The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-06-07

rankest sort. In closing with this part
of his paper Rev. Mr.. Webb stated
that without any intention of hatter.
ing he was sure that the United
States was the only power that could
and would carry through the project
of scvering the Panama isthmus.
Next he took up the burden of the
great railway systems, He stated
that more trackage and ears were
needed as well as more hauling pow
err. On account of the enormous crops
of the last few years the railroads
have been unable TO look after the
carrying of freight and this has caused
great hardship in many sections, es'
pecially in the West where many fam
lilies have been unable to obtain fuel
and the other nccessaries of life. lie
mentioned the freight congestion which
has been in the local yard AS an in,
stance where the railroad service was
inadequate. He quoted from an article
from one of the railroad magazines
which stated that between 100000 and
$4,000 freight ears, $4,000 passenger
cars and 5000 locomotives would be
bought for use by the railroads of the
country this present year, and that
500 100000 would be spent buying 49,,
100000 tons of steel rails.
Another burden of the nation, he
said, was the increasing tide of immi
grafton which is dumping on our shores
each year two cities the size OF BIOS
ton, every one of the newcomers bring
ing the peculiar customs, manners and
language of his country. These people
must be assimilated, for their good as
well as for ours, and doing this is a
problem, the solution of which takes
time as well as thought. He gave sta.
tistics of some length showing that OF
the 754,33i immigrants who landed at
the Ellis Island last year, ~ per cent.
had definite addresses to which they
were going either to be received by
parents and fathers or by relatives. Or
| the great number of immigrants that
are arriving each year many are in the
prime of life and at the fulness OF
their earning capacity. OF those who
landed last year at Ellis Island 81 IL
per cent. were between the years OF
| IA and a, the time of life when they
are best able to earn competency and
least likely to become public charge.
All these people who are coming here
must be looked after religiously, that
they may not fall into infdelity, and
their children must be schooled in or
der that they may not grow up IN
ignorance.
Another burden which he mentioned
was the colored people of the south,
| 100000 in number at the present
time and increasing at a rate so fast
that if "every steamship that is on
the sea were employed they could not
carry the babies to Africa as fast as
they are born" Where hundreds OF
dollars are spent now, thousands ought
to be spent, and where one person Is
sent as teacher, hundreds ought to be
sent
Speaking of the responsibility of the
country in bringing about universal
peace Mr.. Webb noted the fact that IN
one year but recently, 65 per cent. OF
the gross revenues of the country had
been spent either in paying pensions
or in buying munitions and ornaments
of war, even when the country was al
peace with all the world. Russia, Eng
land. France, Germany and all the
countries of the older civilization are
struggling along under more armament
than they can bear and always adding
TO their burden. 1t is necessary that
some nation take steps for the accom-
plishment of peace and the United
States is the logical nation to take
that step. We are unhindered by war
like neighbors and entrenched IN oui
strategic position 5000 miles from any
neighbor who might do us harm. The
matter in reference to the universal
peace movement Mr.. Webb stated was
taken from paper on the subject
written by Glenn Porter Wishard OF
Evanston, H., who is student at the
Northwestern university.
Next he took up the burden of the
trusts, mentioning especially the
Standard. Oil company which he sad
was nothing more than a rebel, defy
ing the laws, and making the people
of the United States, en- masse, 'stano
and deliver" Other burdens which he
mentioned casually were selfishness
creed. graft and corruption and the
General lack of picty more and more
evident. Quoting from sermon con
corning the need of piety issued from
Wall street, he closed his paper.
| After this several others took up the
discussion and an interesting half hour
was spent in talking over the subjects
suggested by Mr.. Webb's paper. The
meeting then closed after the most
useful, interesting and thoughtproduc
ing session of the year.