Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-04-08

hold that no man can be a good club
man and a good family man at the same
time. They are two masters that can
not be served together. one or the other
must be neglected, and year after year
the impression grows on me, with the
Increase OF clubs and tho increasing
Vaccinations OF club life, that the home
is the thing sacrificed. The bar-roo m.
with its glitter and tawdry gildings. Is
the poor mans club, his fee being the
sum he pays from night TO night for his
drink But the law claims 10 close this
class OF clubs on Sunday, while the club
OF the rich man is open on all days aud
its refreshments of all kinds are ever
on sale under sanction OF the law.
The bar-room makes drunkards, i
wish could say that the purpose OF the
club was TO make men sober, but as
cannot do so with truth, ! might as
well confess among other things that
the tendency OF the modern club Is TO
Intensity the drink habit Till IL degen-
crates particularly with young men,
into the disease OF inebrIety. ] know
Of scores OF prominent lives, and so
does every club man OF experience, that
have been wrecked by the opportunl-
ties for convviallty afforded By clubs.
II the steward of the leading clubs IN
any Of our cities, would confess TO the
number OF members they know 10 be
habitual drinkers or rather habitual
drunkards, the report would startle TIE
INITIATED.
But / have seen, and my own case
illustrates it,.that the clubs not only
do harm In breaking up homes. or In
making them places OF dlscontent II not
OF shame, but they prevent the estab-
! llshment OF homes. A young man who
| has Inherited an income sufficient 20
support himself 10 what he Is pleased
TO call "style," which means at least
one horse aud a membership In a num-
Der of clubs, Is driven into immortality
by force ofenvironment, not necessarily
by the clubs. but by the reason OF club
associations. The club becomes the
home OF the cynical or unctiOus old
bachelor and It Is the rendezvous Of the
Younger ones who are fOliOSlng his
footsteps. II these young men give a
thought 70 marriage 10 is 20 smear a. 10.
Forgetting their own mothers. or their
sisters, II they ever had any, they
affect 70 hold women IN light esteem,
add the women with whom they de-
light 20 associate warrant this opinion.
Do not understand ms - saying that
all married club men neglect their
families, or that al single club men are
inebrlates and immoral There are
good fathers and husbands and model
Young men 70 be found 10 many OF our
clubs, but what / maintain Is that tue
tendency Of club life Is 20 weaken the
home ties and % estrange husbands
and wives, while is effect on the lives
OF Young men OF leisure is In the main
demoralizing II not rulnous.
In speaking OF club life. have had
in mind those well-knoWn organizauons
established for the rich or weil-to-do,
aud membership Ia which carries with u
a certain social status. Bot where there
Is one club OF nigh standing, for the
well-born rich and cultured. there are
a hundred little "cIubs," ''colonies"
associations" amateur dramatic
societies." lodges" 'couucils."
chapters" etc, that have their strong
social attractions for the clerk. mechan-
ic. o. working man. and with despite
the beneficial" features OF some, have
exactly tho same effect 10 eating into
the time aud money OF those who baye
bot little Of either 10 spare, and which
tends 20 take men, and women too.
more and more from their homes And
pray why should we blame these people
for aping the rich in their forms OF en-
ioyment; and why should We cry ont
against them IL tie same kind Of demo
alization follows? WI.
maintain that the club Il 40 fIrgir
growth OF our civilization. and thatrn ?,
preaching OF all the pulpits 10 the az. .,ssso