The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-21
CENTURY'S PROGRESS
SUBJECT OF TALKS
AT WEDNESDAY CLUB.
Clergymen and High School Principal
Speak-Membership Maximum
Revoked.

"The Contrasts of a Century were
interestingly dilated upon at the No
vember meeting of the Wednesday
Club in Davis's parlors last night from
four points of view. One was "Mer-
camille Contrasts" assigned to Cyrus
G.. Shepard; another, Social Con-
~trasts,' to Professor Frank G.. Gilman,
of the Newark High School; the third,
Political Contrasts to Frederick T.
Johnson, n finally, Religious Con-
~trasts,' to the Rev. DIR. William Fl.
Morgan, of the Central M. E.. Church.
As each OF the speakers was eminently
qualified for his peculiar phase of the
subject, the result was a harmonious
whole.
Before the intellectual feast there was
a short business session at which the
$50 membership limit law of the club
was raised.
Wilson Farrand, head master OF Newark
Academy, who presided, remarked thai
while we all at times are APT 70 be pes
simistic concerning human progress in
general, we could not help taking a bright
er view when. we considered the immense
strides taken In the commercial. the polii-
cal and the religious worlds"
Mr.. Farrand said that he was impressed
hN VIZ AAAE1FoAg+A#As - 49, "a = 1h6 -
such a place 100 years ago, as 1t would
either have been In a church, where the
atmosphere would have been unduly seri-
Gus, or In a tavern. where Ii would have
been extremely hilarious.
MIR. Shepard dwelt upon the commercial
contrasts of the past century, emphasizing
he immense changes in the business sys-
tens during that time. He depicted the
changes in buying and selling; In export
and import: in advertising. and dwelt at
length upon the mail-carrying improve
llents. According to Mr.. Shepard there is
no real cause for financial stringency to-
day. He cited as proof of this a statement
made to him by a Louisiana man. who said
that he had never had such assets in the
products. Mr.. Shepard suggested that
every man should have a keen apprecia-
tion of his moral responsibilities and a just
application of them In his business con-
tracts. Let MS give to each man In the
future" he said, "a clear field, no favors
and then the devil take the hindmost."
Professor Gilman in his talk upon the
social contrasts carried his audience
back over the intervening years to
the time when Newark, an isolated
town, was still under the influence
of English customs: when Gifford's Tav-
ern, the Hunters and Hounds, stood on
what is now the corner of Market and
Broad streets, In which place such distin-
guished literary lights as Washington
living might have been seen at one time.
He spoke of the typographical changes, OF
the changes In the means of travel, of the
beginning of the industrial system and
finally of a tavern called the Rising Sum-
which stood upon the banks of the Passaic.
in which tavern the fashionable young
bloods of the city were wont to gather
and in which building the st. Johns Lodge
of Masons was first formed. He said that,
although during the past century the peo-
pie of Newark have translated their spir-
itual passions in terms of material energy,
we nave every reason to expect that In the
future they will express them in terms Of
light and beauty"
Frederick T.. Johnson, in his talk upon
the political contrast of the century.
touched upon the evolution of the political
system. He told how It had had its
foundation In the family; how this had
developed into the theocracy, which In its
turn had led TO other and broader forms
of government. He thought that there
was no real change In the political system
of the country, save in its relation to the
individual.
To-day the government exercises a
greater supervision over our morals and
our business said Mr.. Johnson. ut will
tdhs cdIt u ilS poOrs the lHSdne, tho Dilnu
and other classes of people whose short
comlngs would make them a burden to So
ciety."
He said that Socialism was gaining a
firmer hold upon us, and quoted Herbert
Spencer as having said that England was
drifting toward Socialism,
The Rev. Mr.. Morgan touched upon the
three changes which mans idea Of
God had undergone In the past hun
bred years: how God became Father; how
from this belief the brotherhood of man
had grown which In turn gave rise to the
increasing reverence of man as man.
The Rev. II. x. Denllnger was then
called upon for an extempore talk.
A few remarks of a humorous turn were
made by r. C. Jenkinson.
The members proposed and accepted last
night were: Herbert j. Strahan, Louis
A. Roux. G.. r.. Gerard, William A. Baker,
the Rev. DR.. H.. e. Denlinger, Andrew
Wilson. Arthur Nets. DR.. Wilbur Il. Holt,
Louis X. Gibson. William S., De Witt.
THE Labor Question will be the De-
cember subject. with c. Edgar Sutphhen,
John H.. Mclean. Edgar r. Brown and
the Rev. Charles Steizle as the sneakers.