The New York herald., 1879-02-09


either the advancement OF the republican party in
view or that OF favored member when
The owl the raven and the bat
Ciubbed for feather to his hat.
part OF the political machinery of the city. only
this and nothing more. its very name stamps it a
arch dreaming of what il has been. like the Gold
Board and the anti-slayery societies. Its OBJ
iect in HE Is fuinlled It's MISSION accomplished
Now is the end. New aims and objects must arise
it VII dissolve through the ordinary course OF
ture. when what is not wanted perishes SO now the
Union League desires 10 be called the club.
disclaiming its old .appellation of League.
just the Literary Club. celebrated fra
the original members. disclaimed that epithet
aud gloried in the simple name OF the club. Seeing
the unciublike life the League has ledfor what
be uneasy to the social creature than the dry,
passive retirement and the solitude of the Leagu5.
with its grand parlors and halls banquetng rooms
and picture galleries there has been desire for al
teration. 1t was thought more liberty to members
within its walls would warm its chilly atmosphere
and make II somewhat like club; But as 1t never
was intended social club this could not be
effected by any sudden revolution in its government.
Men drop in TO look over paper files and out they
aud II you ask amy OF them how he likes the League
he would tell you it stupid place.
just like hotel. member of the Union Club
spent last winter here. and honored with
ticket to the League. Being club man. lac availed
himself of it. but only twice He found more lite in
the little cosey hotel where he stayed for there was
evidence OF social life in the League. At the Pha
delphia club members meet in the parlors and gen.
era conversation is going on all the afternoon so tits
THE REFORM CLUB.
A rising young lawyer member of the Reform
Club ever since its organization eight years ago. in
dignantly denied the assertion that the experience of
their club had been that gambling necessarily ac-
companied card playing. IL can speak without
prejudice" said he, ''for very seldom play and
have never used the card room ut the club but once
since we have been in our new quarters. We have
500 members. and l am sure overestimate
when say that thirty out of the entire number
all that ever make use OF the card tables. dine ut
the club nearly every evening-and the dinners, by
~ 1y1,. a,IV
see great deal that goes on There has never been
any gambling that know Of II it is done. it is kept
very quiet and there has never been any
scandal. There has never been any disorder
or excitement manifested in the card rooms,
and never but once heard OF any
you know, it man wants to gamble very bad he
can do it anywhere Ionce let fellow in church
that our minister would preach than five min
utes longer and he did, too, and won. You see. 1
knew what long sermons he preached. Men might
be quietly betting on their games at our club and
hidden, and il anyone were discovered induging in
it he would be expelled. No play Of any kind is
permitted on Sunday either in the card or the bill
'.What do think of the action of the league? why
that it will drive away all the young men. The club
is the home Of many bachelors. like myself. who
have rooms and eat at the club. good club is like
a family. Every member ought to have perfect
right to enjoy himself in any way that is not immo
raj that doesn't trench upon the rights of others
The object OF the managers ought to be to make the
club as attractive possible is absurd to for
bid the use Of cards. The League has been terribly
mismanaged. Why, until recently you couldn't get
anything to eat or drink there on Sunday after ten
O'Clock in the morning, and there are, have been
the most ridiculous rules for the house government
There has been great dissatisfaction aud complaining
aud many have left the club"
Antoher leading reform club man declared that it
would be suicidal in any social club Of gentlemen to
adopt the narrow-minded bigotry of excluding
cards. Gard playing does not always lead to
gambling if the players are gentlemen, and don t
believe there is any gambling done in our club;
no gambling games permitted. IT gentlemen
choose to bet little on their hands to make the
games interesting, it is managed very quietly
A TERRIBLE PICTURE.
"Gambng is very ugly and uni ust word to apply
to gentlemanly amusement OF this sort, and il the
story gets about that there is gambling at GER
themselves the most terrible OF wild excite
ment, with pale-faced and haggard men sitting
around table all night. desperately rushing to ruin
Perhaps they end up the panorama with
tableau from French novel, with the scene located
at Hombourg or Monaco: despairing. wild-eyed
wretch stakes his last r0ueau1-I believe that's the
correct word-on the turn Of the wheel. He loses
Then, with q melodramatic expression, he draws q
pistol shoots himself the heart and falls weter
ing in his gore, ~ you reporters say. YOU
| we don't allow any fellow to ruin our handsome
carpets by committing suicide in the card We
always mako em go out in the back yard, and there
| is notice to that effect posted up in the room"
THE SOCIAL ART CLUE.
The Social Art Club, located Walnut street, op-
posite Rittenho use square, in white marble building
! has about three hundred and twenty members,
but there is only small daily attendance, and far
ornaments within its walls concerned they are
of the most sober sort Gard playing is not objected
to- but amusement is not the rule. the oldest
| member never but two tables In at q time.
The club it is understood, il for the encouragement
of domestic art its social part being nearly all in
| its name. Ono gentleman remarked that the real
| question ct the League was, Could card playing
| which, he understood, meant mild gambhng-be
| used without abuse in such q ipixed MEM
| bership 1t being more Of public club
than any other in town, he thought it probable that
| possible quarrels games would become known
outside and bring scandal on the organization which
had borne so fair name for years. Although he
never knew positively OF quarrels taking place in
other clubs, yet there were ruors and any way the
small losses OF small had ut through
i'll luck often amounted to large amounts during
the winter and these debts Of honor always
bills generally swamped them aud they dropped
wrong in men who could afford to loose few dol
lars a day playing for moderate stakes, '.just
to make the game interestin but he did
for young Iuen who only had few dollars income .
day to play in the same games with the wealthy.
There never were two parties of players in . club
small and high payers-the highest playing would
not run over 500 in an evening; yet to the poorer
members il was great loss when lost and wrong TO
themselves that they participated in games with the
rich This the greatest evil of card playing in clubs
Men were not ruined by the small amounts they lost
ut any one time, yet he believed that many young
fellow in club here had been to see Ibis uncle
Just through these small losses. As to quarrelling
and disputing over cards he had never seen ii in
club rooms The players, when disputes did arise,
acted with great tact. II there is thing that will
bring out the temper more than another il is card
playing. ana school for manners there is no