The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-10-28
A GROWING ORGANIZATION
THE YOUNG MEMS REPUBLICAN
CLUE NOW Has 1900 MEMBERS.


Organized in the Blaine Campaign of 1884
"A Valuable Organization for Young
Men-Great Advantages offered-De-
batting Leading Feature-The Social
Side Not Forgotten.
The prominent part taken In this
campaign by the Young Mems Repub-
lican club has called increased public
attention to the organization, and has
demonstrated the great value of such
club in campaign work. In addition
to the political value of the organiza-
ton, there is probably no other club in
the city which offers such opportuni-
ties to young men to acquaint them
selves with social, economic and civil
questions, and which also offers equal
social advantages. The membership is
at present about 1900, including the
best known young men of the city.
The rooms are open day and night, and
congenial company can always be
last two winters considerable interest
has been taken in debating, and this
has come to be one of the most admir-
able features of the club.
In the early part of last winter, at
the suggestion of A. McC Matthewson,
the assembly was organized on the
same basis as legislative body with
speaker and clerk.
The assembly met one evening each
week. and bills for proposed legisla-
ton were offered by members and re-
ferred to committees, which reported
to the house, where the measures We're
debated, and acted upon in the same
way as is done in legislative bodies,
thereby giving valuable practice and
information to all who attended and
took part Many of the questions de-
bated were those considered at the last
previous meeting of the Connecticut
legislature.
A new speaker and new clerk were
elected every month in order to give a
large number chance to preside.
Among those prominent in the assem-
bly, and it's debates were A. G. Graves,
D. ]. Carmichael, r. III. Tyner, Sam
uel MacLauchlin, Hobart P. Snow,
Frederick w. Orr, and Henry s. Daw-
son. At the end of the season BAN
quet was held by members of the as
sembly, and proved very pleasant oc-
casion.
The assembly will undoubtedly be
again organized this winter. The de-
batting has been found to be a very
satisfactory part of the club work, and
has been of great value to all who have
taken part and also to thoses who list
ened
One admirable feature of the debating
club Is that it brings together men of
all conditions; lawyers, law school men,
merchants, clerks, business men and
mechanics.
The Young Mems Republican club
was organized in the latter part of the
Blaine campaign in 1884 with about 100
members. The meeting was organized
then, and subsequent meetings during
that campaign were held in the Clark
building in the hall now occupied as
the Masonic Temple. Henry Hopkins,
the present city lamp inspector, was
one of the principal movers in the or
ganization of the club, and did much in
it's early history to make it success.
At the close of the Blaine campaign
interest in the club increased, and a
meeting was called in the Clark build
ing for reorganization. Judge William
X. Townsend was then elected first
president of the organization. James
Of hn n N o.
members, and through his efforts in a
great measure the membership rapidly
increased.
After a few weeks the club removed
to the hall in the Benedict building,
which is now cut up into offices. 1t
next drifted into the Insurance build
ing and remained there until the spring
of 1892, when it removed to the house
which it now occupies, at 2O2 Crown
street. The membership had been
as high as 500, but at one time, while
meetings were held in the Insurance
building, was reduced to $50. OF these
$50 about 200 were older men who took
no active part in club work, but re-
mained members in order to help es-
tablish the organization as a perma-
nent one AT that time at was difficult
to get twenty-five members to attend
the meetings, that number being nee
essary for quorum
The club did not get into f1rst-class
working order in the campaign of 1892.
AS soon as the new club rooms on
Crown street were occupied the mem
bership began to increase rapidly until
now, as before said, 1t has reached 1900
During the last four years the club has
paid off a mortgage Of $4,000, besides
paying all other current bills. Soon
after going to the Crown street rooms
it became evident from the rapid. in
crease of membership that the quarters
would not be commodious enough and
the entire city was secured to find quar-
ters which would be available and more
commodious Finally the property at
the corner of Temple and Crown streets
was selected and secured, and now the
club feels that the property is an ideal
one for its purpose.
The property was purchased from
Mrs. T. Attwater Barnes, who owned
the western half, and Mr.. Shelton, a
grandson of ex-Mayor Shelton, and now
employed by C. S. Mersick & Co., who
owned the other half Extensive re-
pairs to fit the house for occupation by
the club We're begun Immediately after
the purchase and are now rapidly near