The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-15

I'LL
liar nesting at the Court House last Monday
quite interesting
The principal exercises were reading by Miss
Burgess, Mr.. George Sweet, and defamation by
Mr.. Bart McDonough, ard "Independent" by A..
Lovejoy.
Miss Lydia S'rawn delivered an address, which,
at the request of the society, is published III Inc
city r.pcrs, tu-wit:
At no distant day in the past it was asserted
upon this floor that our Literary ana Sociai
Union was deud beyond all hope OF resurrectioh'
that the only thing remaining LOT US 10 w was
to give it a decent and speedy burial.
! appeal to YOU, working members, ~ inns ne
cessarily truey is your old time devotion thing
OF naught2 Have you wasted forty evenings III
the two years that are behind us on an orgahiAu'
ton too indolent to even struggle LOT Nh iAs.
cnecy ask sou, II you stood to.night Desiae inc
death bed Of one who was near ana dear W you,
watching the cold, gray pallor creep over up anu
brow and knew that by one mighty enort Vi
will YOU could call the glow OF healtn uach W
the wan cheeks and send the elixir OF NE uahc
ing through the arteries, would you stand back
| with folded arms and say: Alas! death Is new
table, Would you fling down your banner before
an enemy, or spike your guns win co"aful.
haste in the face OF u Zoe! Ana VIII you, ca" 3oo
gave your time and your offering Of good WILL
| to a disg1ucetul death, is it an honorable thing
! that this city of Ottawa, with It's Ten Ihousahu
Inhabitants-a city whose many saloons are
never vacant through all the evening hours,
icity where numerous clubs Of various descrp-
tions live and thrive, where burnt cork Ministries
flourish, and where theatres are not at discount
cannot supp, 1T one literary organization? Is
I II crcdtable to you, young men, who DO ma
time, even with your absorbing business cares,
., l,itn ont La, Ill
latest sensation OF the day with your neighbol
over the way, that this society goes down Tor The
want Of just such help as you can give, II you
will? Its rise or fall does concern you more
dearly than you Imagine. Whatever drags IL
down drags you down also. Whatever lifts 1t to
a higher broader plane OF living lifts you with
it, And this literary society, il it be worthy
the name at all, does unquestionably do.
do not clam that this society is faultless.
acknowledge that it has grave defects, but as
scrt, without fear of contradiction, that it has
accomplished good work 1t has helped you,
worker; it has made you stronger and developed
your latent energies. Giving, You have recev-
ed; blessing, you have been blessed. And you,
Outsider, who do not share in the toll, II II has
done no other good il has at least provided you
with food for thought Weak as it may be
weak it undoubtedly is-yet 1t meets an acknowl-
edged want. Its place can be lily supplied. IL
has not reached the high standard which 1t
might have reached, but it is an honor to the
town, and it disgraccs you, young people OF ",
tawa to allow it to pass out OF the world, us did
its Streator relative few weeks ago, "unwcpt,
unhonored and unsung."
4 Do not bring the himsy excuse that you have
NO talent and must therefore be excused 1t Is
very probable, nay ii is more than possible, that
neither you nor are great writers, eloquent Or
ators or inspired poets, but both you and have
some little gift which we can use il we Will. NO
two human eyes ever look at the same object in
exactly the same light. Your vision beholds
things which ours do not. Variety Is interest
Give US what you have seen of human nature, oi
life, and art, and our programmes shall glow
with attractive grace.
1t is true that there are discouragements in
our path, clouds in our sky. Our society has
lost in numbers since its organization. Twenty
five members have dropped away by removal ana
from other causes, and some OF our best WORK
ing members are absent from us. Our purse is
not heavily laden; we are somewhat in debt
Our programmes, though carefully prepared,
have not been promptly filled. We have failed
to furnish music on divers occasions, and once
our room was not warmed
But all this is behind US. The future is before
"a glorious future, if We will that it shall be so
And now shall we disorgauizc? | have faith 10
believe better things of you. Cnuy is strength
Let us all work together for a common aim and
the Literary and Social Union shall not die, bat
90 down to q green and beautiful old age.
The election of officers for the ensuing quarter
was then held with the following result:
President, Z. T. Moore.
Vice President, Miss Mary Phillips.
Secretary Miss Sarah Burgess
Treasurer, Mrs. C.. j. Curyea.
Chaplain, Mr.. c. j. Curyea.
Executive Committee, Miss Lydia Strawn,
Miss Rose Eichclbergcr and Mr.. A. Lovejoy.
\ We might suggest to the consideration OF the
constitutional committee now preparing new
constitution, thEt the appointment OF perform
crs be put into the hands of the president ant
not left to the executive committee, which will
be more likely TO insure regularity OF exer
ciscs than the present arrangement. The exc
cutive committee arc generally scattered over
the town aud rarely come together except on
nights of meeting when they do nothing. The
president should make his appointments for two
or three weeks ahead and each night OF meeting
give out his notices for say two meetings ahead
We think this will give, as we said, much more
regularity TO the exercises 10y having always a
regular programme prepared from four to six
weeks before each meeting comes around.
Another point that needs mending is the
character OF the programme. There should be
more original articles-an oration now and then
and an original essay at least every meeting
A defamation o. a reading may be very enjoya
BILE to hear dut the amount Of benefit the per
formers derive trom it does not amount 10 two
straws A good declaimer is generally a very
poor public speaker, and can not become a
speaker by mere practice in defamation, even
though he deliver defamation every day in the
week and twice GA Sunday; and In the best col
ilege literary societies none but Freshmen or
Props deliver declarations, and then not If
they can do an vthiny else to the credit Of the
society. If the object Of the society is Improve
meut more attention should be given to perfor-
manees that will be beneficial. debate say
once a month would he very useful, though un-
less very interesting they become a decided bore
to the audience il indulged in too often But 1t
lis certain that orations, essays and debates must
u, I oh nj