The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-04-01
CAFEOR SUNDAY SCHOOL?
The Burning Question That
Convnlses the ]. C. A. c.
Membership.

A lively row is brewing In the Jersey
Cith Athletic Club. The storm has not
yet broken. but the rumbliugs are all
ready being heard aud before many
weeks pass BY, the four hundred and fifty
members will be divided into Two fac
bitter war on the other. The trouble be-
gan little over a month ago when a
number of members started u movement
in favoring Of establishing cafe at the
club. Since then little else has been
talked of by the members. Those who
started the movement little expected that
there would be such an organized Oppo-
sition as has already made Itself felt.
the question has not yet been broug ght
before the trustees, but, 1t is said, that
at the next meeting an attempt will be
made by those in favor of establishing
the cafe. to carry a motion in favor OF
the scheme Ii they do this. there will
be war.
HELP PROSPERITY.
The members who first suggested the
establishment of the cafe say that the
club would be more prosperous il liquor
were sold there. ana that II Is an undis-
Duted fact that the club lost q great
many members, and good ones, too.
simply because they could not have
something TO eat and something to drink
after spending an evening at the CLUB.
They also say that unless the club de-
cides in favor OF their scheme, and that
quickly. too. large number Of members
will resign and 60 to other clubs where
refreshments are sold.
One of these members. while speaking
to reporter of Tie JERSEY CITY NEWS
last evening. said:-"r There are number
of temperance cranks in the club who
oppose the scheme, because they are
afraid that the members will come around
to the club, If the cafe is opened, and
drink to excess. But the matter can be
regulated so that there will be no danger
of this. All the leading clubs today have
cafes, and the Jersey City Athletic Club,
in order to prosper. must fall in line.
Cluomen from New York, when visiting
us. are greatly surprised TO learn that we
have no cafe, and often tell US that we
ought TO organize Sunday school class.
scheme, and we will work hard to gain
our point.
I'VE believe that if the clfe were estab-
lished our members would so conduct
themselves that even the most exacting
could not lind fault. At any rate, mem
bers are less apt TO drink TO excess In a
clubhouse thai when compelled to go to
SALOON. The cafe would be a source of
profis to the club, and it would be far
better for the members to spend their
money ut the clubhouse Than at neigh
boring gin mills. 1 am quite certain that
the majority of the members favor the
scheme, and will vote in favor of it at the
meeting"
THE TEMPERANCE FACTION.
The members who oppose the scheme,
better known as the temperance faction,
are hustling to prevent the passage of the
motion in favor of opening q bar. and
they also claim that they have majority
of members with them. and will win at
the meeting. One of the temperance
members said to the reporter last night
"During the fifteen yoars that the Jersey
City Athletic CLUB has been in existence.
not one drop of liquor has passed
through its doors. We have been
successful and now have large MEM
hership. The Jersey City Athletic Club
grew steadily until now it is the leading
club of Jersey City. Young men joined
it because they knew there were no
temptations there. Tney wanted place
other than the saloon in which to spend
their spare moments and they joined us.
They did not wish to waste all their
money in liquor. us they would have to
do at saloons. and they joined the J. G.
A. C. Now certain members propose to
turn the clubhouse into q saloon. The
club has for fifteen years done without it.
and there is no reasonable excuse now
for dep airing from its settled way"