The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-23

which we appear to have taken in
readily enough and which we shall all
doubtless be able thoroughly to digest.
1t now becomes my duty as president
TO introduce to you some ENJOYS ex-
traordinary and ministers plenipoten-
tiary from the courts of divinity, jour
nalism and politics who will give you
their Views, from purely New Eng
land standpoint, on the absorbing
questions of the day. But, before
reaching that feature of the meeting,
/ believe 1t Is customary for the presi-
dent to make a few remarks on his
own account. There is, however. no
occasion for alarm. My speech will be
brief, whether it is to the point or not.
1t will be like a certain New England
dinner of which l once heard. A gem
tleman who had not partaken of it was
asking a gentleman who had partaken
of it how it was. "Well," was the re-
ply. lit was good enough. what there
was of it," why, wasn't there
enough of it?" "Oh yes, there. was
enough of it such as it was" The
presidents address will bear a marked
resemblance to that dinner.
l presume it is my duty in the first
place to congratulate you on the large
attendance here this evening, which l
do most sincerely. 1t is also my duty
to call to your attention the growth
and prosperity of our society. And
that also / do with great pleasure.
The reports of both the secretary and
treasurer are in the highest degree
satisfactory. 1t is also my duty to an
nounce to YOU that since our last an
nual gathering the society has lost by
death two members-Plumer 5. Page
and Isaac L. Post.
DEPARTED MEMBERS.
Mr.. Page was born in Orange coun-
ty, Vermont, in 1S41. He came to Lu-
zerne county about thirty-nine years
ago and turned his attention to rail-
road construction work and contract
ing. in which he achieved eminent sue
cess. tie was of a most genial dispo-
sition, had hosts of friends, and was
! always a very welcome attendant at
the gatherings of the New England
society, of which he was an active and
interested member. His death oc-
| Cured suddenly May 14th last at his
home in this city and was recognized
as distinct loss to the community of
| which he had been so valued MEM
| ber.
| Isaac L. Post was born in Montrose
| July IL, 1918. He came of New Eng
! land ancestry. He served his country
as a soldier in the civil war. He came
! to Scranton in 1865 and from that time
! to the date of his death he lived and
| labored in this city, loved by many
| and honored by all. This society has
| lost in him a valued and devoted
| member. Finally it is my duty, as it
| is the duty of all presidents of New
! England societies, to speak few
| words in praise of the Pilgrim Fa-
Tiers. Nor is this a duty from which
| | would shrink. if l but felt myself
| capable of doing Justice to these old
! heroes of New England. A bright wo-
| man complained, not long ago that
we talk too much about the Pilgrim
| fathers and too little about the Pill
| grim mothers. She declared that the
| latter deserve as much praise as, and
more than the former, For the Pill
| grim mothers endured as did then
husbands, hunger, loneliness, disease
desolation, and in addition to all this
they also endured-the Pilgrim ia.
theirs.
l agree most fully with this advocate
of equal rights and a little more,
but l think she labored under a mis-
apprehension. / am very sure tina
every gallant New Englander, il
praising the Pilgrim fathers, fully in
tends to embrace the ladies in that eN
preston.
THEY HATED A LIE.
But if l were to try to do justice t,
the Pilgrim fathers and mothers to
night, | would not dwell upon thei
endurance, their fortitude their BRAY
cry, their sublime faith inspiring then
to heroic deeds. Other men and Wo
men have done as much, and more, TO
conscience and for Christ. But
would dwell rather on that one virtue
which. above all others, TO my mine
constitutes their crown of glory
mean their hatred of a lie.
They spoke the truth, they acted tn
truth, they lived the truth. The
p never had a lie within their hearts
. much less upon their lips. Severe the
, were no doubt, blunt. stern, uncon
promising; but let it be said of theI
, also, that they were true; true a
5 ways, true everywhere, splendid
. true to themselves, TO others and |
God Some one has defined lie to /
IAN abomination unto the Lord ana
. | very present help in time of trouble
i, The first part of this definition is III
. dOubtedly correct. The second pa
. might, perhaps, be amended so as
!, read "a very pressing trouble Whe
YOU most need help" For my own e2
,, perience in lying-not as a lawyer, yo
=, understand, but as a small boy IN
=. tempting to evade the logical cons'
: uuences of misConduCt-my own e.
perience in lying always was thaI l II
Varia bly, got in,o ten times more trol
:, BILE by reason of the lie than did b
I. cause of the original offense. And
think that experience VIII hold goo
'' with most persons everywhere.
People in the respectable world don
: indulge much nowadays in the plal
/ bold, open, unblushing lie. 1t don
;, pav. 1t isn't good policy nor goo
=, politics. 1t is not gentlemanly,
> clear out lie Is too easy to refute.
"A lie that is all a lie may be met al
fought with outright;
But a lie that is part truth Is
- harder matter to fght.
! THE HALF-LIES.
" 1t is these half-lies that do the mi
l. chief, these false suggestions, these 5
tanic silences. And in these the Wol
of today is not lacking. Oh, Tor [
spirit of those Pilgrim noblemen, W
never led another, under any prefer
TO believe that which they themselv
S. knew to be untrue. l am no pesslllll
I believe the world is growing bett
cleaner, loftier in purpose every di
T.. But there Is no way In which we G
better help along this work of clari
cation of the general conscience IN
nv recognizing our own faults and II
A ing 10 correct them. Let us recOgn
the fact that we have so far depart
from the straight path trodden by
Pilgrim fathers as to indulge at tin
i'm the spirit and practice Of preVanC
tiOn.
Take my own profession, for {
ample that of the law. And / want
saw. Observation-Disclosures we are !
he nearly so bad in this respect as we {
ry PAINTED. In the language of
a. Lorrtap naiphbOr "half the lies II