The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-03-07
BOsr0N's HISTORIC BIRD CLUB.
Organization which Clutms to Have
Been the Founder OF the Re
publican Parity


How few there are in this city who
know and realize that within the four
walls of a little room in school
street opposite city hail, the repub-
hean party of the United States was
founded; and how few there are who
know that to one of the Oldest din-
ing clubs in the country, the Boston
club, which celebrated its forty
eighth anniversary on Saturday, De-
cember q, belongs this great dis
tinction. Such is the fact, reports
the Boston Transcript. That after
noons the n thousand nine hundred
and ninety-seyenth regular meeting
and dinner of the club took place,
attended by a large company OF mem-
bers and guests, welcomed and pre-.
sided yer by the president, the. Hon.
Edgar r. C~hampIin, ex-may of
Cambridge, who, also, was unani-
mousty reelected to the presidency
for another year.
Some time prior to 1854 a few Of
the prominent men of Boston were
accustomed to meet weekly or semi-
weekly, as the case might be, to talk
over and consider the grave ques-
tions that agitated the American
people a half century ago. In April
of 1854, Hon. Frank W. Bird, a prom-
inent leader in the Gree Soil" party.
organized this little coterie into the
Bird club, and on the last Saturday
of December of that year the first
annual meeting was held. At these
meetings the father of the free soil
party gave expression to his views
and found ready listeners, although
all present were not wholly in ac-
cord with the sentiments expressed.
While not in any sense a political
club, yet the organization, in ciaim-
ing the honor of being the father OF
the great republican party, refers
with special qualification to the fact
that men of other political afilia-
lions have been and are members, or
have been frequently entertained by
it. 1t also enjoys the distinction of
having had around its mahogany the
most prominent men in national,
state and municipal affairs, Under
the influence of it's able president it
is again renewing its youth, and Is
destined to retain its prestige of be-
ing the "kingmaker" of the common
wealth of Massachusetts,, a distinc-
ton that it has enjoyed for very
many years.
inc its organization as the Bird
club it has been known as the Banks
club, and later took it's present name.
Among the. prominent members OF
the organization may be mentioned
Henry Wilson, United States senator
and vice president of the United
States; Charles Sumner, one of the
original members, who retained his
a~ffliatiQn until 1874; William LLOYD
Garrison, secretary of the original
free soil party; Wendell Phillips.
also a free soiler; Charles w. Slack.
founder and editor of The Common
wealth; John A. Andrew, war gov.
ernOr of Massachusetts,; John I. Ba-
ker, state senator and member Of the
harbor and land commission; John
q. Goodrich, lieutenant governor of
this commonwealth and the first re-
publican collector of the mort Of
Boston; Charles 0. Rogers, former
proprietor of the Boston journal and
one of the most enthusiastic mem.
bers of the club; John B. Alley. Of
Lynn, member of congress-; Hanni-
bal Hamlin, vice president with Abra-
ham Lincoln; Martin Brimmer. a
prominent abolitionist and republic
an, and who always looked forward
to the Saturday meetings of the club
with great pleasure; Adit. Gen. wiz
liam Schouler; Judge Otis p. lord.
one of Gov. Rice's appointees; Gen.
Nathaniel P. Banks, Gov. Alexander
5. Bullock, orator and anti-slaverv
man; Alexander S. Rice, governor of
Massachusetts, and congressman.
Henry E. Pierce, ex-mayor of Boss
ton and contributor to the anti
slavery cause; William CASTOR. GOV.
rno of Massachusetts and a mem,
Der of the club before his election
and until he passed away; Leopold
Morse, a merchant member of con-
gress; Frederic T. GreenhaIge, gov
ernor of Massachusetts,, to whom ore
of the largest dinners in. the history
of the club was given; Gen. John r.
Swift, collector of the port of Boss
ton under Lincoln; Gov. seymour
of New York; James G. Blaine. az
Maine; John O. A. Bracket, govern
or of Massachusetts,; Judge Thomas
Russell, who it will be recalled nut
stop to %garroting in Boston.
The senior and nestor of the clpb
is Morris Fitch, of Lynnfield. who
Joined i'll 1854, and who was one Of
Mr.. Birds trusted lieutenants in the
great days of the a~nti-sIavery MOVE
ment, and who takes the grearesr
pleasure in recalling the events and
incidents of the strenuous times
leading up to the civil war.
In January the two t~housandtb
meeting and dinner of the club win
be made a special occasion and win
be complimentary to Mr.. Fitch. with
its remarkable past the club is look
ing into a still greater future, and
at the present time is gathering
around its hospitable board the
largest minds and most progressive
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