The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-30

ever, the event of the afternoon being
the address of Attorney John McCourt
of Scranton, who was invited by Prof
w. D. Dryden, principal of the High
school, to address the students this
Memorial Day.
Those who came With the expecta-
ton of hearing stereotyped Memoir
ial Day address, associating this belief
with the day that was being observed
were agreeably disappointed Mr.. Nc
Courts address was an earnest vigor-
GUS talk to the students, particularly
the graduates of the class of 'O2, on the
problems of life that confronted them.
1t was sincere, forceful appeal to
all his numerous hearers to avoid on
this Memorial Day-"ths holy day
the word or the thought that might
arouse anger or hate against our foes
of forty years ago; and the peroration
was grateful, warm-hearted tribute
to the wearers of the Union blue. the
silvered veterans, who were before him.
Mr.. McCourt's effort was brilliant,
and he most profoundly impressed the
students and the visitors with his rare
eloquence. his vigor and his force,
while the old soldiers faces glowed with
the kind feeling that they felt for the
young orator, whose broad-minded
views made an appeal that won their
hearty approbationI
This was Mr.. McCourt's second pub
lie appearance in connection With the
public schools of Carbondale The
other occasion was the debate in this
city between the Scranton and Carbon
dale High schools. This incident was
happily alluded to and discussed by
Mr.. McCourt in his preface, described
1t with keen humor that lighted the
way for the earnest and vigorous
thoughts that followed.
Mr.. McCourt spoke as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: just once be-
fore in my career, Il very long time ago.
not measured by the count of years at all,
but because the rude hand of change
seems to have thrust it very far into the
past, l had the honor of addressing the
Carbondale high school under circum-
stances so different from the present
that, as | sat here, l could not help 81
lently contrasting the two. During my
Scranton high school days there came
down the valley from this school a chal-
lenge to us to send forward a delegation
to contest the question as to which of the
two cities was the more suitable as II
home. The day the Scranton high school
went into, committe of the whole TO
choose the warriors three" who weI,e to
represent them, there was general at
mosphere of melancholy pervading the
entire. assemblage. because we felt that
the Students up here in their guilelessness
had no knowledge OF what profound
scholars and caustic manpulatops of all
subjects, we We're, including international
complications and the nebular hypothesis.
And We felt, ladies and gentlemen, that it
was an act almost akin to treachery for
MS to take advantage of their innocence
But after due deiberation we came to
the conclusion that all is fair in love and
wor and steeling our hearts to every ten
der sentiment three of MS were finally
selected to intiict the cruel blow. With
our schoolmatest to cheer rs. aud our
teachers to edlfy us and our city's arch
iVesto refresh us, We swooped down upon
the Pioneer City, all unconscious of the
pending disaster, and upon the stage of
your opera house the debate In due time
began. A young lady from Carbondalc
opened the controversy by SELLING the cit,
VI Scranton by it's ihetaphorical neck and
Hhirling 1t around her head In way that
1 positively refuse to describe. Her fund
Of Attenuation regarding the faults and
foibles OF the city Of Scranton WAS simply
inexhausttble. 1t wasn't accurate, Al
this late day protest 1t wasn't accurate
but ladies' and gentlemen--it was very ef-
fectiye! At the end Of an hour the de-
bate ended. the judges retired and We
were alone with sickening consciousness
that all had not gone we'll. I'VE are
whipped" said to myself, 1--WE are
whipped but the judges will not dare To
find against us. Why II they had the
temerity to decide that Carbopdale. was
Saors desirable as a home than Scranton