St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-14

The February Social of the Com
mercial Club Was All That
Could BE Desired of lt-De-
Iightful Music. Thoughtful
Speeches and Enjoyable Con-
verse.
The Commercial club social and re-
ception to the ladies last night was a
handsome informal Functions that sur
passed any similar occasion of the Climb,
and did great credit to that cosmo-
politan organization. The parlors and
reading room were we'll filled with the
business and professional representa-
tiveS of the city and their wives. The
design was to afford an evening of quiet
and refined enjoyment to the members
and guests of the club, and all eXpecta-
tons were fulfilled TO the utmost meas
ure.
The music of the evening was class
ical and chosen with peculiar adapta-
bility TO the intelligent audience. and
for such an occasion it was accordingly
highly enjoyed. The Beethoven String
Quartette performed several Selec-
tons, in addition to the ones mentioned
in The programme published IN the
GLOBE. Mr.. Van Week and j. +. Mer-
Till sang selections others than those
listed as responses to encores. Pres-
dent W. j. Footner directed the event
with his accustomed urbanity and eX-
ecutiye skill. and at the conclusion of
the programme thanked the guests for
their presence and Invited them to re
main longer and be social i'll their visit.
The club rooms were Frightened up with
a bountifuI supply of plants and fow-
ers.
Hon. Hiram F. Stevens delivered an
address in which he spoke of the pollti-
cal and social duties of the club. He
enlarged to some extent on the theory
that the commercial club should take a
leading part in looking into the question
that belongs to politics, that being COM
merce. The club should take deep in
terest in the laws affecting commerce.
1t was suggested that the club
should take interest enough III the local
city government TO study its laws and
needs Mr.. Stevens declared that the
salary of the mayor of st. Paul should
be $4,000 year, the term four years,
and the ablest man in the city should be
selected for the Office. The city charter
should be studied with view to moGi-
ticatOn Of some of its features. The
necessity of participating in preparing
and enforcing laws was alluded to with
an emphatic injunction for business
men TO give as much attention to politics
as they do TO private affairs. Intellectual
culture was another theme discussed by
Mr.. Stevens. He hoped more attention
would be given to cultlvating the mind
and advancing the art and literary ad-
Nantages of the city, such as providing
art galleries and a public library.
In introducing Rev. S. NJ. Crothers, of
Unity church, President Footner al
luded to his prospective departure from
the city for work in Harvard university,
and expressed regret that st. Paul is to
loose much-beloved citizen.
The theme of Mr.. Crothers was "Pub-
lie Spirit" lie delivered most elo-
QUent address on the subject, and at its
conclusion was universally congratu-
lated for the thoughtful discussion
vi luS SuUltCls LII SpCdhiHR Vi
the Commercial cln6 he alluded to
its basis as being the welfare of
the city and with having the true spirit
OF al organization for business and So
ciabiity. Public spirit was defined as
patriotism or being the unit of patriot
Ism. He declared that national patriot
ism is filled up by many rills, and that
city patriotism is one of those rills; and
local patriotism is that which a man
feels when he goes abroad and takes
pleasure in having the name of his CITY
associated with that of his own upon
the hotel register. Another example
of patriotism was given as that where
the name of nation and city
are synonymous, such as Athens,
Florence and Jerusalem. Mr.. Crothers
expressed the opinion that the men of
this century seemed to be stirred to-
ward higher and more perfect form OF
patriotism. He thinks there is a sense
in which our'cities in the West are boy
ish and Immature. He believes the cor
rect problem is to not get numbers into
Odr cities, but to know what to do with
the people. There are two great clubs
that he looked upon as not having the
highest aim desirable. One is the sui
eide club of Bridgeport and the other
the two-million clue of Chicago.
The desire of Chicago is to
raise its population to 100000
in place of trying to solve the question
as TO what shall De done with the 1000,
00G that city already has. He regarded
the theory of the Commercial club as
the proper one when it seeks to see
what can be done with the people. He
spoke of the state as being full OF re-
sources, and said the problem of the
young men should be 10 see what can
be done with those resources for the
public good, aud TO prevent a monopoly
of them.
People should not only provide for a
Livelihood but also develop all
public spirit may lie manifested
i'll beautifying tie city by i'm
proving its parks, its driveways and
Its schools, libraries, museums and art
galleries will be desirable, because of
the advantages for higher pleasures
and dong the higher work of life
In speaking further on this point, Mr..
CrOtherS said: paris is one of the
capitals where persons desire to live.
There are cities i'll the West where peo-
pie like to live: such as Helena, Den
yer, San Francisco and st. Paul. These
cities are places where men of means
delight 10 live because Of their advant-
ages. The most honorable position a
citizen can have is that of lettering tine
condition Of his city. There is 10 city
in which the prospects are more nope
80 ftft than iii this city, and this club is
destHled to forward those advantages
SO desirable.