The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-11-22
THE BoIs D'ARC CLUB.
Tho Meeting Last Sunday Morning-The
Address OF AR. John n Eli tt-Presenta-
ton of an Appropriate Present to the
Club, Etc.

The Bots Arc club held its regular meet
Ing on last Sunday morning, and after
some preliminary proceedings, under Colo
mel T. S. Ptouts in the chair, in the absence
oil Mr. l.. NJ. Knephy, president, Major
John +. Elliott was called on for his adj
dress, which he thereupon delivered, the
subject being "Clubs; their History, Value,
Influence Effects" etc:
At its conclusion Colonel w. G. Wyle
arose, and after some very complimentary
re marks, said that he "had double mo
ton 20 make; first, that the hearty thanks
of the club be extended to Major Elliott for
his admirable ADDRESS; and, second, that
the address be published in the Dallas HER
AID and other leading papers, This be-
ing seconded and most warmly endorsed
by Mr.. Moroney and others present, was
unanimously passed.
Upon motion OF Mr.. Thatcher, it was
then moved and unanimously carried, that
committee Of five be now appointed for
the purpose of obtaining $l00O-or such
sum as might be needed-to at once secure
the rentiag Of hall, and for thoroughly
fitting up the same in manner worthy the
club. its present and future, with carpets,
books papers, periodicals, etc. Following is
THE ADDRESS:
Mr. President and Gentlemen Of the Bots d Arc
Club:
In the absence of our regularly appointed
lecturer for to-day, Colonel Crawford, |
will endeavor, at your request, to substi.
tute, as best can, the ability and eIouuence
which might have treated you to some rich
repast had he been present to discharge the
task. could wish on this occasion that |
possessed the powers ofsome of your mem
bers to entertain through vein of that hui
NOR which delights the ear while il Inform,
the mind, but long ago concluded that
was not born funny, and | have never
by auempted cultivation been sue
cessiu In ENGRAVING upon myself
stock that nature evidently
never meant to flourish there, for as often as
have called upon the designated locality
OF wit, have as invariably found "nobody
at home" shall, therefore, have to con-
fine myself to field of soberer line, and
will say something about clubs, their his.
tory, nature, value, effects, etc.
Among the many instrumentalitics for
the promotion OF certain objects, whether
social, political religious, commercial, liter
airy, or other, is that peculiar asso 'iaiion
known rs the Club Its existence is due
to the organization of man, us gregarious
In his nature as are the fowls OF the air
with their ocks, the beasts OF the field with
their herds, aud the fishes of the sea with
their schools. Perhaps the suggestion for
THE CLUB, IN ITS REMOrER DATE,
arose out of the recognition of a community
OF material interests when government WAS
strong and arbitrary and the people weak
aud oppressed. The story Of The world is
strewn with illustrations of the workings of
these organizations in oil their varied
spheres. certain law of Greece, for in
stance, once ordained death to all persons
that would worship certain gods aud god
desses not in the calender of the govern
ment; and the consequence was that many
dissenters from the promulgated faith had
to meet in privacy Of the stric,cst sort to
discuss their views and to arrange for the
most expedicnt methods for their dissent
nation and acceptance Within the meet
ings of one OF those Memorable Clubs
newer views were crystal2ed and
sent upon the nation until the efforts re-
suited III the achievement of giant relorma-
tons The earlier Christians had recourse
tn similar institutions, Disgusting their real
designs under the cloak of clerical assem-
bling. SO, when the age OF falth-govern-
ment, with its idolatrous practices, gave
way to the age of government by discussion
in the purely political clubs affairs of state
were secretly debated by the brotherhood,
plans proposed and advances in the general
welfare urged through insldiOus plays, sug-
gestive poems, aod well directed satires,
and other agencies employed to awaken the
people To aneOcssiiy !JcChange. The regular
social clubs Of those ems were more pnr.
ticularly confined TO the foreigners who hap
pened to c0ngregatei IN some certain country
and who naturally yearned for and drifled
into each others society, Nor were these
club organizations limited to the patronage
OF men only but the
. WOMEN rREDURkTIN pApTICIpN
IN them, alter the manner OF our side do.
grees in Masonry, Odd Fellowship, etc
And although they at times dehberatcd
upon the more serious affairs, national and
municipal. their purposes were more es-
pecially for social enjoyment, the settle
ment OF questions OF etiquette, Of dress
fashions, OF positions on public occasions;
OF professions, balls, ETC.. as to who should
ride in carriages drawn by horses, who
must be content to sit behind mules, whose
sedan chairs might have fittings of ivory,
and whose might be trimmed with gold,
silver, etc.
In more modern times clubs have been
of equal potency, being particularly
fashionable with the literary aud scientific
characters in Johnson's and Goldsmith y
age, and under the reigns OF the Tudors
and the Stuarts. Chief among these mod
ern Clubs stands out in our memory what
was hHONii US tilc rrlNiN OlFVVl tluO, Orl-
ginated by Sir Walter Raleigh. and OF whicl,
Shakespeare, Beaumont and Fletcher aud
other well known characters were members
Also the London Literary, and the Roy
Society club, where Addison and Pope and
Steele, and Reynolds and Goldsmith gave 10
the world immortal thoughts and poured
in richest song the current of the feelings as
the eager workings of their finer passions
beat upon tho wild drapery ot
the words that couched them. Even
the iaintest account of the main
trapspirlngs in their meetings, the
humorous sayings, the witty anecdotes, III,
admirable essays, and the good influence.
these brought forth rs q charming inherit
ance for future generations, hoS viewer highly
interesting would consume more time thar
have to spare this morning, or you Tn,
patience TO bestow.
Probably the most powerful of all Club
organizations that can recall lust now wa.
that ut first purely social but subsequently,
political, one so notorious In history as
phenomenon, and doubtless familiar /,
you all,
rue jACopiN CLuB or IN NaCg,
which was organized Just prior TO tn,
French revolution Of 1850, and modelled
after the English literary clubs hay,
lust spoken vt. You will remember
that at that time France was seethnl
In troubles OF every, description, moral
religious, political, social financial
an sOrtsof Vicious excuses were rampant
Il