The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-13
"BENNIE' AND ''TILLY.'
The Two Johns in the
Palma Club Board of
Trustee Contest.
THE MULTIFARIoUs COMMITTEE.
A Suspicion of Clique Rule May
Make 1t More Potent than the
Nominating Committee.

Nominating Committee.
| One of the members of the Palma Club
took copy of Yesterdays JERSEY CITY
NEWS into the parlor Of the club room last
| evening.
"Read it for usi" exclaimed twenty
voices the moment it became known that
he had copy of the paper in his hand,
and when be had read it committee was
| appointed to gather in q stock of the
papers from the neighboring newstands.
| The newsdealers had already sold out
their supply to earlier purchasers, how
ever, and the committee, to the regret of
scores of members, returned to the club
room empty handed.
Their special interest in the paper was
due to the second exclusive report pub
lished in its columns, of the contest be-
tween the Nominating Committee and
some members of the club over the COM
position of the Board of Trustees.
AN oMNIPoTENT BOARD.
| The "Board of Trustees" of the "Palma
Club is very large factor in the manage
exclusive charge of some part of the
clubs business. He is not obliged to call
to his aid his fellow trustees, but was
ment of club affairs. It SO completely
controls the destinies of the club as to be,
| in fact, the club itself 1t has exclusive
management of the finances, and controls
every item of the clubs property. Each
member is the chairman of committee
having select from the members of the club
at large. 1t may be presumed however that
| he asks for the assistance in committee
| work only of those who are in full-sympa-
| thy with the objects he has in view, and
with his methods of attaining them
| The chairman of the Entertainment
| Committee, for instance, would not ask
| for his assistance any one in conflict with
| his view of the affair he is commissioned
| to look after; and so with the chairman
of the Library, the Gymnasium, the Bowl
| ing and the other committees. 1t is easy
to see, therefore, that the constitution of
| the Board of Trustees is a matter of large
| Importance in the eyes of the club men.
A CLIQUE IN THE CLUB.
It was stated yesterday that the opposi-
| tion to the nominations made by the Nom
mating Committee was due partly to the
| fact that the candidates for Trustees had
been selected with a view to packing the
| Board, SO as to insure the election of Ed.
| Linn to its craftsmanship.
| 1t was learned last evening that this was
1 not the only ground of complaint. 1t was
| said by some members that the trustees
have been in the habit of running the bus
mess of the club too much in the interests
of a little clique, and by others that the
| chairmen of the several committees had,
| in the choice of their assistants, favored
gentlemen who reside in certain parts of
| the city, to the exclusion of gentlemen
| living in other sections of the city.
| 1t was the view that the trustees are too
| clannish that started the revolt which is
| now exciting the club.
" THE TWO JOHNS"
sJt began in this way" said one mem
ber who refused to have his name re-
ported. "We have in the club a commit
| tee which, because of the character of its
duties, is known as the Multifarious Com
mittee. 1t has no specific functions, but
all the odds and ends of club business
which does not fall within the line of
regular committee work are thrown upon
| its shoulders. Its duties are no sinecure.
| They require much time and attention,
and for want of other opportunity to look
| after them, the members of the committee
spend the best part of Sunday morning in
| work.
s'Fred. Tilden and Benny Van Dyke are
not only the two hardest workers on the
| committee, but two of the most popular
members of it as well. They are such fat
and Jolly fellows and so inseparable in
their companionship that they have come
| to be known as the Two Johns among
the club boys. When the selection of a
| new Board of Trustees was at hand Ben
| nie' conceived the idea that Tilly, as we
| familiarly call Fred. Tilden, should be one
| of the members of it, and with other club
men, he requested the Nominating Com
mittee to put 'Tilly' in nomination, but
the request was refused.
''This was regarded as another symptom
| of clique rule, and 'Bennie' forthwith
armed himself with book and went
among the club members, asking them to
pledge themselves in writing to vote for
| his chum and assistant. He urged first,
| that the CLIQUE in the club should be
broken up and second, that Tilden, being
specially valuable in the library, would
make an excellent chairman of the Library
| Committee His arguments have been so
| effective that it looks as though lilly
would get into the Board of Trustees in
spite of the Nominating Committee. l
| don't know how Carter happened to be
coupled with him in the contest unless it
! be that, as one of the best bowlefs in the
| club, he will be able to render valuable
service as chairman of the Bowling Com
mittee."
NO BAD FEELING.
| At the same time the members are ex-
! plicit in their declarations that there is no
| i'll feeling in the contest and that the
rivalry is entirely pleasant and good ma
| tured.
sAnd," said Secretary Carrick yester-
| day evening, "there is one error in your
| paper which l wish you would correct.
Of Hudson Boat Club members because
| they are Hudson Boat Club members. In
| fact, Fred Carter, one of the opposition
candidates, was himself an active member
Of that club"