The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-30

Elm Park church presented a patri- |
otiC appearance last evening at the |
memorial service. A beautiful arrange |
ment of flags drapcd organ and pulpit !
and memorial table. High on the or
gan frieze hung portraits of Lincoln, |
Grant and Mckinley. At either side of
the Chancel fell in loose folds from
their standards the silken banners Of
the Ezra Griffin post.
The Grand Army of the Republic and
the Sons of Veterans were more largely
represented than perhaps ever before
at a similar service. The body of the
church was given up to these visitors
and the uniformed ranks made a strik-
ing appearance. The musical pro-
gramme was of a patriotic order. The
bells chimed national airs, the organ
prelude was on the theme of Amer
ica,' and the hymns sung by the con-
gregation were america and THE
Red, White and Blue"
Rev. DR.. c. NJ. Gflin spoke to the
great congregation on the subject,
The Memorial Day Needed" It was
a brilliant and in many respects a re-
markable address, and it deeply stirred
the hearts of his listeners. His text
was from Exodus, 12:14: "And this
day shall be unto you for memorial"
SENTIMENT AND DOLLARS.
DR.. Gifin believed that if there is
| anything we need to do it is to re-
member the Cementing of our Union
by the blood of our heroes and the SOL
diers who paid the awful price of free
dom. There are those who consider
| fhp IaU bo, I, bnn
some dollars. They do not approve Of
closing business places while the graves
of the soldiers are strewn with flowers.
1t is worth while to greet the spirits
of the departed occasionally, to well
come Grant and Lincoln on their natal
days. We seem to be seeking at the
present time for q larger national reve-
| nue.. The difficulty is not SO much in
finding the money as in collecting it
| from some other nations constituency.
| To get the support needed for this re-
| public is to secure general devotion to
| the national welfare founded on
proper respect for the nations earlier
| defenders.
| What shall we cay about n country
| that welcomes Decoration Day as a
| fitting time to see famous ball game
L
| forgotten aunt, never giving any medi-
| tation to the departed. 1t is no matter
| 10 them whether we neglect or resur-
| rect them, the difference is to our
| selves. DR.. Gifin then spoke of the
| rumor that Wall street controls the
| present situation and delays the pro-
| posed plans of war. He wanted to
| turn his face from this thought and re-
| member our heroes of the days that
| have been.
| America has been generous to her
| soldiers and proposes to be, notwith-
| standing the chronic grumbler We
| respect our soldiers as no other nation.
| No other has a national cemetery: no
| other sets aside one day out of a year
| to the memory of her dead soldiers 1t
| is democratic institution and does
not alone commemorate officers or great
| leaders. No private would today in
| our land sleep with his little mound
| unmarked by the bloom of remem-
| branCc: 1t is a supreme testimony to
| the American character that we are
| not willing to overlook the value of
| what our soldiers have done
UNITED FOR ALL TIME.
A triple alliance is costly
| and simple defense i'm comparison with
our unity Suppose the United States
flag had been trailed in the dust, and
that some of the stars had been trans
ferred to another standard and had
compelled the border defense, the in
cubus of European military. The
blood of our heroes sealed the States
Rights and was precisely defined for
all eternity. These men bought for us
with their blood a precious legacy.
National union secession was d omed at
Gettysburg and AppumatoX and in this
strife of today, north and south. the
blue and the gray go forth together.
They now unite so that nothing can
divide.
We need day to give our thanks to
the men who prevented the evil or sep
aration. y man may not be deemed a
hereto If he opposes the ultimate pos
session Of the Philippines but never
must he suggest that there can hp
more than on" government between the
lake ana tho gulf the Atlantic and the
Pacific.
We have had a holiday idea Of a SOL
dicr for some years. Pcrhaps before
this conflict is ended in more than one
Scranton home viii he grief and dcsu-
latior for one stricken by the bullet If
q Spaniard or the inhosptaity Of that
incongcrial cline. Then it may he
realized What war really means.
Never such . large prODortion fell
upon any field in the battles Of the past
as in our civil! war. 5000 officers. 90 Onl
privates, $4,000 from disease and suf-
ferinE; S900O,--a hecatomb lifting it's
self to the very sky How they went
forth to die! For whom? For YOU and
me. and will we be cold tomorrow?
lie liked to remember the great lead
ers. They were the product Of Amcri-
can stock. We cannot afford to forget
them. We should then have a Memor-
ial Day. First Of ourselves, for we arc
never better than those we admire We
need t. think of the soldier dead for
\ our Countrys sake.
>I He blushed for a city that has made
millions for everything else hut has
( never had money enough to build a
monument to the dead soldiers, and
J suggested that the lot near Elm Park
} church would be the proper location.
} WAR Is Justified.