Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-02-14

For sale by all dealers. Price 20 cents
| Foster Milburn Co, Buffalo, New York,
sole agents FOR the United States.
| Remember the name-Doans-and take
no other.
| New England local prejudice. II contains
brief biographical sketches OF men and
women at present living in the United
| States who have achieved distinction
| in statesmansnp. oratory, art literature.
invention, business and Industry. Ar.
| analysis of the names given in that book
| shows that in proportion to her popula-
ton. moro people we're born in the state
Oh Vermont who have achieved sufficient
distinction to have their r.ames there
mentioned. than in any other State It
does not appear that Vermont is among
the first In this respect but it stands
clearly and absolutely at the head of all
the States. 1t has boen the nursery Of
strong mon and strong womer Many OF
them have escaped from the home State
in which they were born and reared; but
what has been our loss has been the
gain Of other sections OF our great
country. we have enriched the whole
without TOO greatly impoverishing our
selves.
| recent number OF the American Law
Review contains an analysis of the rec
ord Of rnurderers committed in the
United States within period of years
and of the sections Of our country whero-
in the largest number of crimes Of that
mature have been committed. in proper
ton to the population. It has colored
diagram showing the sections In dark
colors wherein tho percentage OF hom-
cides has been great and in lighter col
ors the sections whore a less number OF
such crimes have been recorded. On that
diagram Vermont is not one of the
whitest but is absolutely the very whtest
one Of all. We have the least number of
homicides In proportion to our population
of any State in the Union.
So that in returning to my native land
II have the satisfaction of feeling not
merely that | have come again to the
breeding place of great men and great
women but also to that region where one
stands the best chance of dying. not by
a bullet crashing through his brain but
by some good old homespun disease like
pneumonia, apoplexy or old age. My
pleasure in meeting YOU therefore is en-
HANGED by these consolatory considera-
lions
You gentlemen are the descendants OF
those who laid the foundations OF this
commonwealth. who imperlcd their lives
and staked all their little fortunes IN
order that they and YOU and your de
scendantS might enjoy the blessings OF
free institutions and of a representative
government. The principles enunciated
in the Declaration of Independence ant
defended by your forefathcrs on the field
, of battle have probably had more effec'
, in changing the institutions, the worlC
over than any other like declaration oil
acts in all history. The principles of fra
ternity liberty and equality practically
exempllfed in our country. were undoubt
eddy the immediate cause Of the tremend
orr upheaval in France, a revolution
= which has ameiorated, modified an,
changed the institutions OF practi
:. caly every European country ex
:. cept Turkey Governments represen
c tative in character, more or les
completely, have constantly made the
:, way and steadily moved onward Eng
!, land with her Australian. Canadian anc
- other colonies has become and Is con
= cratic. South Africahrdl lily Ia yqytqy'
p stantly becoming moro and more demo
q cratic. South Africa is rapidly consoli
@ dating into almost an empire with a re
a preventative government. Russia is un
N dergoing the struggles of giant in tn
n effort 10 emerge from an autocratic gov
eminent into one where the people hav
+ a voice. Japan with strides more rap
n than any that ever have been taken H.
n any other nation, has emerged fror
V mediaevalsn ara has leaped almost a
a bound into the position of one of tn
powerful nations of the earth with
constitutional government not perfec
4 yet but containing those substantial ee
/ ments Of great strength and power tina
i come from a large participation BY III
/ people in the government of thcmselve.
i In India, n vast empire of three hund
/ rcd million people. tho impulses Of ma
/ tonal strength and the desire tn tax
/ part in their own government are be
/ ginning TO pulse and throb and to pr,
/ sent new problems for the careful cor
sideration of the greatest of coonis
/ powers. Even the most stationary stae
/ nant ana ancient OF empires. China ha
/ opened its eyes and looked outward w
/ on the rest OF the world and is gropin
/ to find itself and to gather Its power
| by establishing the r'idiments OF n col
/ stitutional government. The moyemei
i Is WoTlu Wlue, nut IL received us Hr!
| tremendous impetus in the Revolution
/ arv war of l176
| Recently the logic of events has ca
/ ried MS and with us our principle an
| institutions, so far as they are suited
/ tropical conditions and to an orient
/ people, into a domain where we hay
j nearly eight million people to be go'
erned and to be Taught the art of Sc
- government, They are absolutely III
familiar with free institutions ana tota
ly inexperienced in the tars of self go'
eminent, unframed to the rule Of II
people by the people and having hard
a theoretical knowledge OF what
means for the majority to rule and T,
the minority In an orderly and conten
ed manner to submit themselves to Il
voice Of the people as determined at Il
ballot box.
q