Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-02-25
DEDICATED THE HALL.
The P. o. S. of A. Building For
maIIy Opened.
IMPOSING CEREMONIES BY STATE
oFFICERS-STREET PARADE AND
ADDREsSES-FINE CELEBRATION
OF wAsHINGTON's BIRTHDAY.

oiuCl oOHo VI aIncIlCd. hllnOu1n IIlG
building is not yet wholly completed it
was thought best to dedicate it upon the
anniversary of Washington's birth,
showing thereby the patriotic spirit of
the members and at the same time
honoring holiday which of late years
has not been observed as generally as it
should. The day was an ideal one for
celebration of any kind, and with the
exception of the muddy streets, which
2 deferred many from participating, it
lacked nothing to make the affair a
success. Previous to the dedcatory SER
vices the following organizations, under
command of Chief Marshal VIM. r.
Jeffrey, made a short street parade
p. o. S. of A. Band.
Garfield Commandery, No. s, Knights
of Malta.
Military Rank, No. 80, Knights of Mys-
tic Chain.
Loyal Castle, No. 65, Knights of Mystic
Chain
Mountain Eagle Castle, No 297, Knights
of Golden Eagle.
Harru Gauri Lodge.
Freeland Council, No 34S, Junior Order
United American Mechanics.
Camp 81, Hazelon.
Camp 259, Drifton.
Camp 255, Sandy Run.
Camp IA, Eckley.
Camp l47, Freeland.
When the parade returned to the
building the organizations, invited guests
and as much of the public as could OBJ
tain admission took seats in the spacious
store room on the first floor, where the
ceremonies were held. After several
patriotic airs were given by the band
and singing by Camp 80, Patriotic Order
True Americans, the hall was transferred
by Jacob B. Zeigler, president of the as
sociation, to the care of the State Off
cials, who then took charge. These
ceremonies were conducted by Major r.
M. ]. Reed, of Philadelphia, State Mas
ter of Forms and Ceremonies; VIM.
Weand, of Philadelphia. State Secretary;
Jed. /. Hollenback, of Milnesvile, Past
State President, and w. Ill. Nannauker,
District resident. They were both
beautiful and impressive, and the man
ner in which they were rendered showed
that the State officers were familiar with
their work. In these ceremonies the
members of the p. o. s. of A. were shown
the duties they owe to God their coun-
try and their fellow-men, and the ma
tional colors were represented by red,
white and blue flowers, which were
strewn about the stage, representing
love, purity and fidelity.
Major Reed was then introduced and
he opened his address by paying a de-
served tribute to the women of America,
who have at all times shown themselves
to be as patriotic and as anxious for the
success of the Union as their brothers.
In referring to the charge sometimes
made against societies of this kind, that
it was an easy matter to be patriotic in
time of peace, he said that the history of
the P. o. 5. of A. showed that that orga-
nizatlon was just as patriotic in time of
war. He claimed that with the eXcep-
ton of Camp 81, of Reading, every camp
in Pennsylvania was crippled in 1861,
owing to the members being at the front
He offered to prove by comparing the
roll-books of camps with the records of
the war department that several camps
had enlisted to a man, and also stated
that there were 10000 Sons of America
to-day in this State ready to repeat what
the p. O. s. of A. did in 1861.
In regard to restricting immigration
the speaker claimed that there were
none of the Know-Nothing principles to
be found in the order. They are in
favor of welcoming foreigners from any
country, providing the latter come here
with an earnest desire to become citizens
and accept our laws as they find them
To those who come here imbued with
the ideas of monarchal government and
make attempts to introduce them instead
of our republican system the P. O. S. of
A. is forever opposed, and also to the
men who compose the Malta and kindred
lawless societies, as well as to the pauper,
the convict, or the unwhoesome surplus
of any nation. There are now bills on
emigration and naturalization before
Congress which he hoped would pass,
and which would go far in checking any
danger from that quarter. Another
plank of the order called for the uphold
ing of the public schools, and the speaker
praised them highly for the work they
have done In conclusion he called upon
the people of Freeland to show their ap-
probation of the pluck and energy. of
Camp l47, who, by its handsome struc-
ture, has shown that it came to stay.
State Secretary Weand was the next
speaker He said he was supposed to
speak upon the principles, aims and
work of the organization which he repre-
sented To do that before an audience
anywhere iu the anthracite region, and
especially in Freeand, would seem to
him to be presumption. What the P o.
S. of A. is and what it is for he thought
must certainly be known to every intel
liyent citizen in town where there is q
camp numbering 200. He did, however,
tell little of what the order was doing,
and mentioned that the erection of just
such buildings as he was in is the inten-
tiun of hundreds of camps wherever the
same has not been yet done. Mr.. Weand
showed with statistics the steady and
healthy progress made during the past
few years, but, gratifying as it has been,
there is still room in the camp halls for
thousands who remain outside the fold.
He called upon the business, profes-
ssinna and working men to join the
order, and guaranteed they would find in
it nothing but pure Americanism. No
4native-born if he is morally qualified,
will be debarred from entering and his
-politcal or religious belief will never be
questioned. Mr.. Weand emphatically
stated that the p o. S. of A. was not an
organization banded together in opposi
ton to any nationality or religion. He
conceded the right of foreigners to estab
lish their separate associations. The
English have their Sons Of st. George
the Germans their Harru Gauri, the
Welsh their Ivorites, the Irish thell
Hibernians, and so on with the natives
of every foreign cline. The P. 0. S. o