Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-13
Special Correspondence Of THE EvExnso STAR.
Nrw YoPr Januarv n

/
Special Correspondence Of THE EvENnNo STAR
NEW YORK, January L.;
In . few years this city will be as great q
town for clubs as London. We have them from
the great clubs that are so great that they art
scarcely ever without some sort of scandal il
them down to the union clubs that only blossom
out on certain extraordinary occasions wher
| they take ride through the streets and blow
horns with their ceery breath. Oae of the latest
clubs formed is the Nineteenth Century Club
Its object is to advance the study Of philosoph.
ical and social questions. The president of the
club is Courtland Palmer, who has very liberal
views on religious subjects and is a philosopher
in small way. One of the other members is F.
B. Thurber, who can lay no claim to being a
philosopher, but who always gives his assistance
| TO reform Clubs, and who apparently has liking
Tor joining any new club at all. Clubs OF this
character usually have short life. There is q
great deal OF enthusiasm among the members at
| nrst but as soon as the novelty wears of they
lose their interest and finally drop out-at least
this has been the case in clubs Of similar char
| acter. Another new social organization is the
Minuette club. 1t is an English idea, as most OF
| the ideas are which are adopted by New York
| society. The club Is composed Of twelve young
men and twelve young ladies, who meet once q
week to practice the measures of the minuette
| When they have got their heels and toes SUN.
GENTLY under control they intend to give an ex.
hioltion at DemonioO's In fancy costumes.
THE REV. HEBER NEWTON.
For long time Beecher and Talmage had II
all their own way but recently the Rev R.
Heber Newton, the pastor Of one of the leading
Episcopal churches in this city, has been preach
ing sermons that, in point OF sensationalism,
quite overshadow the efforts Of the Brooklyn
preachers. For some time he has attracted no.
tice by his liberal views on social questions. and
within the last two or three weeks has at
| tempted to pick the Bible to pieces with q thor
oughness that Col. Bob Ingersoll could hardly
equal 1t is quite odd to see such an iconoclast
in an orthodox pulpit. He talks of the story of
the ai OF man as clever fable, questions the au-
thenticity Of books in the Old Testament speaks
OF the Songs OF Solomon as love story and of
the Book of Job as Hebrew poem. He almost
goes as far as to speak Of the Book of Daniel IA
clever forgery. This, as ! have said, is
rather queer, but his congregation evidently
doubt he has succeeded in educating his congre-
cation up to his position, in the same manner
tnat Beecher has carried his along with him
little by little. As yet have heard Of no pro-
test on the part OF Mr.. Newtons ecclesiastical
snperiors, but there will be an uproar by-and by.
Then. suppose Mr. Newton will establish an in
dependent church, organize society OF ethical
| culture, or, like the Rev. Mr.. Min of Chicago.
60 on the stage and play Hamlet While Mr.
newton IS far in advance Of the most Of the
| perceptible in churches of all denominations.
what would our grandfathers have thought of a
comic opera being produced In the chapel OF O.
| church by members OF the choir and of the church
society Yet, this Is what we had the other night
at the Church Of the Messiah, of which the Rev.
Robert Collyer is pastor. The opera was done
very well, and was noticed as any other opera
would De, and has passed without any further
comment.
THE MILLIONAIRE ANTI-MoNoPoLrsT.
F. B. Thurber, the millionaire anti-monopo-
llst, Is never too busy to talk on the subject of
antl-monopoly. even going into the abstruse
politico-economic phases of it. had q chat
with him In his stubby little counting room
Yesterday. At his elbow were piles Of COPIES of
the anti-monopoly paper issued by the anti
monopoly league, and On the shelves were
tracts ana documents, some of them apparently
black. wy
"Is the League doing anything now?" I
asked
an sery teS Ssb Ss 9o BE- replied
may lie on their arms at time like this, but the
anti-monopolist party is always at work. So
far the League has mainly sought to educate
the people up to the point of revolt"
"How long has this work been going on?"
Tine League was formed only two years
ago, but there has been more or less work for
the last ten years So far more than 6. 900 900
OF documents have been sent to different parts
OF the country. My attention was directed to
the evils OF monopoly some years ago. and
began to study the subject"
what are the direct aims of the mOyement2"
"One OF them Is to compel transportation
companies to basetheir charges upon the cost of
service with q fair profit added. We also want laws
to prohibit fictitious values in the construction of
T1af
made by railroads and other corporations that
depend upon the public. We want legislation
to prevent these abuses. Another aim of the
movement is to secure more efficient laws
against bribery and corruption. 1t is also de-
sired that the postal laws should be reformed
SO as to be made to include postal savings
bank and postal telegraph and telephone There
should be commission over state and inter-
state commerce to which appeals may be made.
Now, the railroads dictate their terms, and
that instead of competing with each other they
combine. 1t is the same in less degree with the
telegraph companies.
ITO what extent have the people imbibed
the teachings of the Lacquer"
The progress of the movement is very en-
couraging We anti-monOpOstsr regard the over
turning OF the republican party at the last cleo
tons to have been largely due to the educative
work that we have carried on. The people were
brought to see that the republican party was at
iout III ao" iHR sOJHauy men IN IL TO Work IN the
Interest of large corporations. There were also
men OF this class In the democratic party. but
not so many of them. Whether the change that
has taken place will continue until 1884 depends
upon the manner In which the democratic party
takes up this subject. Without doubt unless
some measures are taken to remedy the exist
Ing evils, there will be revolution one of these
days. 1t would be better to lift the safety
valves in time would it not 2"
. THE PASSION PLAY AGAIN.
salmi Morse is undismayed. He is carving
on his rehearsals for the "Passon Play" and
fastening the completion of his theater as much
as he can as If no legal obstruction whatever was
being thrown in his way. He remarked to me
yesterday that he would, without doubt, produce
the passion Play" as soon as the preparations
were complete. When suggested that meas
ures might be taken to prevent him. he smiled
compacently and said In order that those who
opposed him should succeed in thwartng him
new laws would have to be made. He laughed
heartily at the opposition which the clergy have
made, and pronounced all that they had said
against the performance as simply silly. He ia
quite enthusiastic over the man who Is to take
the part OF the Saviour He also speaks warmly
OF the dramatic ability Of his Judas and Herod.
The singing of his chorus, he says will surprise
the town. The more l see of this man (he ia
mil rF Nc wNt>,