New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-09

u
meals. 1t was stated, however, that certain
accommodations of the sort would be pro
yded., and that wines and cigars Won roho nc
them. This latter proc amatiOn-wmch, u wOnin
seem, ought not to- sartle any one acqualnted WIN
club life-was the beginning of soIrOws to the COM
mittee and especially TO the cergymen whose
names graced its roll, including the Rev. PhlllIps
Brooks, of Trinity. and the Rev. James freeman
Clarke, of the Warren Avenue Unitarian Chnrch'
The Rev. Joseph Cook who is as alert IN local anaiIS
as in the more abstruse matters upon WNlch Ne au-
mirngy discoursee, lmmeGlatelY leli np1 h 1mo
offenders with OTatOrica tooth and nail the Massa
chusetts Temperance Alliance, in one OF those soclal
hair-pullings which it instinctlvely terms meet
ings" turned vituneralve guns upon the o. Botol-
pbians and the luckless cleTRvmen We're rakcd fore
and att. These replied in moderate and depTecatOry
terms, setting forth the inherent differences
side and prohibition and forcible repression on
the other. Their opponents, never so gratlfied as
when they can find some one to combat tnelr S1-
IRENE views, again came briskly to the attack, pc
ing reinforced, indeed by that supreme agltat0r.
Mr.. Wendell Phillips, who, since he orat0rlcaiIy
lcvelled all of BostOn's public statues, had been
signing for a fresh location to buckle on his mail
and grasphis flesh biting Excalibur., He made the
Row Mr. Clarke the direct subject of his onslaught,
9 16e tor@ of "f etter to To IdS.
which excited the adnlraton OF fTlena
and foe alike l! was IN the writer's VI st O Tigo m
quality of scathnR rdcule which passes so wen ior
argument. 1t arragned the Boston clergy lor lt5
apathy upon the subject of temperance, ana wound
up with brilliant perOTatlon against ministers VINO
read Shakespeare from the pulpit while the hest tai
ens Of Boston are going down to drunkards graves;
When il is recolected that all this thunder and
lightning was provoked by An irresponsible clrcnar
for the club has not considered the subject Oh
wines at all, much less incorporated Their unre-
sricted use as the cornerstone OF It's t0undatlnn
the conclusion is only natural that MI fhillips s
outbuTst is only the spontaneous eferyescence o.
the suddenly uncOrked spirit OF reform Al all
events the club still shows evidences OF unshaken
stability and will doubtless continue TO exist III
spite of prOhibitory fumInatiOns.
THE CLUB MEMBERSHIP AND NAME
The association has a very strong mem
bership. Such names appear on its roll as
William d. Howells r.. b. Aldrich, Col
opel Higginson, j. Boyle O'Rcilly. Colonel G. E.
Warning IT,, and George Parsons Lathrop among
literary men, ]. Foxcroft Cole, Ernest Longfelow,
George Fuller, J. Appleton Brown and T. II. Bart
lett among artists and sculptoIs Professors Alex
ander Agassiz and John Fske of Harvard
College Ex-Governor Rice, Martin BrimmeT, Alex
ander II. Bullock, William Castor, Henry l.. Pierce.
Governor Long, George +. HOara and Robert Z. VIM
thrnp among men prominent i'll public life Carl
ZeTahn and Julins EichbeTG, among nusicians;
and among the clergy, Phlilps Brooks, James tleeI
Nj j. Savage. A clubhouse is advancing rapidly
toward completion on BOyISi0n-St., winch VIII
furnish all the cOnvenicnces requisite for displays
of pictures, concerts readings, etc., ana every
indicates that the new ASSOCIATION VIII make an I'M
proving and liberal influence felt-Mr. Phillips and
ing. The name. ST. Botolph," which has been de-
clared inappropriate and meaningless, is it would
SEEM one of the most fitting that could be devised
The club phOlOgisIs, indeed, declare that the word
Boston is merely q contraction anu corruption
of " ST. BotOphstOwn." and that st. BOfoph was
the patron saint of the Old English Boston, IRON
which town our own city was named. AZ
all events, there iS i'll the English Town an Ola
"ChuIch of ST. Botolph." which is admired as one
of the finest pieces of architecture in Great Britain,
and tradition asserts that John Cotton, pastor of
that church in the time of Charles l., fled to
America to escape persecution ana SET up anGthef
Of fboa mann in "a
of time to have brought Ill strange revenge.
however when the name Of the old Puritan Church
gives its title to club but If It brings with 1t any
of its former Odor of sanctity SO much the better
perhaps.
STATUE OF LEFT, son OF ERIC THE NoRsEMAN.
Speaking above of Mr.. Phillipss attack on our
public statues suggests the fact that Boston persists
III flying III the teeth of fate and of his criticism by
continuing to put up others. The latest candidate
for immortality in enduring bronze Is Loft, son OF
Eric, the Norseman Who tradition says, visited the
coast of New-England five centuries before the
discoveries of Columbus. If Lef's claims have
been so long practically unrecognzed it is surely
high time he had his monument, for he has walted
nearly nine hundred years for lt-a period OF time
compared to which that passed over by the llustrl-
Gus shade of "Tle Father of his Country" seems
unworthy of all the talk made about 1t. Certain
influential gentlemen in this city, under the lead of
Mr.. Thomas Appleton, have had this project IN
mind for the past ten years, but not until recently
has much popular interest been taken IN il. Now,
however, about T0,OUU has Deen QllcllF IdlSeu'
enough to warrant the commission of the work to
the sculptor. Mr.. j. Q. a. Ward of New-Yprk, has
been selected for the task, apd has presented an
admirable model. 1t represents stalwart man OF
Morse cOuntenance and garb, standing with intent
face and foot ADVANCED, as if catching sight
of the strange shore upon which he
landed His left hand grasps a spear, and
his right hangs lightly by his side; his clothing
consists of a clOselyftting tunic Of mail, With
cloak flowing over one shoulder, boots of hide and
metal helmet. The figure is alert and vigorous,
and all the accessories of the work allow purely
artistic treatment, while not stIaylnG widely from
exact truth The statue is unlike anything of the
sort we have in Boston, and will prove valuable
addition to our public treasures. The work will
cost SIC, 900, and the pedestal-an uncut granite
boulder, with bronze tablets and cl lmbnG vines
upon it. and intended to serve as drinking f9un-
tain-will cost So 600 more. Nearly twO-thrds of
that sum is as good as secured and the work will
be pushed forward as rapidly as possible The
statue Will stand i'll Post Office Square, IN the heart
of the city, and before the eastern facade of the
Post Office and several of the finest insurssce
buildings in Boston.