The sun., 1898-01-09
The Downfall Of the Manhattan Club

We publish elsewhere q letter from
member of the Manhattan Club, and of
Tammany Hall also, who resents what he
describes as Mr.. CRoKER's attempt to dis
fupt" that club, holding that. Il Is Ill
Judged, arbitrary, and impertinent. His
argument 10 that Democrat has right to
choose his own club according to his own
inclinations, and that the Manhattan Club
should be conciliated rather than flouted by
the Democratic leader.
1t cannot be questioned that q man has
the right of joining any legal and reputa.
BILE club into which he can get, but we
have seen no Indication that Mr.. CROKER
has opposed that right in any way or seeks
to interfere with Its exercise. OF course,
our friend need ask no permission to re.
main in the Manhattan Club from Mr..
CRoKBR or anybody else; he is free to con-
tinue In its membership, whatever the
Tammany leader may think Of the institu-
tion. As he says, It is his own business
peculiarly. A man has right to choose the
company he keeps, and II our friend likes
the Manhattan Club, he can cling to it SO
long as IL exists.
Mr.. CROKER didn't like it, and hence he
got out of the crowd. The objection he
made to the club, as we understand it, does
not touch Its social features, the quality of
its service, the character Of it's cuisine, or
the tastefulness Of It's decorations, nor even
the presence In II of "several heads of fami-
lies reckoned among the 400" He said
simply that not being distinctively Dem
ocratic club, but Mugwumpishly injurious
to the Democracy, Democrats who de.
sire o club of their party will have to
join another, and the other be pointed out
10 the Democratic Club. In other words,
membership in the Manhattan Club is not
an Authorization Of a mans Democracy,
but admission to the Democratic Club in
dicates that a mans Democratic creden-
tials are irreproachable.
That, of course, prevents no Democrat
from belonging to the Manhattan Club, il
he isso minded, and puts upon him no polit-
ical ban because of such membership. 1t
merely puts upon him the burden of proof
otherwise that he Is a Democrat, while
simple membership In the Democratic Club
is sufficient evidence of his party fidelity,
the establishment of that being the
prime qualification for admission. II,
however. the Manhattan Club persists In
calling itself Democratic, though in the
estimation of the Democratic leaders its
influence is prejudicial to the interests Of
the party, naturally membership in it
will not commend q man to Democratic
consideration, and by impairing confidence
in his partisan loyalty may debar him
from political councils to which member.
ship in the Democratic Club would qualify
him. What is there unfair and unreason.
able in that7
So far as the Democratic party is con-
cerned, we cannot see why it should be ex-
pected to take any interest in the Manhat-
tan Club. Nor can we discover any reason
whatever for the existence of the institu-
tion. except it be the desire of the members
individually to keep it going as social
club purely. Even in that field 1t is un.
necessary, there being a superfuity of
such clubs in New York, and the enormous
cost Of running 1t seems to us to be wasted.
If Mr.. CRoKBR's repudiation of it as a
Democratic club results in its collapse, he
will have done good turn for the Demo
cratic party and no injury to anybodys 80
cial life or liberty of opinion and of conduct.