The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-24
ARE WE AMERICANS
 OR CABOTONIANS?

It Is one of the iron1es of fate that A&hs New World should bear the name 1 of AKner7ca, thus perpetuat1ng the kMaa1ne of an adventurer, Amer1cus Yes bpuci1s, whose claim to being the ~-ffxs& d1scDVerer of the western con k4inent was based on a. falsely dated letter Justice and convenience would kboth have been better served if the Efrue pioneers had been given their kMues, and the name of Columbia had kbeen given to the southern continent. land that of CabOeon1an to the north ern-
 ! St- Jo1arss Day, the twenty-fourth of June, Is a. historic date for we Ca kbotonians", for fl was on that fest1- kvaI in the year 149Ts that John Cabot Eeet foot on the soil of North America EIt was then that he set up the banner kof England. and from that hour the fortunes of this continent were des- Etined to be swayed by the AnglO-Sax- Ion raca- His discovery laid the foun- kdatdon for the future supremacy of kEng1and in North America, and, all kfh0ugh this claim was long disputed sby the French the SpaniArds and the tDEzfch, the conqueE1ng AHglO-Saxon kevenEua1Iy r1umphed over all Opposi- sG1On- Great Britain and the United kG3tateG, the great nation founded by sEngEand's rebel11ous cO1onists, now kdOnzfnate the continent thanks to no I@n1A11 extent to the daring and hardi- EhOod of John Cabot and his sons
 1 Just where Cabot first planted the t@Eandard of England. and by it's side 1.-the Venetian banner of St Mark the one in loyalty to his master, Hen fry VIII, the other in affection for Ven E4ee-w1I7 never be known Whether kfae touched the shores of the continent Ion @-tE1e dismal cliffs of LAbrador," or Ion k1ae wild coast of Nova Scotia or Newfoundland. will never be definite fly known That Newfoundland was s1nis first stopping place Is held by a number of historians, and the capital scatY of St. Johns perpetuates the kraAme of the saint on whose festival kf11e landing was effected The Labra- fdor theory has much to support 1t E41ut the consensus of modern opinion E@ee1ns to favor Cape Breton, which tfoxE1as a part of what Is now the prov tfnce of Nova. Scotia
 In some respects Cabot deserves kgrAa4er praise than Columbus. ant kcerta4nIy his achievements were in affn76e1y greater in their importance tt North Americans than those of Amer1
 cuS Vespuct1s. Columbus had sue kceeded only in attaining the islanC fringe of the continent before Cabo get foot on the mainland. Cabot sailed lover waters far sEOrmier and nor kddfe1cu1t than any encountered by Co e1uu4411ss and his equipment and re k@01wce@ were vastly less. for he ha' kbuS a single tiny vessel. the Matthew k4ho first vessel to touch our Arneri lean shores. His discovery of tn k1IoweA American continent preceded b! Rna0Ds than a year the third voyage 0 kCO4unn3uav when he came in sight 0 kGh9 mainland of South America.
 &A16e Columbus and Vespucfus, Joh1
 CGbot yEaS 6 native of Italy, and it i kDe1EaRad Eha4 he was born in Genoa
 E&he native cfty of Columbus. Venic
 has A1Dn claimed the honor of bein
 his bsReh place, but this is dfsprove
 ~m- Rmn $Nn <Ra.A @R "
 fc9 con*a4n a document showing tn
 kden1Ta&Son had been granted to Zual
 kCabota @fDer the customary residenc
 kg& Hxteeu years, Later he settled i