The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-02-13
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB MEETING.

Subscription Price 81 90 per year in advance.
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB MEETING.
The Virginia Commercial club had an old
time rally last night. The large attendance, fol-
lowing as it did period Of considerable heat and
strife in the municipal election which has just
passed in this city, was especially gratifying: It
gives the lie to the much banded assertion that
the Virginia Commercial club is figuratively
speaking dead one. It proves beyond doubt
that Virginia people are interested in the real
welfare of the town and that they are able to
get together, will get together if the opportunity
is afforded them, and that there is quite as much
public spirit and civic interest here as in any city
on the Mesaba range. One of it's most encourage
ing indications, as expressed in the addresses Of
the various speakers and in the general trend of
the meeting, is that there is here lot of latent
energy ready to be devoted to the promoting of
this city's most substantial interests which needs
only an outlet to set at work forces which will be
of inestmable value in forward movement for
Virginia along all lines which will be in keeping
with it's present Importance, it's future greatness
and it's fine opportunities for development which
to large extent are not receiving here the at
tention that they should not so much because
tage of them as because there is no medium to
afford them opportunity for expression and to
cystalize such public spirit as here exists in an
effective working unit that will strive for big
ger, better, broader Virginia.
In all that was said at last nights CONNER
cial club there was much wisdom. Everybody
who attended that meeting learned something.
Various interpretations were put on the term
Harmony" as it is most commonly used with
reference to local conditions, but above and be-
You'd all the discussion there stood out solemn
fact and that is that no matter how much we
fight among ourselves over matters of local poll
tics, most Of us are willing to make common cause
for anything that is for the best interests of
Virginia.
One Of the best ideas advanced was that the
Commercial club should be everybody's organi-
cation in Virginia. There is to be thorough re-
organization of the club. The idea of club for
every Virginian who wants to help make this
town better place to live better place to be en-
gagged in business and better place to tie to sub
stantially should be the cornerstone from which
the reconstructionists begin. Let it be public
forum, place where every matter affecting the
welfare of the town is integently discussed
But for such plan there is a forbidden land
The club cannot afford to become political or:
ganzation. If it does it's usefulness will be de-
stroyed 1t cannot successfully be used to fur.
Their the ends of the personally ambitious. II
must be a club for all the people, working as 9
harmonious unit for the best interests of the
greater number. Neither should it entirely
ignore political issues, especially when those is
sues are of vital interest to the city. Its poll.
tical interest however, should seldom extend tc
the point of the personal endorsement of candi-
dates. It may safely extend to the endorsement
of issues.
1t must be source of satisfaction to every
Virginian who is interested here as he should be
to know that we are to have better organized
and consequently more effective-public interest
club than we have ever had before. It should be
in truth and in fact an Everybody's club, PEG.
pies club, Boosters club. The name is of little
consequence as matter of fact so long as it is
representative Of the real spirit of the organiza
ton. Join it, attend it's meetings. encourage its
officers to greater efforts, talk it to your friends
and to the strangers within our gates. Make il
everything it and should be and may the
glory be to all who take an interest in any single
phase Of it's activities, as it should be and must
be if it is the success that it can be.
CONVICT LABOR ON ILLINOIS ROADS
Last Sundays magazine section of the Du
luth News Tribune told the interesting story OF
Warden Allen of the Illinois state penitentiary al