The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-06
TRIBUTES TO THOMAS PAINE
NOT SPOKEN or As AN LNFIDEL
100 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH.

The Rev, Thomas n. Slicer's Eulogy at
the Paine Observation-Disclosures Held
In the Rain That Caused Postpone
ment Of the HuEuenot Celebration.
NEW RocHEtLE N. Y, June 5.-Enough
rain TO make you feel as though you had
been watering the garden put a stop
to-day to the pageant which the citizens
Of New Rochelle had planned in honor
Of the landing of the H%uguenots down
at Bonnefoi Point. Up at the Tom Paine
monument however, two or three hun
bred men and women got together to
commemorate his death on June 8 1909.
The H%uguenots landed here two oen-
turiee and twenty-one years ago, and the
people hereabout had made plans for a
long time to lave a water pageant 30 that
everybody that saw 1t could understand
exactly how things looked when the
Frenchmen came to land. Siwanoy In
dams were going to float out into the
bay in canos and meet h Frenchmen
and tell them that there Is no better place
TO settle at in W~estchester county than
: New Rochelle.
Just to prove that there was no real
estate boom to it they were going to
have a little hostile demonstrating by
ugly reds who were to sneak out OF the
bushes and get beaten over the head for
their incivility. Then the band was going
to play and the ohlookers were to have a
speech from Hsray y Lester as to what
it all meant.
But that sloppy rain in the air. the rain
that came from underneath. of the sort
that no umbrella can shut out, dis
oouraged Mayor Raymond. Director in
Chief W. r. Carleton, and Head Indian
(who had the sta &c name Of Young-msn-
who-lives-on-the-water) Carl Kuchler,
and they decided to have it put over fora
week. 1t will all happen next Saturday
unless il rains again.
But those Thomas Paine enthusiasts
too the rein into their own hands and
had the ceremony as they. planned it.
The old Tom Paine house was moved a
while g t9 q spot neaI the monument.
Of New York gave to Paine the year after
the, revolution ended. 1t was feared
that the speeches would have to be made
in the house, but just about the time that
the meeting was scheduled to begin the
rain stopped coming and they were able
the open place behind the monument:
The Rev. Thomas R. Slicer. DR.. David
8. Muzzey of the Society Of Ethical Gull
ture. Prof. Thaddeua Burr Wakeman.
president OF the Thomas Paine Historical
Association, and Fra E Hubhard Of East
Waterman introduced the speakers.
Mr.. Slicer spoke Of Thomas Paine as
the devotee OF liberty. Mr., Slioer said
that the freedom OF thought in. religion
for which Thomas PAINE stood is what
we have most OF us coma to. In his own
day, viIifed as an,athsis* for bis denial q
upon as the defender Of just principles
Slioer denied. In the book which brought
him contumely. THE Age of Reason he
declared, Il believe in, one God and no
more, and l hope for happiness beyond
His religion was Of two words,' said
are efforts by which we climb to God.
Paine believed that. the 9oul may climb
TO God, God and the so,A were the pillars
OF his thought"
Of democracy. MANY words" said Dr..
Muzzey. -haye psssed into the vocabulary
OF history which still belong to the vo-
~cabulary OF prophecy: Such word is
democracy; We speak glibly, OF depoc-
racy as II It were an accomplished fact.
We talk and write Of the rise OF democracy
in the seventeenth century in England. In
the struggle between the Stuarts and their
Parliament, We point with pride to our
representative system. to our elective
Executive. to our popular juries. to our
extensive franchise.
But it needs only a reflective survey
Of our present condition. economic. social,
religious. to make US see that our use OF
the term democracy is prophetic. 1t
10 rs a prophet OF that true democracy
Of -brotherhood that Thomas Paine is,
and only to-day is. beginning to receive
honor from a world too long distracted
with the prejudice of CASTE