The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-13
WORKINGMEN'S CLUBS.
Another Effort to Assist in
Their Establishment.
WHAT LABORING MEN REQUIRE
Refreshnnent, Recreation and
Useful Instruction.

->
Tho Rev. Frederick Courtney, A. NJ, assistant rector
Of st. Thomas Episcopal Church, delivered adj
dress in ST. Georges Church. Stuyvesaut place. las.
evening on the subjec, OF tho proposed Lebanon
Workinemen's Club, IN Columbia street. Tho attend
ance was large anu tho congregation manifested much
interest in tho speakers argum and illustrations
Mr.. Courtney took no text Tor his remarks preiacing
Them merely with tho statement that no had been
called upon 10 deliver address on the subject in
question in tho hope OF Interesting tho members and
hdbifues OF ST. Georges Church In tho be
dcrtakcn Those, he began, who visit this great me-
tropois OF tho United States would be, II they were to
go about, much astonished at nnding with what q
large number OF religious, charitable aud phinn-
hropic Institutions the city nbounds very serious
question which has TO be laced by any proposing
10 establish new institution for benevolent ends, 10
DO supported by the public OF this city. Is ths-docs
not any onn OF tho many institutions already In cx.
istencc here accomplish the objects OF that which
proposed, or could II not be made 10 do encciu-
ally and with greater economy OF energy, time and
money? intend 10 show that tho institution
Of which have come here TO speak Is needed,
that Its plan Is perfectly reasonable, and that
thore ID good chance OF lis success. II am sue
cessiul In maintaining these three points trust that
you VIII DO willing 10 givo your aid 10 tho enterprise
and TO prevail upon your friends TO do the same.
am told that IN tho Seventh, Eleventh Fourteenth
wards Of this city there arc las 900 working people
who 1.-Two In tenement houses BY tn, phrase s.work
ing people, mean people who gain their livelihood
by daily manual labor To DO sure this Is not tho
only class OF working people In tho world All men,
women and children who support themselves or
others or contribute to their support by the habtua
employ ment OF hands or brains are working people
but not IN the sense In which now employ the
word. Literally, all working people, ministers
Of tho Gospel as well as othor professional
men, ana IN all honest labor there is dignity.
Tho apostles were workmop, anu John Bunyan was
none the less minis OF God because he WORKED In
smithy and inado tags for acos. speak OF the Dig
u wns no shame 10 work, but at tho carpcntcr's
bench iaoored 70 support HIS mother and Himself.
work all hours nor yot ali OF the timo
they arc awake, nor quite every minute OF the time
ihey do not, and II IS 10 provide tnem With proper
means OF spending thciR leisure moments that this
Lebanon Club 10 10 be organized.
wIKRE CAN woRknEN 60 AT NIGHT?
Some OF you may ask, Why oon't they spend their
spare time IN cnsrchf Well. why aon't your You
require Other resorts ihaa The house OF God, and
DO they. Bcsidcs tho church isn't always Open But
you say, why don't they 60 10 pray or meeting ana
stay therc2 For she same reason that you d not
But once more, Il may be demanded, why don't they
20 to tho rooms OF the Young Mems Christian Asso.
citation Ono reason Is that Tho rooms are some dis
lance on. aAd another Is that they not generally
requented by people OF the working classes; those
earn ihoir living by manual labor, ana though the
extend tho hand Of dship brothsrh to the
poor aborcr, yet Tho difficulty the other sidc.
The distinctions OF class arc not as rigid In this
try as they are In India. bat the lines pretty
close and tho different classes mngle with per-
10 tho theatre place Of resort Il is Ia tue
hands OF managers who merely cater the taste OF
their audences and DO not care TO educate Improve
II Tho tasto Of the poorer classos for higher
type Of drama. and ~ the iowcr kinds there great
deal thus IL nox,oss. They mshs 30 TO beer saloons
but those arc scarcely beucr than The thoasros and
In some rcspecta not worse. You ask, now, why tho
workingmsn don's spend their evenings a. home9
You have ncvor visiod Tho dark. dirty and crowded
rooms OF . tenement house you would ask that
question. SInco, then, tney cannot spend all their
time church. al prayer meeting or in the rooms
OF the Young Mems Christian Association or In tho
theatres or saloons or at home whore arc thoy go
That tho question whom tho managers THIS pro-
posed Institution arc about TO answer.
PLAN OF THE PROPOSED CLUB.
Tho iosa is 10 open mouse which shall DO free
instance, IN Enaland, where the idea originated md
has been carried out IN III. British pub.
because the books games and other arnase.
ments reo 10 those who did NOT
we're soon worn out and no money had been taken IN
at she reircshncnt counter to replace them IL Is
proposed 70 sell coffee and ten ana other refreshments
harmless 10 Their nature, Tor low price, anu mako
the recreations and amusements cjexble mem pers
only. Tue three tnings most needed by tho working
mau are rcfrcsmcnt recreation--sono form OF amuso
ment that will ro-creats hrs wasted energies ana
make nin more able to perform his work
the next day. an Instruction tAa prsvlssp of such
knowledge as will holp him ON, both IN his business
and IN hts moral aud social roations All VI these
demands are 10 be met by ths proposed club. IL viii
teach mea tue right use OF their Leisure; Il will Gre
ate IN them cesrc Tor high toned moral hio, ana
finally, II Is hoped, viii unto thrM y band OF de-
voted Christian soldcrs We want to act enough
money 10 SEQ whether this 10 reasonable and
necessary. could put u on the lower arouna OF
soii.tnterest-tbo wisdom OF rcconciiing Tho powers
OF labor and capital which in their BLINDNESS nov
scom antsgopisiic But DO not wish 10 do so Tho
secretary Of tho club says that ne would like 10 have
81. 900 Joiore beginning the work. no has nearly
$1,000 already and would like you 10 mako up tho
deficiency.
ANOTHER CLUB IN PROSPECT.
Tho Rev. Dr. Wiilams, rector oil tho church, next
addressed lew supplement words 10 tho congrc-
CATION. He said that The proposed club not 10 DO
n charitable institution. Tho poor had been pauper.
xed ana robbed OF ihcir sci.respoct long enough Il
tinIo TO begin q course Of action In London
ana Liverpool, whcrc such clubs havo been In opera
ton tor somc time, they pay about per cent on
tue original investment II 10 proposed 10 mako tho
Lebanon scf-supporting "If II isa sucoess' said Dr.
Williams, I'll hope TO DO able to establish similar 10.
stitution thr vicinity Tor the bencnt the 40 900
working people iiviEg Ia tenement houses between
Tenth and Twentieth strcctA" A COLLECTION was then
taken up for tho Lebanon ngmcns Club and at
ten.,on called to subscription blanks which had
boon Distributed In the pcws throughout The church.