.
But venture TO predict that the time
Will come within the nves OF many who
now hear me when the man VINO shall
propose the Incorporation as a state into
this government OF the United States of
America OF any island I'm the sea- the
Philippines. the Sandwi Islands or Porto
Rico or Cuba, Will be hunted from polite
al life as a public enemy whether he be
animated merely by lingering remini-
SCIENCES of the fiiibusters and the slavery
propaganda, or whether he represent a
sugar trust in Wall street or a sage brush
trust in the United States senate
ANDREW CARNEGIE
Andrew Carnegie responded to the
| toast, Scotland and New England; One
| in Faith and Deed" He said: Mr.
| President-New England seems I'm one re-
| spect, to have been unfortunate. She
was surely christened wrongly at her
birth. There must have been some mis-
! take. Everything points to a case OF
substitution religiously, educationally or
socially. She Is Republican politically.
| Non-Conformist religiously. Democratic
socially. as Scotland is, and all her char
acteristics. her shrewdness, tenacity. fru-
| gality, indomitable will, her grip, her en-
thusiasm. her intellectually, are the
| same as the Scotch. She is no child Of
the soft south plains OF England. the gay
| lands capres and gardens OF roses. but
| OF the stern north. The land OF the
mountain and OF the food In every fea-
| ture. Should she ever conclude TO be
rechristened after her true mother and
bear the proud name to which she is en-
titled. New Scotland how Scotland
would be uplifted.
"old Scotland and New Scotland, as
| they always have stood IN the past for
the same causes, stand today prepared
| TO do or die as OF yore in the future
IL needful, for civil and religious liberty.
national Independence for the royalty of
man. and in defence OF these would
march today TO the stake. the faggot,
| exultingly as their forefathers did, re-
| joicing I'm the sacrifice.
Mr. President and gentlemen search
all the history and no two peoples can
| be found so much alike In their his
| tory characteristics, aims and achieve
ments. and so completely one In faith
and deed ["