The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-11

STEg5GS W.
SIR A. T. HAMILTON, NJ D., 2. q. c., |
Lewiston
shals and grand and supreme officers
in front of Malta temple. John Knox
and Anthracite Communicates went
through some pretty drill evolutions
during the review, and were heartily
applauded. The parade sight-seers
numbered many thousands.
In the evening the knights, high
and low, accompanied by their wives
and lady friends assembled in the Ly-
ceum to witness what is known to the
order as a grand tourney, but to the
laymen would be well arranged social
affair.
The purpose of the tourney was to
afford the mayor Of our city an op-
portunity to bid the sir knights a
formal welcome. The interior of the
Lyceum was artstically decorated
with the Malta colors. The pros
cenium was draped and on the left
was the grand commandery standard.
The loges and boxes came in for their
share of the adornment.
Upon the stage We're seated the
grand commandery officers, Mayor
Moir, members of the '99 committee
and Bauer's band. Sir Frank II.
Young, secretary of the 99 committee,
introduced the speakers of the even
ing. His remarks in each instance
were apt and well spoken. The first
speaker was Mayor Moir, who un-
questionally left no doubt in the minds
of his hearers that Scranton was all
that it professed or her citizens boasted
for it.
MAYOR MOIRS FIRST.
His address Of welcome was as fol-
lows:
Grand master and nembers Of the
Ancient and Illustrious Order Knights
of Malta: 1 bid you welcome to this
our goodly city of Scranton. For over
q year we have heard it announced
that an invasion Of our city would
take place about this time. our vigil
ant officers aud citizens generally have
noted an influx of strangers for the
past few days; arriving singly or in
detachments; all carrying weapons of
offense and defense, and proclaiming
by the insignia on their uniforms that
they are all members of the same body
and are here for a definite purpose
and that their every movement is pre-
concerted.
Our curiosity was naturally aroused,
not only as to the safety of the city,
but as to what manner of men COM
posed this strange and to us entirely
new military body, and their inten-
tions while here in force. On inquiry
the claim was made that they were
members of the famous military fra
ternity known as the Knights of st.
John, later known at the Knights of
Malta. BY referring to history l soon
| learned that this organization has long
| been known to fame; this illustrious
military brotherhood has had a long,
| eventful and glorious history; that
| early in the twelfth century they first
| appeared in Jerusalem, banded to-
| gether for the protection and succor-
| ing of the Pilgrims who came to worship
| in the Holy City. We find that they
were famous not only for their valor
but for their devotion to Christian
religion, their boundess charity and
their noble hospitality.
| They displayed their prowess or
many a bloody field and in the de-
| Tense of many a beleagured city. Fol-
centuries your order stood the bul.
Warks of Christianity in the East
against Mohammedan aggression. The
| world knows of their mighty deeds al
Acre, in Cyprus, in Rhodes and finally
| in the Isle of st. Paul, from which
you derive your modern name-Malta.
| What reader Of history is there thai
does not feel his blood tingle when he
reads of the defense of the castle OF
| st. Elmo, where one of the most ag'
gressive and ablest rulers of Ottoman
Turks was checked, crippled and beater
back by handful of knightly heroes
But those days of rapine and blood
shell are of the past.
CROSS AND CRESCENT.
The crescent is steadily on the wane
The Pilgrims can come and go In tht
Holy City unmolested, Cyprus and the
Isle Of Malta now belong to a Chris
tian empire, thus proving that thu
deeds of valour performed by YOU
ancient brethren were not in vain. Al
l understand it, you modern knights
seek not only to keep alive their valor
Gus memories, but also to practice
those principles which inspired then
and made them so famous.
| Maltas, you are followers of the mar
of Galilee, and you proclaim yourselves
as such: the ethics of the sermon OF
the mount prevail among you; yol
are a Christian fraternity. | find th
emblem of Christianity is displayed oil
every uniform. How refreshing il
1
mawkish sentimentalism, of scepticisn
and doubt, TO see so many men, OLE
and young, but especially the youns
men, declare what they are and haV'
the courage of their convictions.
often recited when a boy Watts stroni
hymn:
I'm not ashamed to own my Lord
Nor to defend his cause
Maintain the glory of the cross
And honor all his laws.
Yes, whenever the sacred emblem
worn by YOU since your first organiza
ton under Raymond Depuy; whcrevc
that emblem has been displayed ii ha
always been the hachinger of bette
things. Well and truslY can you sini
In the cross of Christ l glory,
Towering DER the wreck Of time,
All the light of sacred story gather
rounds it's head sublime,
Grand master, having slight knowl
edge Of the principles and aims of you
order, We hail your advent among u
with delight; for the first time in you
history you have floaled the standar
OF a grand master in the city of Scran
ton.
We metaphorically surrender to you
forces. Our draw bridges are down