The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-12-17
WEISS on THE P.O&OF A
4 PATBlOrfU ADDRESS DELIVERED
Al BETul.EH u.
The Forty-Finh Anniversar af the Nobl,
order Cclrbr,, cd ouit ..tingiy

lulettai. ~ WIS QtllNtieu ul an ANN
versary celebration at Bethlehem Sat
urday:
~ am sure I would be at the first end
of "a very serious trouble if m my Bd-
dress | should attempt 10 speak of the
many features aud eScelleucies of the
patriotic order represented here to-
night It is such a broad subject that
the most eloquent might apply their
ability and not exhaust It. Behold the
magnitude of our order to-day, the
proud structure which we have erected.
We congratulate ourselves us we con.
template the continuous, uninterrupt-
ed onward march of our order To- its
present position and power.
"This is the forty fifth anniversary
of our order. We are here tonight in
honor of that event. The first compo-
sition of our order was made mp en-
tirely Of young men under the age of
2l years. Prior to the war for the
union its organization was rather i'm.
perfect aud itsgrowth slow The camps
were known only in the Middle States
When the fate of our country trembled
i'm the balance; when our government,
the best eyer devised 10y the wisdom of
man, was threatened to be rent and
torn asuuder. thousands of our true
loyal, and brave Sons of America vol
UNFAIRLY enlisted ia defense Of an tin-
broken union of states and the preser.
yation of our government.
"rhey marched from the seu TO the
gglf, leaving freemeu wherever they
trod and at the close of the great
struggle the clanl< of the chain was no
longer heard, the union of states re-
mained as ono, thousands having died
and bled in defense of the teachings of
the order, namely love of the old flag
and other thousands returned to their
homes remembering that they had
fought add suffered to inscribe upon
the folds of the flag, that better, that
grander, that nobler word, Liberty
Through all these years of upbuilding
our hearts have been thrilled, our
minds inspired, and our hands upheld
by this high and noble sentiment of
our order, the love of the flag
"To bring the order up to higher
patriotic standard has been the pro
pelling sentiment which has harmon
lied our meetings, sweetened our in
tercourse, cemented our work, and
inspired our plans leading the sur
viving members in 1866 to take that
flag for which 50 many had fought and
bled, and, marching forth, held it aloft
and beckoned all true Americans to
come up to its standard; and under its
influence they reorganized, placing the
order upon more substantial basis
From that day TO this its members
have been earnestly at work locating
camp in every town in the United
States,
"Listen to how grandly we have sue
ceeded. We have camps in thirty
states. They number 1878, and the
membership is 10000. Pennsylvania
has GGO camps with 10000 members.
Camp No. 49, of Bethlehem, has 1901
members. 1t was organized on Sept.
IL, 1887, and in these five years has ey
pended $3.50 in benefits. Is it wonder
that so large and intelligent an audi
ence has gathered here tonight on
this our forty-fifth anniversary? No,
for all love the grand old flag and the
principles of our order. Here lies the
secret of our patriotism, for under
that ensign We have protection assured
to us not only in this our own country,
but upon the waters and foreign shores.
Our order seeks the progress and
perpetuity of our country-a country
that has agricultural resources equal
to sustaining 1,OOOOOO,OOO inhabitants;
mineral wealth and mineral products
greater already than than that of any
other country. Our order seeks to in
culcate pure love for our institutions,
opposition TO foreign interference with
state interests in the United States,
the cultivation of fraternal affection,
the preservation of the constitution Of
the United States, and the propagation
of free education. In getting from the
train at Reading the other day | saw a
large placard, 1t read, Stand by our
free school system Had our fathers
been confronted by that card their hair
would have turned gray,
sour order is distinctly American,
for as children of its soil, reared be-
meath its flag, loving it as none other
can love, knowing it as none other can
know, and having AN interest in its
future welfare, nearer truer deeper
than all mankind besides, we have as
sociated ourselves together, pledgiug
| ourselves to the observance and sup
port of its laws, as becomes the sons of
freemen. Tho immediate benefits Of
our order are home beueyolence, care
Of the sick, burial of its dead, aud pro-
lection of the home, and underneath
this principle is that beautiful senti-
ment of Fraternity
in conclusion, our fathers buildcd
well and wisely, and the most favored
nation on the face of the earth is
theirs. But what of the future? What
effect will the teemiug thousands have
upon our fair lands who have landed
upon our shores during the recent
years: We have welcomed all who
have come We have given them a
share in the country'- prosperity But
of late years tho character of the cur
rent Of immigration has changed. The
deyisable classes are overwhelmed by
the pauper labor aud criminal classes.
There is a tremendous influx of Poles,
the lowest strata Of Italian society, Of
Huns, of Russians, The question may
well bo asked upon this our forty-hfth
anniversary, Where is tho end?
"a great nation has been builded,
but its corner stone has been endan-
gered 10y the preaching of anarchy aud
the swarming Of the low and vicious.
We can assimilate a certain amount of
this element, but we can not become
the dumping ground for the world and
live. The time must come under such
policy when the ignorant and criminal
will outnnmber the intelligent, aud
then what becomes of this proud ma
ton? Has not the period come to call
halty Senator Chandler's bill, now
ready to be introduced, restricting inn
migration for one year, is well taken