The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-04-05
WEDNESDAY EVENING CLUB.
An Unusually Good Meeting Held
Last Night.

The club met last evening with Mr..
and Mrs. O'Shea at the residence of
Mr.. G. NJ. Palmer.
The historical paper of the evening
was presented by Mrs. Made Cleve-
land, on s'The Jacobins and Girondists
of the French Revolution" In keep
ing with all of the papers Of the year.
this one showed a most careful and
extended reading and study of one OF
the most momentous upheavals in the
worlds struggle for liberty.
The paper set forth the origin, char
acter and influence of these two
mighty political clubs, and brought tC
the hearers mind vivid descriptions
of the men and women who figured
most prominently in either of these
clubs.
The discussion was on the question
"Should Clergymen Be Allowed a
Hand in Politics." Miss Margaret
Tillotson Barr opened and
strongly, clearly and with much
force of logic and facts showed how it
was inevitable, from their very call
ing, as well as their relation as good
citizens to the state, that ministers
should be deeply interested in polit-
ical affairs. She showed how cor
ruption and immoralities affected po-
litical life, and the work of the
church, through it's ministers, was for
good morals. Her analysis of the sub
ject clearly showed that the engage
ment of ministers in politics in no
way upheld union of church and
state, nor supremacy of church over
the state; but that the broad, en-
lightened and patriotic views held by
genuine clergymen worthy of the
name prevented any possible return
to the medieval ecclesiasticism in
politics that ruined civil life in me-
dieval Europe.
The paper was worthy Of being pub
lished in full, and sometime should
be.
Miss Carrie Brewster opened the
negative on this question. Her sue
cinct statement of the harm shown
to have been done when the clergy as
a class manipulated civil affairs was
worthy of being heard beyond the
confines of the club. The writer did
not oppose, but rather agreed with
her opponent, when the matter in
hand had moral side to it. But the
use of the pulpit or the position of
the minister to advocate questions
purely civil and economic, such as the
tariff, taxes, etc., was to be depre-
Gated.
From the tone of both papers, and
the interesting discussion that fol-
lowed, all seemed to be of one mind
that the minister's position did not
exclude him from the full rights of citi-
zenship; viz: to hold views and express
them unhampered on all vital queS-
tions of the day. And where a ques-
tion of morals was involved, had
right-yea, duty-to express himself
from the pulpit. But in all other
matters walk and talk so as not to
offend in way to prevent the great
est influence in his high calling of
leading men to higher life.
"A school exhibition was held at
Spring Island Friday evening, March
20, it being the closing exercises of
the school in District No. II, which
has been taught by Miss Lydia
Scherer. AS we are unable to give
full report of the proceedings, we can
say, however, that the pupils, assisted
by the Kern Bros orchestra, gave a
very interesting entertainment, and
in many ways the participants dis
played rare ability. This occasion
-