The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-06

for "yictoria, the Good"
The only real, genuine, old-fashioned
Fourth of July celebration was out at
Green Ridge where the Phil Sheridan
council Y M. l., raised flag in front
of st. Paul's Parochial school, to the
accompaniment patriotic exercises by
the school children, an oration by Hon.
L. v. Powderly and speeches of pres
entation and acceptance respectively
by President James Roach, OF the
Young Mems Institute, and Rev. p. j.
McManus, pastor of st. Paul's church.
The exercises began at 10 o'clock a.
M, when a large membership of local
Catholic societies braved the heat and
dust and paraded through the princi-
pal streets of Green Ridge, headed by
the Forest band. There was first a
line of carriages containing the speak
ers, visiting clergymen and represen-
tatives of the societies participating.
Then came the Father Mathew soci-
cites, Ancient Order of Hibernians and
councils of the Young Mems Institute,
the st. Aloysius society of the South
Side and the Dunmore and John Boyle
O'Reilly councils Of the Young Mems
Institute having the best representa-
tions.
At the base of the sixty-six foot pole
from which the flag was floated, plat
form had been erected and from this
the speeches were made. The school
children opened the exercises with
singing. Then President James Roach,
of the Phil Sheridans, presented the
flag to the school in a very neat and
appropriate speech.
Rev. Father McManus accepted the
gift on the part of himself and the
school. thanking the Young Mems In
stitute in the warmest terms for their
kindness and praising them for the
spirit which prompted the act. Il
have wanted a good big flag for the
school ever since it was built" he
said. I'VE have kept a small one
floating from the window on every ap-
propriate occasion but ! felt we should
have a big one, that we could float
above the school. 1t seems as If God
had given this to us to show his appre-
citation of the patriotic teachings that
/ and the teachers have been instilling
into our pupils"
MEANING OF THE FLAG.
He then explained to the children
what the flag stood for, the significance
of the stripes, stars and colors ant
concluded by telling them that theii
last drop of blood should not be denied
the principles which "Old Glory" repre-.
sented.
The flag was then hosted in place
while the children sang THE Stal
ula ~;
with accompaniment by the band. Ther
three rousing cheers were given, Father
| McManus leading.
Owing to the excessive heat and the
| fact that there was no protection from
the sun, either for the speakers or tn,
audience, Mr.. Powderly made his re
marks very brief. His remarks in tht
main were a comparison of the snnua
| jubilee of the United States and the jul
blee of Queen Victoria.
1t was quite remarkable Mr.. Powder
| ly thought, that during all of her sixt,
years reign not one particular deed wa!
| found by her admirers that was deemed
worthy of special Commemoration. II,
ridiculed the Americans who had par
| ticipated in the public celebration anC
| said he thanked God no Irishman haC
been thoughtless enough to scrape AM
bow before one whose reign was moth
| ing more or less than sixty years o
war; conquest. oppression and tyranny
Lincoln's Emancipation proclama
tion was mentioned by way of con
trast, the speaker contending that tina
one deed overshadowed not only al
that had been accomplished for hu
manity by Queen Victoria but all tn
present crowned monarchs of tn
world.
There was no particular credit at
taching to Queen Victoria for wha
progress Great Britain had made in tn
matter of civilization, Mr.. Powderl
said.
An Irishman, one time, he went on t
relate, was being shown Niagara Fall
by an Englishman. The Englishma
grew eloquent at the sight The Irish
man didn't get a bit enthused. TIL
Englishman chided him for his lack O
appreciation, whereupon the Irishma
said, "Well what's so wonderful abou
that, dunno?" why" said the Eng
lishman. "The water That might
waste of water, Going over the falls!
What the divil is to hinder it?" sal
the Irishman.
WHAT'S TO HINDER?
With this story he disposed of the on
boast made by Victoria's admirers
that she was good. What was to hin
der her? There is many a poor an
lowly woman, Mr.. Powderly said, VIII
had reached Queen Victoria's years an
who was also good" And" he added
"many of them have raised just a
good and as religious boys and girls a
has Victoria the Good"
In closing, Mr.. Fbwderly took
whack at bigotry, paying particular al
tention to those who make Catholic
and Irshmen as objects of their nai
rowness. One thing he would like
call to the attention of such to the fac
that Lackawanna county gave two me
to the two thousand who made up tn
Legion of Honor and that those tw
bore the name of Patrick DeLacy an
John C.. Delaney.
The exercises closed with the singin
of my Country 'Tis of Thee" an
spontaneous burst of applause by IL
assemblage.
A picnic was held in the grove oppC
site the school following the fiag-rai'