The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-20
THAT LAWN PARTY ROW.
1t Might Have Been Avcrted If
the Club Had Had Bylaws.

The statemen t having hesn made that
the true inwardness of the now IA nous
Lawn Party" row in the Greanville
Amusement Association has not as yet
appeared and that thoye most interested
had not been afforded en opportunity TO
present their side of the controversy to
the public, o reporter for The NEWS
called upon Mr.. James +. Llne last sven-
lug TO learn MS side of the case. When
the reporters errand was made known to
him Mr. Lane said:-
IAN organization was started som e
I'll me ago by J. f.. Lane, P. Sopotker, G.
Sobotker. f. Reutner, V. Kantner, w.
RaJh and w. Hoffman, nder the name
of the Greenyille Amusement Associa-
tion. The object of this society was tue
worthy one of encouraging the study of
music and drama. and of doing this in
such a manner that NIL the members
might derive pleasure from the individ-
ual work of each. To this eud the society
at once began to accept members, al
though at that time no bylaws existed.
Nevertheless. there did exist u preamble
setting forth among o5ner things the
purposes for which the Clue has bsen
formed. Each candidate was given an op-
portunity TO read this and as no com meDt
whatever were made upon it the original
seven naturally thought everything
quite satisfactory.
"a number of ladies were admitted to
to the CLUB as honorary members and
instructors appointed in instrument
tai and vocal music and also
in elocution. The membership
at last Rrsw to about fifty and a hail was
hired in which they might meet every
Friday. AT last when things ware
thought to be in good running order iG
was proposed at Que OF the meetings to
begin to carryout the orRanization's
objects. A plan was submitted
which provided that the N should
be divided into four companies and that
at their weekly meetings each company
should take a turn at entertaining the
three remaining ones, either with musi-
cal, vocal or elocutionary selections. that
the members should have four weeks
notice in which to prepare themselves.
aud that any members falling TO be pre-
pared should ~(unless very satisfactory
reasons were offered) be fined, and il the
fue were not paid, should be expelled.
There was at first a little dissatisfac
ton aud at last considerable objection to
making any portion OF such Il motion
part OF the by laws and the organizers of
the club began to awake to the fact that
they had made q grave mistake in not
making bylaws before accepting mem
6ers. This slight gar was evidenced by
the opposing members, always desiring
to use the hall for dancing after the meet
ings. while the others wished 1t for re-
h~earsals. Thus matters grew worse and
worse until one of the opposition pro-
posed that they should have a lawn party
when it became very evident that it was
the intention OF the majority to make the
character OF the | a social rather
than a musical one.
The climax was reached when the
original members resigned at a special
meeting (their resignation being accepted
and afterward declared unconstltutional)
and when several lady and gentlemen
candidates were ~blackballed. the excite
ment became so intense, that were it not
for the presence OF the ladies, the other
members might have come to bIows.'
Mr.. Lane declares that a great mistake
was made in adopting the bylaws as in
complete as they were.