The record-union., 1892-02-10
The CRITIC CLUB.
An Organization That Affords an tx
ceIIent Model.
Some Account of Useful and Novel
Assocfatfon-Its Method and Pur-
poses Explained.

The Critic Club Of this city, which in
January entered upon the sixth year OF
its existence, has resolved to hold its an
nual dinner February 22d.
The club consists of ten persons, never
more, and its purpose is to promote the
culture of its members in English COM
position and methods of debate in essays.
In five years there have been read before
it nearly one hundred papers on topics
engaging thoughtful attention, mainly
! relating to subjects of government, eco
nomics, literature, social economies, edu-
cation, science, civilization, local inn
provement. etc.
Three subjects only are prohibited
party politics, denominational religion
| and poetry. Criticism is unsparing, un-
restrained, and without the slightest re-
gard TO its incisive effect upon the essayist.
The club has no written laws, and only
the code OF honorable and courteous con-
duct among gentlemen prevails. In its
! five years it has had but nineteen MEM
bers, and of the original founders four
are still members. The experience OF
this club has demonstrated the exceeding
value of such an organization. Every
member bears hearty testimony to the
such an association" says one of the
members, is possible in almost any
community of fair size. 1t involves 80
expense, and the time given to it is
chosen from the evening hours once a
fortnight, that are usually wholly free
| from business cares.n y pleasing feature
of the Sacramento organization is that
the wives of the members attend the
meetings and constitute third house,
and their expressions of views upon the
| topics considered are frequently invited,
and thus Introduce the emotional and
! intuitive judgments of that sex.
The method of the Sacramento club is
! to meet at the residence Of some member
once fortnight, for nine months in each
year. The club assemblies about long
table, and is provided with note paper
and such works of reference as the house
| hold library affords. The serving of re-
! freshments is forbidden, the essay is
! limited to thirty minutes, and the criti-
| clsmS to from five to eight minutes each,
the essayist being silent until ali have ex-
! pressed themselves, when he is given op-
| portunity to reply.
In the selection of members the effort
is maintained to secure men of widely
differing occupations, and, as far as possi-
BILE, of distinctly differing views on gem
eral policies. Style of composition,
method of treatment, and the like, are the
first subjects of criticism: it is given as
! if the eSsayist were not present and as If
! the paper was from total stranger. In
the criticism of the subject matter, the
strength or weakness of the argument,
! there IS no limit whatever, and the debate
! takes the widest range. In the experience
of half a decade there has not in the Sac
ramento club been a single instance of of
/ fense taken by reason of criticism in
! dulged in, or the slightest disturbance OF
/ the social relations of the membership,
! though the criticisms are always made
regardless of the personality of mem
/ berS.
The very great benefit of the Sacra-
mento association, the fact that its delib-
/ eratiOns have to a considerable extent in
! tluenced local public opinion on several
/ topics, and that the information and ideas
! evolved have been in several instances
carried into a broader field and become
useful to the community and the State
has suggested the thought that this sketch
Of the clubs methods may prove of value
! in other communities.