The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1908-03-04

VI uAA present. he reviewed reC6n
changes that had taken place in the
i borough; new hotel in place of tn,
old one, and this owing to the public
j spirit of some of our public. spirited
citizens; modern railroad station il
place Of the old, historic building
concrete walks in place of mud walks
in place of old schoolhouses, moderr
graded schools; electric lights substi
tuted for the old corner kerosene lamp
|, post; successful attempt to increase
our manufacturing interests, an6
within few months to te completed
4 one of the best constructed electric
Railroads in the state.
He called the attention to the fact
tehat these things all come only after
Thought and active and hard work
by all interested He then struck the
spirit of the community when he ask
ed is that all, should we now be salts.
flied? Is there nothing more to be de.
sired? No, he said, we should have
town hall. where could be housed
the business of both town and
borough, suitable lookup and police
quarters and public hall to meet the
demands of the public.
Mr.. Patten then argued the need of
Fsuch a building; that assembled
faround the tables were represented
both ability and wealth to successful.
lily carry to fruition the project. 1t
jrshould be brought about in such way
as not to become financial burden to
the tax payer, that it was not our
duty to pay the whole bill for future
generations, and that it was our duty
only to pay our proportion each year
for the costs of permanent improve
ments of this character. He said that
some steps had already been taken
toward this project, in that a public
spirited citizen of the town had been
asked, and had the matter under con.
sideration, if he would give build
ing lot of his valued at $4,000 for a
site if $4,000 were raised by subscrip-
tion, making $40, 900 as a starter.
Mr.. Patten closed his remarks by
referring to some of the. innovations
in recent legislation, and believed
that we should not lose faith and con-
idence in our country, that the COM
mon sense Of the people would settle
our perplexing questions and settle
|bhem right. and further predicted
that the success and achievement of
our nation in the past would sink in
to insignificance with the success that
awaits her as the years roll on.
Hon. Hugh NJ Alcorn Of Hartford,
the next speaker introduced, is a young
lawyer of much natural ability, an
interesting speaker. and young man
deserving of much credit fer his high
sense of right and integrity to prin.
~ pie. He introduced his speech with
a few moments of pleasantly, includ-
ing several bright stories, then pro.
ceeded to a confederation of phase of
character that was of vital interest to
both the business and social world.
He held his hearers with unabsted at
tention as he covered his field. He
graphically portrayed ignorance in
the various walks of life.; dwelled on
it's association with the sacred right
of the freeman that right to cast his
vote the power of the BALLOT of the
individual of Intelligent action, the
danger of the ballot of the ignorant
voter, and the relation of the ignorant
immigrant to the government and his
rights under the same. He spoke of
the vast immigration coming to this
country; of their ignorance of our
institutions and of the work that we
should do for their enlightenment. He
said this was wonderful country,
and that we were able and should be
glad to receive them, to assimilate and
benefit them. He spoke of the en-
during phase of character, and con-
trasted with the various temporal
types, monuments and memorials
erected. He reviewed how that the
devastations of war, the ruthless hand
of ignorance and the unceasing action
of nature all conspire to destroy the
emblems. The moss covers, the water
decays and frosts disintegrates. but
character and intelligence outlive
and surmount all these warning
forces. By use of the allegory from
Bunyon's Pilgrim g Progress, he strik-
iDgly portrayed the fact that even If
near the last, it was then doomed
to oblivion by the stronger forces of
light and intelligence.
The address of the evening, around
which all others cluster, was made by
Rev. Frederick D. Buckley, M. A. In
spite of the fact that it was ten
minutes past midnight when Mr..
Buckley rose to his feet, his remark
able ability rs a speaker held his
hearers with such close attention that
one could have heard pin drop, had
any one of the hearers had time to
take his attention from the speaker
long enough to have INDUCED in that
diversion.
1t was with a deep feeling and
tender memories that Mr.. Buckley
opened his address. and spoke of his
memories of his years spent here in
Stafford. He said that afternoon as
he sat at his hotel window and looked
out at the red church across the way,
where he began his first charge, as he
thought Of the people who were here
in active business when he was here.
but now are no more, he said his
heart welled up with the feelings and
Affection Of "a home coming. It was
when living here in Stafford that he
brought home his bride; it was here
in Stafford that his first daughter was
born. and it was here in Stafford he
made many friends that have grown