The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-11

trustees for the No. ! school house by |
the Improved Order of Red Men and
the Junior Order United American Me-
chanics, took place at Peckville We'd |
nesday afternoon. The teachers of the |
school, Misses Bertha G. Williams. Orie |
Williams, Effie Curtis and Lillian |
Hicks. met the occasion with well pre- |
pared arrangements and programme |
which their pupils performed in an ef- /!
ficient manner after which the Rev. $.
c. Simpkins in an address befitting the |
occasion. presented the directors with !
the flag in behalf of the aforesaid So
cieties, Mr.. Simpkins said in part:
REV. SIMPKINS' ADDRESS.
1t is pleasant occasion that calls us
together this afternoon. We meet to pre- |
sent to this school the flag of our Union |
This is a fitting thing to do; for. surely
our children should be taught from the |
first to recognize the flag of our common |
country; to know what it means, md
what is its history. We hope this beauti- |
full school building, which has been erect |
ed for the education of our children. may
be for many years Il place from which |
may go out successive generations OF
schools. Well grounded. though young.
thus may be In the knowledge OF the char
acter and extent the history and destiny |
of this magnificent country, which thus |
will inherit. and of which the Star Span
g!ed Banner is the beautiful and appro- |
children know something of how Christie
pher Columbus in 1852 sailed over the then |
unknown sea to found, as he thought. q |
new empire for Spain on the other side of
the globe: how he braved the waves of
the tempestuous ocean, and planted the |
cross on San Salvador after many trials |
and hardships. and gave a new world to
civilization and new hemisphere to the |
globe. 1t Is eminently appropriate that
we should consecrate our public school
buildings to the highest use of patriotism |
and Of intelligent love of our country by |
raising over them the flag of our Union. |
Thirty-two years ago that flag did not
wave over states united. In large sec |
ton of our land it was seen only when
surrounded by serried battalions armed
in its defense. 1t was greeted with the |
terrific roar of hostile cannon and charg-
ing men in brave battle array under skilled
leaders. all striving to tear down and |
trample under foot the flag that we honor |
today. Thirty-two years ago we We're in |
the agonies of a bitter fight between |
states discordant, discovered. belligerent
and drenched in fraternal blood, and to
those who. like myself, are able to remcm-
Der how that fight began. continued and
ended. and who look in the youthful faces |
of these children the one thought that |
presses upon us is how wonderful the |
change how wonderful the progress dur
ing these thirty-two years. Note the |
growth of the settled country over which |
our flag waves today. Note the increase
in the numbers of stars that glitter In the |
Utlu OI Ulut OH tUdt nag SiTce tHt tiosC
of the Rebellion. These children can name
Il succession of states westward from New |
Jersey and Pennsylvania in an unbroken
line to the Pacific ocean, and this sug-
gests why it is especially appropriate to
raise the flag of our country over every
public school building in the land. The
generation represented by these chill
dren will have to meet and solve great
problems of the practical workings of
our free institutions. How very impor-
tant. then, that from the beginning they
should become thoroughly acquainted with
the history of our common country: the
records of the deeds of great men. whose
lives have made that history glorious, and
of the principles that underlie the complex
system of our federal union.
There is not wanting indications that the
dangers which beset and ruined free in
stitutions in the past will, before long.
gather thick and threatening along the
pathways of our own republic; that indif-
ference to his political duties and respon-
sbilities on the part of the otherwise in
teligent citizen, which are the first omi-
nous indication of dry rot at the very
foundations of the structure of the COM
monwealth is already SO widespread that |
we do not notice in others what We are |
unwilling to correct in ourselves. 1t has |
CCme to be an actual truth that hundreds, |
perhaps thousands of our respectable in
telligent citizens. tax payers and voters |
do not know when nor where the primary |
meetings are held. at which delegates are |
chosen who set in motion the machinery |
of our whole political system, and when |
the natural consequences stare us in the |
face, regret and even remorse are not |
sufficient to bring forth works, meet for |
repentance. 1t Is therefore good thing |
to raise the flag of our Union over every |
public school building i'm the land and |
teach the children from the very begin |
ming the principles or our free institutions |
the blessings that flow from them and the |
responsibility that grows out of them. for |
thus, and thus only, can we hope to see |
h,. good manned those
who know their duty and are brave TO |
perform it; not only when the tempest |
RACES and the dangers from without are |
eminent, but in those more trying periods |
of prolonged calm when all is smooth upon
the surface, when sloth and Indifference |
have suffered decay, when the rat knaws |
the cordage and the insect burrows in the |
wood, and all the while the unseen but |
mighty current of the great deep Is drag |
ging the good ship into helpless and hope
less ruin.
May the good Providence. who has
guided us through so many dangers in |
the past years, still protect us in The
years to come and save us from the evil
within our selves. and may our Union |
ever be strengthened so that never again.
while the king of day shall continue to |
rise in the morn and the stars twinkle a t |
night. shall We be in danger of internal |
strife. May the Stars and Stripes con- !
And with good Daniel Webster we say: |
Let my last feeble and lingering slances
be hold the ensign of a republic now known |
and honored throughout the world, with |
not n stripe erased. not Il star obscured |
bearing as a motto in characters of living |
light blazing on all its ample folds as II |
floats over land and sea in every wind un- |
der the heavens. Liberty now and for
ever. one and inseoarable.'"
Gentlemen of the board of educa tion, in |
the name and on behalf of these benevo- |
lent organizations. present you with this |
beautiful American flag. to be held by you |
t,,,rt 81.
erty of No. l school OF the borough of
Blakely.
EVENING EXERCISES.
At the close of Rev. Simpkins ad-
dress, the fla" was received on behalf
of the trustees with appropriate re-
marks. by Rev. Mr.. Allen. pastor IF the |
Baptist church. In the evening an en-
tertainment and social was given in
the Ledyard hall where both societies
met About two hundred persons were
present. The hall was decorated with
flags and bunting bearing the cOlors of
old glory. Philetus Snedicor acted as
chairman when the following pro-
gramme was rendered: Singing by the
Keystone quartette. Messrs. Herb.
Frear. George Shay. Herb. Mccormick
and william Frear: MY Country 'Tis
Of Thee" Mrs. William Frear accom-
PIANIST: PRAYER. by Rev V. G. Byers;
remarks. by the chairman. after which
he introduced David &. Williams. past
deputy grand sachem. Of Hyde Park.
who made a few brief remarks on the
principles of the Improved Order of Red
Men. Another selection was rendered
by the uuartetta entitled Rocked in
the Cradle of the Deep" Miss Mary
Williams. of HYDE Park. then gave
fine recitation which was followed by
the Rev. $. G. Simpkins. past state
counsellor. in behalf of the Junior Oo-
der Unit ID American Mechanics. He
explained the motto of the order Free
dom. Patriotism and Liberty" After
another selection by the quartette, Mrs.
David e. Williams was then intro
duced and spoke to the ladies concern