The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-06

lures arranged under the auspices of
the Penn Avenue Baptist church was
given at the church last night. The
lecturer was the celebrated Rev. DR..
George G. Lorimer, of fremont Temple,
Boston, and his subject was "Cranks,
Tramps and Dudes" A large audi
ence heard and enjoyed the treat, but
there were some vacant seats, and this
is matter of regret, for it is seldom
that Scranton is afforded an oppor-
tunity of hearing such a lecture and
such a lecturer.
Dr. Lorimer treated his subject from
scientific-humorou5 standpoint. If
any criticism is to be offered it is that
he should have confined himself sole
ly to the scentifc-not that his humor
was not appreciated, but the connec-
tion was oftimes apparently strained,
as it would necessarily be in such a
descent
'Reversion to type as the philoso-
piers terminology has it, is responsible,
Dr. Lorimer contended, for the exist
ence of the three anthropological
specimens under discussion. Tramps,
cranks and dudes are but the legiti-
mate descendants of former age,
only thev are more futile and inane
in this age of ours.
Abraham, with his monothesm /;
Homer with his songs; Pythagoras,
with his transmigration of souls and
devotion to geometry, were all tramps.
There have been also tramp peoples
migratory movements of races. The
Aryans Travelled along the Indus, the
Huguenots invaded England; we as a
20 of t,.ar nj
But these are not the tramp ancestors
we have in mind. Our modern tramp
is the American Arab. without horse
| or tent. He, however. doesn't steal
| away"-he steals almost anything else,
though.
MAY BECOME CURSES.
Blessings, if not wisely used, may be-
| come curses, the lecturer said, and in
| the tramp this is specifically instanced,
| for the three causes that lead to the
| tramp effect are liberty. machinery
and hristianty-unwisely used
Liberty is elbow-room and opportun-
ity. Some, particularly those who view
| our American liberty from foreign
| shores, consider it to be synonymous
| with afiluence and a license for idle
ness. Opportunity, when curtailed, as
it is in some cases by monopoly, dimin-
| ishes manhood Thus liberty improp.
| erly used begets tramps. Machinery
by its labor-saving properties. and
christianity, by its injudicious minis
| trations to the poor. have the same
| effect.
| The crank was aptly defined by DR.
| Lorimer as being whose first element
| was egotism and who was in every in.
stance at least mildly insane. He has
| but one idea as rule and that idea is
| as fixed with him as the proverbia
| llink in a yellow dogs tail. which JOSH
| Billings, it Will be remembered, tool
| as a text for one of his philosophiC
didactcs. There are~cranks, DR.. Lori
| mer went on to say, because there are
| people who know enough not to know
how little they do know" They picl
| up the odds and ends of systems anC
schemes and then proceed to asser
| themselves.
The dude combines the pre-eminen
| qualities of the tramp and crank, idle
ness and egoism. He also is not a
new creation, but a reversion to type
| For his remote ancestry one need bu
look at Absalom, Alcibiadies Beat
| Brummsll. The dude is a development
of faulty education and wealth.
NO CAUSE FOR FEAR.
Generalizing, Dr. Lorimer went on t
say that while it must be confessed
that there is a. momentary depression
in civilization in this country, there i
no cause for fear for the future. TIL
history of civilization is a succession O
onward and regressive movements, a
illustrated in MacMillans circulator,
idea. There has been no steady pro
gress. Like the rise of the tide, it ha
been effected by onward and then re
fluent and then onward waves. Light
ming does not move in straigh
course, but strikes, returns and the
strikes again, piercing farther at eac
strike.
Like the lion dropping backward 70
a spring, American humanity Wi
gather strength in this depres sion an
the dreams of the fathers shall no
fail-the hopes of the centuries sha
not be disappointed.
Following the lecture. DR.. Lorime
was rendered an informal reception
| during which he renewed many of tn
acquaintances he made on his previou
visit to this city.
The next lecture of the course wi
be on Oct. 26, when Colonel George No
McCaic will be heard or Cuba, its Re
| nance and ReVout ton'