The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-26

gressmen Linton Made Vigorous
Address.
The Academy of Music last night
contained about a thousand persons
who were gathered there to hear
patriotic address by Congressman
WIS. Linton,of Saginaw, Michigan. The
meeting was conducted, according to
early announcements, by some of the
patriotic orders of the city. The seats
on the lower floor of the theater were
nearly all occupied and the balcony
was half filled. A number of ladies
were in the audience.
Ex-Mayor John II. Fellows presided.
Selections were rendered at intervals
by the Lawrence orchestra and the
Anthracite vocal quartette. A large
American flag was stretched upon the
scenery at the rear of the stage and
other American flags were draped from
the proscenium Congressman w. A.
Stone, Of Pittsburg, and Congressman
]. u. Hicks, of Blair county. had been
expected, but were unable to be pres
ent
At $50 o'clock Mr.. Fellows appeared
on the stage and I,Sked if Rev. DR.. II.
II. Harris was in tse audience. DIR.
Harris ives located in one of the or
chestra seats and made his way to the
stage entrance and a moment later ap-
peared on the stage with Mr.. Fellows
and MIR Linton. Mr.. Fellows intro
duced the Anthracite Vocal quartette
who rendered a pleasing selection. DR..
Harris then offered prayer. 1t was q
brief offering of thanks ''for religious
liberty and a free government and
freedom ot thought" After a selection
by the orchestra Mr.. Fellows arose and
said:
MR.. FELLOWS REMARKS.
'It is right that we should pause in
the daily trials and executions of bust
ness and take an occasion like this
to educate our minds and in a way
that will benefit American institutions.
We cannot do this unless we are all
Americans. A man who is afraid to do
this is not a patriot nor an American
citizen. L am willing to be called a
bigot if by being one l help protect
American homes and the American
public school system. What is the
trouble in this land today? Gold? Sill
yer? Tariff? No. We want men to
represent us in the government of this
country, men who are men and have
the courage of their convictions"
Mr. Fellows then turned his attention
to Doodle and promises used as levers
for election to office. Conventions are
today he said, bought in a lump for
a candidate or candidates who are to
blame for tempting delegates. The
latter are nearly always poor men and
their folly and sin is due to the briber
more than to the bribed. Mr.. Fellows
concluded with the announcement that
DR.. Harris would speak after a selec-
tion by the orchestra.
DIR. Harris effort was an eulogy of
eX-Congressman Linton. The reverend
gentleman said he had always admir-
ed MIR. Linton for his heroic advocacy
of good measures and opposition to
bad ones, but when he (the speaker)
learned of Mr. Linton's vote on the ap-
preparation bill he was determined to
sacrifice everything to hear him last
night. AS far as the trend of senti-
ment of the meeting was concerned
1t was perfectly natural, said DR.. Har-
ris, that he should discuss the matters
in hand from a standpoint of religious
equality. He deplored any inclination,
education or any other thing that had
a trend in any other direction than
that of religious liberty. American
citizens want, he said religious liberty,
religious freedom and all sects on the
same level. DR.. Harris reference to
the American flag and institutions
evoked frequent and enthusiastic ap-
plause.
MR.. LINTON INTRODUCED.
The quartette sang and then Mr..
Linton was introduced by Mr.. Fellows
as a man who as a Congressman had
the courage of his convictions, and
was accessible to high and low while
he was in Office" The applause that
greeted Mr.. Linton did not allow him
to proceed Immediately. He attempt
ed several times to speak but was in
terrupted by cheers and hand-clapping.
He began by acknowledging the hearty
reception and said he felt at home in
Pennsylvania because his ancestors
settled in Bucks county 200 years ago
under William Penn.
II am not here as one of your eve
ming papers would have it, to con-
denim creed nor to denounce denomina-
ton" he said. 81 got my religion at
the knee of a mother of Scotch de-
scent, who believed in God, and l am
willing that every man shall worship
Him according to the dictates of his
| own conscience, but do not believe in
allying church and state. / do not
approve of the principles of either the
Democratic or Republican parties in
| approving platforms separating church
| from state, but who have appropriate
| ed millions of dollars for sectarian pur-
| poses. For twenty-five years members
| of both parties have not abided by
| their platform principles. The people
| of this state will some time rise in
their might and repudiate some OF
| these men.
"You have been taxed, my friends, to
! pay for the propogating of religious
opinions in which you disbelieved, and
1 say in the words of Thomas Jefferson
it is sinful and tyrannicaI' Jefferson
was prouder of those words than OF
any others he ever said or wrote, ex-
cepting, of course, the Declaration OF
Independence. For this spirit / was
criticised for introducing a resolution
! against locating a certain statue In
statuary han at Washington. / die
1t because our law says that only the
likenesses of American citizens shall
be contained there. The person whose
statue they wanted contained there
was a citizen of no state Nobody knew
how to reproduce his features. The
only object was to make him in the
image Of man, clothe him and set hin
up there. There was nothing Ameri.
can about the project or object, and Il