The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1905-11-02

| The people of this community nave
occasion 10 thank the Skowhegan NO
mans Club for the opportunity of hear
speak last evening at the Methodist
hurch on.the subject. "America: The
Peacemaker Among the Nations The
lecture will be remembered as one OF
the most scholarly aud polished address
ses ever given here and will leave an i'm
preston in favor OF United States naval
supremacy that all other Influences COM
bned could not have made in a long
time.
In introducing Mr. llobsou, Rev. F. A.
Leitch spoke of the heroes. of our colo
1912 and 1861 and of the speaker of the
evening as one of the most heroic among
the famous generals and commanders Of
the Spanish war. The readiness with
which handkerchiefs futtered aIoft
when the chairman called upon the au-
dence to rise and salute Mr. Hobson
indicate that the ladies of the "oman's
Club had suggested the ovation and were
prepared to execute it. 1t must, how
ever, bave come as a surprise TO Mr.
Hobson and it should haveipeased him.
1t was a graceful tribute to the speaker
and one that we presume he does not
meet with everywhere.
The very logical manner in which the
speaker took up points in his address
enabled his hearers to follow him un-
derstandingly through subject which
involves questions of international pol
icy, the resources of individual nations
and their past and present attitude toward
each other. The arrangement was so
perfect that none could fail to gain new
insight into these matters, usually con
sidered almost too profound for the
average man and woman, and Mr.. Hob
SON 4 conclusions after such an argument
were illesistable. Mr.. HObson asked his
hearers TO believe with him that the
tendency of the race since the dawn OF
history has been toward peace, that the
time for the complete cessation OF wars
has almost arrived and that, just at this
most president moment of all history the
| United states, among all the nations of
the earth, was the only one so situated
as to lead the way toward world peace
and the ultimately federation of all
people and races 1t was a theme cal
culated TO appeal to the pride of an
American audience and to arouse their
most patriotic emotions; few among Mr..
! Hobson's hearers could have failed to
sympathize with his sentiments and &C
cept his conclusions. Mr.. Hobson te-
| lieves fully that We should accept the
responsibility so manifesuy incumbent
upon us as a nation and that we should
have a navy which will enable us to
speak with authority tor peace among
the nations that as yet for the most part
desire war. The speaker also allowed
himself time to mention the duties OF a
citizen in time of peace and to urge the
attention of all good men and women to
the great present day problems of citi-
Zenship
At the close of his address he present
ed series of resolutions favOring inilia
tory action on the part of the United
states for the formationof a World
Parliament, also for generous increase
in the size of our navy. These resolu-
tions were unanimously adopted by a
rising vote
AT the suggestion of Mr.. Leitch the
audience sang two verses of America ,
which most appropriately followed such
patriotic address. Before leaving the
church many of the audience awaited
themselves of the opportunity to be pre-
scented to the lecturer.
The audience was large, filling nearly
every seat in the church, and the ladies
of the " oman's Club must feel that they
acted wisely in selecting Capt. Hobson
| for their annual lecture.