Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-29
SC0TCH-IRISH AGAIN
In Annual Session, This Time Hold.
ing Forth Down In Atlanta.
THE LARGEST OF ALL MEETINGS,
Not Even Excepting That Of Two Years Ago
in Pittsburg, When
THE SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP GREW MOST

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.1
ATLANTA, GA, April 2s.-The Scotch.
Irish Congress was duly opened with for.
NAL ceremonies at 10 o'clock this morning.
The delegates, who had come together at
the Central Presbyterian church, marched
across the street to the State capitol After
the invocation by Dr. Henry Mcdonald,
DR.. j. N. Craig welcomed the delegates in
behalf Of the local society, Governor
Northern in behalf Of the State, and Mayor
Hemphill in behalf of the city. In answer,
President Robert Bonner made one of the
happiest speeches and was seconded by
Prof Macloskie, of Princeton. There was
a reception at the Governors mansion
tonight
Great regret is expressed at the absence
of DR.. Patton and Colonel A. x. Mcclure,
and much sympathy for the latter's loss by
last nights fire in Philadelphia Dr.. Hall
is expected to preach in the Opera House
Sunday afternoon. All the officers of the
society will probably be reelected.
Des Moines men are making strenuous
efforts for holding the next convention
there, and may succeed, unless San Fran
cisco offers the earth again. There is q
good attendance from the Northwestern
States, but Pennsylvanians outnumber any
other distant State 8 to 1. The mornings
and evenings Of Friday and Saturday will
be devoted to speeches, the afternoons to
business.
The Largest Meeting Of Them All.
The present is evidently to be the largest
meeting that Scotch-Irish societies of Amer
lea have ever held. The first meeting was
held at Columbia, Tenn, in May, 1889. The
second meeting was held in Pittsburg, that
stanch Scotch-Irish Presbyterian strong
hold, and the members were largely in
creased The third meeting, held last May
in Louisville, KY, was still larger.
The membership Of the society is now
above 800, and may reach 1000 this wear.
The only conditions of membership are the
possession of Scotch-Irish blood in some de-
grees, and the payment of So annual dues
Any person-man or woman-over 21 years
of age who possesses these qualifications is
eligible.
The society publishes every year vol
ume containing full reports of the preced-
ing meeting. Three editions of the volume
of 1889 have been exhausted, and two edi-
tions of the volume of 1890. The addresses
are all made by speakers selected long be-
forehand. The regular papers are 40 min
utes in length, the short addresses are re-
stricted to ten minutes
Speakers and Present Officers.
This year, besides DR.. John Hall, of New
York, and President Francis L. Patton, of
Princeton, the list of speakers includes
Colonel A. K. Mcclure, the well-known
editor of the Philadelphia Times; Mr.. Nc
Kenzie, of Kentucky, and others, besides a
number of local orators who will make
short addresses The officers are Presi-
dent, Vice President General, two Vice
Presidents at large, Vice President from
each State represented, Secretary, Treas
urer, and an Executive Committee. Among
the prominent Vice Presidents are Prof A.
L. Perry, of Williams College; Hon.
Thomas N. McCarter, Of Newark, N. j.;
Rev. Stuart Acheson, of Toronto Canada,
and Bishop Hugh Miller Thompson, of Mis-
sissippi. The President is Robert Bonner,
of New York, and the Secretary is A. C.
ETY. was organized.
1t goes without saying that the Scotch
Irish are a deeply religious race, and it Is
only proper that Sunday should be included
in their days of meeting. There will be
religious services next Sunday by the soci-
ETY., and some of the leading members who
are ministers will occupy the pulpits of At
lanta.
Certainly these Scotch-Irish are a remark
ably fne-looking set of men and women. In
tellect and strong will power are stamped
upon their faces. They are no unworthy des-
cendants of the Ulster men who held Lon
donderry, or of the frontiersmen of the rev.
olutionary era who won the West for the
United States from the Alleghenies to the