The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-21
MODEST LITTERATEURS
TWENTY-FIVE ANNIVERSARY.
Speakers Point to Its Quiet work
for Cultures Sake and Its
PIeasureabIe Bonds.
THIS NOT GOLDEN AGE OF ART
AUGUSTUS L. MASON SAYS CONNER
CIALIsM HAS THE CALL.
"Carnegie More Often Quoted Than
CarIyIe~-Addrcsses by Mr..
Grimths and Others.

The indianapolis Literary Club, the lead
ing literary society of Indiana. celebrated
its twenty-fifth anniversary at the Column
bia Club last night. Seated at the tables
were men who are noted in the literary
world, who have contributed prose and
poetry, fiction and essays to magazines and
book publishers and whose names are
household words in other countries besides
this. There were besides men who are less
prominent in the world but who have enter
tanned the club at various times with inter-
esting papers on subjects dealing with an
cient, medieval and modern themes and
have spent years in research and literature.
The programme of toasts was short but in
tensely interesting 1.-The Clubs Past" the
subject to which DR.. A. W. Brayton was
assigned, had to be omitted because of the
fact that the speaker was called out of the
city during the day. The president of the
club. Augustus L. Mason. presided at the
dinner and the toasts, and in calling the
members to order after the dinner he said
in part:
twenty-fifth anniversary Of the Indianapo-
lis Literary Club Such an occasion is full
of possibilities. The philosophers of the
club have here time and place TO fmpart
their wisdom TO others; the wits may freely
air their impertinence. the older men may
indulge In reflection and give way to gen.
tie melancholy, while those OF younger
spirits may spurn the past and look with
shining faces to the future. The braggart
may indulge in the glOrifcation of the club
and the pessimist may crOak Of the degen-
crate times in which live
THE quarter OF a century OF this club S
existence has not. indeed, been a golden
age for either literature or art. 1t is
true that there has been brilliant perform
ance- Indiana has contributed far more
, than her share To the world. When the
History OF the time is written, the chief
tdistinction of this epoch will not be found
in it's literature art. On the contrary,
IL has been pre-eminently an epoch marked
by the development Of invention and Of
the mechanical crafts-a time conspicuous
for the advance Of physical science. a
time characterized by an unprecedented
increase ia wealth and trade expansion
Men have chiefly sought to lay up treas
ures on earth; physical comfort has been
desired rather than spiritual trfumphs: the
god Jehovah has been worshipped less and
the god MammOn more.
I'm this time we have seen Tennyson re-
placed as poet laureate OF England by Mr.
Austin. The philosophy of Emerson has
ceased 10 be fashionable. We have more
quotations from Carnegie than from Car
lyle. There is no living writer who can rise
10 the lofty sentiments of James Russell
Lowell, but instead we have the media eval
spirit of war reincarnated in Rudyard Kip
ling. There has been no great revival of
democracy, no new enthusiasm for human
eQuailty. no new guarantees of the right of
local selt-government. but there have
arisen men, who. borrowing the theory of
empire from Caesar. Napoleon and Bea-
cOnSfield have given to it new brflliancy
and more captivating charm. If the Ten
Commandments have become somewhat un-
fashionable. the Declaration of Independ-
ence Is. If not obsolete. at least greatly
amended.
Tonight it is our high privilege 10 nav
tribute to the men who, twenty-five years
ago. seeing. perhaps, the drift of the times
inc h. nl-afFx HE IL
mined 10 join hands and give to the forces
OF culture in this community the benefit Of
union and organization"
MIR. DYE AND MR.. HOLIDAY.
John T. Dye responded to the toast 1.-THE
Charter Members" Mr. Dye told OF the
organization of the club twenty-five years
ago. when there were but few members.
and how they endesvored to keep the club
going. SteD by step and wear by wear he
rehearsed the progress of the literary club
OF the attachments OF its members and how
IL hOurished I'm it's own little world
The next speaker was John II. Holiday,
who responded TO the toast DE Mortius :"
In part Mr.. Holiday said: Anniversaries
like this naturally compel COMPARISONS
Tw twenty-five years looked at when passed
does not seem long time. yet it cuts a
large slice out Of every life and comprises
great changes. Ii is a proper time then to
note the effects OF the years. When the
club mad It's beginning a quarter of a CEN
tury ago. Few OF Us thought OF its future.
IL was meant for present use and enjoy
ment; meant for weekly arena I'm which
mind could clash against mind for amuse-
ment at least, if not for profit: meant for
place and body with few rules and lit
tie business. for the maximum of pleasure
was 10 be had at the minimum of trouble
IL has served its purpose we'll Its sur
ViVal mas demonstrated its fitness Ii has
done large work and is robust with prom
ise for the future.
In these years many have passed I'm
and out OF its portals. The scredule shows
I there have been more than 200 members
OF these. forty-three have gone from US
and have crossed over the divide into the
unknown The list il "A distinguished one
\ We may well be proud OF our dead Sol
diers and statesmen. preachers LAWYERS
doctors. teachers. men who Strove well
! who fought LIES battle nobly who nut
their marks upon their time and left the
world the better by their contributions OF
knowledge, virtue. courage and example
= Among those who have died and who
were referred TO by Mr. Holiday were John
d Rowland the first president OF the So
cietyi Conrad Baker, George III. Chairman
Judge Gresham Jonathan Gordon Tobn
NJ Butler. Cyrus g. Hines. TheophiIus
Parvin, Myron w. Reed, Oscar McCulloeh
John a Finch, Theodore l.. SewaIl. James
II. Smart. Albert .. Porter Benjamin Har-
TisOn and Judge Woods.
"But they have left as a rich heritage -
continued Mr.. Holiday. This club was
largely OF their making, and what IL has
been - what y Is 10 its members xvho