Norwich bulletin., 1915-04-20

A very large number attended the April meeting of the Mems club of St. Andrews church Monday evening when Judge F. E. Fitzsimons of Prov idence gave a very interesting talk. During the evening an orchestra com posed Of the following rendered music. Fred, piano; John Kukla. clarinet; Frank King, cornet; J. Crawford. trom- bone and Frank Benson violin. Re- treatments were served. Judge Fitz- simons spoke in part as follows:
 q deem it a particular honor-one to be highly valued-to be bidden to address a Connecticut audience in this smart little city of Norwich. which even when I was boy had reputa- ton for attractiveness. You live in a great state, one which has contributed it's full share to the upbuilding of the nation, and has been the prolific mother of distinguished men whose services in many different fields have resulted in substantial benefit to man. kind.
 'Tihe time allotted me is not suf1- cient for anything approaching g. com plete discussion of even the outlines of the elements contributing to the de- velopment of the American as we know him today, and yet glance at these elements is necessary for an 1ntell1- gent understanding of the present day tendencies reflective of American thought and purpose. Such a discus sion must involve the analyses of the various phases, historical, social, po- Hucal, educational and religious, af- fecting and controlling American life It would entail the tracing from virgin sources of the many and widely diver gent influences which have operated to direct mans progress along the rugged pathway out of dense darkness into resplendent light.
 "IVa wOuId he con1DaJIed fo e0 f1a cls at least to the twilight beginnings of the earliest form of government known, that of the family-a government marked by service and obedience wherein the various members of the family, recognizing the authority of the head thereof, paid deference &C., cordingly. In the family there was affection, of course, but the rule was a strict and rigid one and, of necessity the discipline maintained was strong and unyielding.
 With the extension of kinship and the growth of families the tribe was brought into being, necessitating tribal relations and tribal government, in or der that the interests of the various families composing the tribe might be better protected. Then villages were tablished through members of tribes and devoting themselves to agricul- ture.
 "Tribalism was followed by feudal- ism. When the world power of the Romans suffered serious impairment and the Germans undertook invasion and conquest of countries adjacent to theirs, the feudal system was firmly founded Under it there were three classes of men: the nobles, who did the fighting; the clerics, who did the praying, teaching and writing, and the vassals and serfs, who worked to SUD- port the nobles, clerics and other de- pendents.
 in it's common and best meaning, rep resents the participation of the people in the government that controls them Democracy may be dated from Solon's reforms in Athens, some six hundred years before Christ Nearly one hun dred years after the institution of these reforms the kings were expelled from Rome and the consular form of gov ernment then organized distinctly marked a long forward step toward the real participation of a considerable number of people in the government o1 Rome
 Kingdoms have ever been main. tained by force of arms. Republics should ever be maintained by force oi mind. Out of the immortal meeting at Runnymede between King John anC his barons came forth the understand ing that justice should no longer be sold, denied or delayed. Thencefortt the march of democracy, although of. ten interrupted, impeded and halted advanced toward the realization o1 what had been the cherished dream ot many men in the slow progress of the worlds developments free state. Through a train of extraordinary experiences, fraught with many dan. gers and marked by innumerable hard ships, the Colonials on the American continent came to the awful grapplt of war in the Revolution, and out o1 that sanguinary conflict emerged the republic. .. a.
 T am not discussing public affairs from the standpoint of partisanship. deem it good morals for every man tc choose for himself candidates and poll, cies, his guide in every case to. be a well informed consciousness and hi. 1mpelling motive an unselish desire to serve the highest good of the state NO man who neglects his civic du. ties has a right to call himself a goot