The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-04-03
A "REMINISCENCES.

10 Ncottfty, thc Sp-to-uotc idpid-
fire breech leaders OF the Republican
host rattling smartly and quite over
coming the dull thud of the battered
old smoothbores charged with Demo
cratic spitballs, we call to mind that
90 years ago the gentleman who is
getting the larger share Of today's KS
figured in contest which at
that time was of scarcely less import
ance than State election to large
number Of the vigorous young men of
the town. Aud as he will be today, he
was on this memorable occasion of
go years ago victorious and came
out of the contest with flying colors.
Imagine upward of five hundred
young men, citizens Of Providence,
crowding a Westminster street hall,
wire-pulling, electioneering, whooping
it mp just as some of them are
to day in larger field, en-
thusiastic, uncompromising in behalf of
their respective chieftains, all boiling
over with tumultuous excitement-in a
word, engaged in choosing president
for the Franklin Lyceum. 1t is hard to
realize, today, what that famous old in
stitution was 90 years ago when, at
the annual election, which came off in
the month of January, CHARLES WAR
rem LIPPITT was chosen its president.
The balloting occupied the whole after
noon. Nearly five hundred votes were
cast. GILBERT +. WHITTEMoRE was
the head of the opposition ticket,
and Lyceum Hail fairly shook with the
thunder of the conflict.
The recollection of the occasion gives
us an impressive idea of what the
Franklin Lyceum was like in those
days, 20 years ago. Neither this insti-
tuition, nor anything like it. exists today.
And what it was and what it did seems
a timely matter for reminiscence on this
occasion when one of its most prominent
members is about to assume, as many of
the Lyceum graduates have assumed in
the past, and doubtless will in the future,
public honor and Office at the hands of
his fellow citizens.
The Lyceum was a debating and lit
erary club on big scale. 1t afforded
its members the most practical kind Of a
school for training in oratorical battles,
in parliamentary law, and in all the
machinery that is involved in the conduct
of parliamentary body. Its elections,
like its occasions of debate, were con-
Quoted strictly according to Hoyle, so
to put it. No congress, no Legislature,
no parliamentary body of any sort what
soever was ever conducted with q more
serious purpose than were the proceed
ings of the franklin Lyceum in its
palmy days. 1t trained Its gladiators to
parliamentary fineness, and prepared
them to meet all comers in the arena of
debate and discussion. 1t brought out
all that there was offortitude and talent
in this direction in its young men. 1t
graduated parliamentarians like GILBERT
WHITTEMoRE, statesmen like NELSON
w. ALDRIcH, forensic leaders like JOHN
II. STINEss, clever raconteurs and legal
pleaders of eminence like FRANCIS w.
MINER, and the late NICHOLAS VAN
SLycK. and bright and ready speakers
like HENRY j. SPooNER, AUGUSTUS s.
MILLER and DANIEL r. BALLoU, and
sturdy and clearheaded disputants like
j. G. Is. WOODS, DAVID 3. BAKER,
CHARLES e. GoaMAN, CHARLES II. PAGE.
RICHARD b. CoMsToCK. And every one
of these names recalls dozens Of others
in their respective classes, while each to
large extent encroaches on the others
preserves. The names of jurists, states
men, orators of repute as such,
journalists. scholars-all Of the best and
biainiest are to be found on the rolls OF
membership of the old Franklin Lyceum,
over whose deliberations CHARLES WAR
rem LIPPITT, himself one of the bright
est and most eloquent, was called upon
20 years ago, when the full electo-
rate of this remarkable society wa.
called into action.
It is roll of distinguished Rhode
islanders. those lists of the Lyceum
membership--not distinguished in those
days outside the Lyceum circle but ac-
quiring their training there and winning
their spurs in the sharp work which the
Lyceum imposed upon all its members
and which drew out those talents which
in later years have distinguished their
possessors in the public eve. In the Ly-
ceum meetings were foretold with singu-
lar correctness in most cases the careers
of its members, and the young men who
were leaders in the different spheres of
effort in which the Lyceum wrought,
later became leaders in a larger way in
public life. On the rolls are the names
of the late GEORGE w. DANIELsoN, who
was president of the Lyceum in the