St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-27
CLUBBED TO DEATH.
Dr.. Talmage on the Influence Of Ameri-
can Club Houses Good
and the Bad.
Domestic shipwreCks Caused by Cham
pagne and Cards-The Hellish Spec
tacle Of Drunken Son.
DESTINATION that Carries Away the
Brilliant Young Men. Who Are
Prizes For the Devil.
Struggle Out of the Serfdom OF Bad
Habits and Take the SaIe
Road.

Special to the Globe.
BROOKLYN. n. Y, April 26.-Dr. Tai
mage preached this morning III the Bfook-
lyn Tabernacle on the subject, What Is the
Influence of Club Houses III American
Cities? Before the. sermon Dr. Ialnage
explained the 22d chapter OF proverbs; on
the value of good name Wnlch COMES laOlil II,
euuipoise of temper and industry. Inc
hymn sung was;
ssBefore Jehovah's awful throne
Yenations bow with sacred JOY.
The text was Luke vi, a: Every tree
is known by his own fruit" Dr. 1almage
said:
Fall pippins do not grow on crab apple
tree. Choke pears are not found in an or
chard of BartIetts. Christ laid down this
principle and it is always applicable and
everywhere applicable. If you want to find
whether an institution is good or bad you
have only to examine the kind of character
it produces. | remember in my fathers
orchard there was a large apple tree that
yielded luxuriant fruit, but it had hollow
trunk, so that we boys could hide in it.
Which was the best position from which to
examine the fruit of that tree: i'll the trunk
where we sometimes used to hide, or stand
ing on the outside looking up at the fruit?
''[Eell." " YOU say. standing on the outside
looking at it." And so | really believe that
those inside any institution are less compe-
tent to Judge Of its tendencies than those
who are standing outside and watching the
products perpetually shaken down. L am
asked what is the influence Of the
CLUB-HOUsEs OF THIS COUNTRY?
To the answering of that question 1 give
this discourse. All intelligent ages have
had their gatherings characterized by the
blunt old Anglo-SaXOn designation OF
''club." If you have read history you know
that there was a Kings Head club Ben
JonsOn club, Brothers club to which
Swift and BolingbrOke belonged, Literary
club which Burke and Goldsmith and john
son and Boswell made immortal, Jacobln
club, a Benjamin Franklin Junto club.
Some of these to indicate justice, some to
favor the arts, some to promote good man
ners. some to despoil the habits, some to
destroy the soul. So now we have club
houses and they are as different from each
other as day and night. Look at two speci-
mems: What an imperial hallway! See!
Here are parors on this side with the
upholstery of the Kremlin and the TuilerleS,
and here are dining halls that challenge you
to mention any luxury that they cannot
afford, and here are galleries with sculpture
and paintings and Autographs and drawings
from the best of artists, CrOpSey and Bier
stadt and Church and Hart and Clifford;
pictures for every mood whether you are
impassoned or placid, shipwreck or sun
light over the sea, Sheridan's ride or the
MONDAY party Of the farmers under the
tree, foaming deer pursued by the hounds
In the AdirOndacks or the sheep Oh the
lawn On this side there are
READING ROOMS
where YOU find all newspapers and maga-
zines. On that side you find all books,
from hermeneuticS to the fairy tale. Com
ing in and out there are gentlemen, some OF
whom stay ten minutes, others stay many
hours Some of these are from luXurlant
homes, and Uhey have excused themselves
for while from the domestic circle that
they NAV enjoy the larger sOciability of the
clubhouse. These are from dismembered
households and they have a plain lodging
somewhere, but they come to this club
room TO have their chief enjoyment. One
blackball amid ten votes will defeat "a mans
becoming member For rowdyiSm, for
drunkenness, for gambling, for any kind OF
misdemeanor, member is dropped out.
Brilliant clubhouse from top to bottom.
The chandeliers. the plate, the furniture,
the companionship, the literature, the so
cial prestige-a complete enchantment.
Another club-house-opening the door
we find the fumes of strong drink and to-
baccO something almost intOlerable. These
Young men at this table, it is easy to UNI
derStand what they are at, from the flushed
cheek, the intent look, the almost angry
way of tossing the dice or of moving the
''chips," They are gambling. At another
table are men who are telling vile stories.
They are three-fourths intoxicated, and be-
tween y and o'clock they will so stagger-
mg, hooting,
SWEARING, SHOUTING,
on their way home. That is an only son.
On him all kindness, all care, all culture
has been bestowed. He is paying his pa
rents in this way for their kindness.
That IS a young married man, who
only few months ago at the altar made
promises of kindness and fidelity. every one
of which he has broken. Walk through
and see for yourself. Here are all the i'm
plementS of dissipation and of quick death.
As the hours of the night go away the con
versation becomes imbecile and more de-
basing. Now it is time to shut up. Those
who are able to stand will get out on the
pavement and balance themselves against
the lamp post or against the ratings of the
fence The young man who is not able tC
stand will have 4 bed improviSed for him
I'm the clubhouse. or two not quite so over
come with liquor will conduct him to his
fathers house and they will ring the door
bell and the door will open and the two I'M
beetle escorts will introduce into the hall
way the ghaStlieSt and
MOST HELLISH SPECTACLE
that ever enters n front door-a drunken
son. If the diSSipating club-houseS of this
country would make contract with the in
fernO to provide il ten thousand men veal
and for twenty years on the condition thai
no more should be asked of them, the club
houses could afford to make that contract
for they would save homeSteadS, save for
tunes. save bodies minds and souls. The
ten thousand men who would be sacrificed
by that contract would be but small par
of the multitude sacrificed without the con
tract
But | make 4 vast difference between
clubs. have belonged TO four clubs q
theological club. n ball club and two liter
airy clubs. I got from them physical re
juvenation and moral health. What shall
be the principle? If God Will help me
will lay down three principles by whicl
you may judge whether tn,
club where you are member or the club t.
which YOU have been invited is legitimate
or an illegitimate clubhouse. First of al
want you 10 test the club by its influence
on home. if YOU have a home. l have beer
told by prominent gentleman in club lif
that three-fourthS of the members of TIT
great clubs of these cities are
MARRIED MEN.
That wife soon loses her influence owe
her husband who nervouSly and fooliShl,
looks upon all evening absence as an assault
on domeSticity. How are the great enter
nrises of art and literature and benefcenc
- ,,,,hli., Nenl 10 be Carried ON If ever