The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-12
Douglass Club Men
Promise to Mend
Their Ways.
A PUBLIC HEARING.
Members viii Change the
Bylaws if They Get
a License.

The license commissioners gave
hearing to a half-doZen members of
the Douglass Social Club, last night,
the upshot of which was that the club
members admit that certain things
that are wrong have taken place in
their club room, and that in future, if
the commissioners will consider their
efforts, they will endeavor to conduct
things along different lines.
! Yesterday afternoon the commission
ers received a communication signed by
James f. Jordan, Clarence H. Beckton,
Thomas l.. Moss, George e. Williams
and William r. Anderson, who style
themselves members of the revised
Douglass Social Club, asking for
hearing agd intimating that the OBJ
jectionanle features that haWe' existed
in the, club will be done AWAY with
by the revision. .'.t.
The commissioners sent out word that
they would be pleased to grant a hear
ing last night, and at the appointed
hour met the delegation in room 80,
city hall. glA 50
| Clarence H. Beckton, secretary of the
club, said that he had been authorized
to ascertain the grounds upon which
the commissioners had refused the club
license. He supposed from what he
| had heard, that the main reason was
| because white men were allowed in the
rooms. He admitted that a good many
| friends had been brought in at first,
but with the revision in the bylaws,
the error would be corrected. There
was meeting of the club last Friday
| night, at which time committee was
appointed to draw up a revised set of
bylaws and report in one week.
general outline of the changes had been
mapped out, but the draft was not
complete. The committee had not ex-
pected to have hearing so soon, there
fore, the bylaws were not ready.
Beckton explained that it was
planned to allow none but colored men
| of Worcester to be active members Each
member will have a key to the club
rooms and no others will be admitted.
He thought, however, that members
might bring in Sriend once in while
if they saw fit.
William Anderson thought that a
partial revision of the bylaws and
having them lived up to would obviate
whatever difficulty may have arisen in
the past. The club members We're in
| experienced at first; and while he
thought members should be allowed
the privilege of asking a white friend
to come to the club once in a while if
he saw fit, he did not believe in having
white men predominant in the club
and frequent it's rooms as they have
during the past six months. The club
was willing to abide by the wishes of
the commissioners. He thought it a
cheap class of whites that have fire.
lquented the rooms and that it would be
a good thing for all to keep them out.
Mr.. Jefferson asked if he thought the
club had done right in the past, and
| Anderson was inclined to the belief that
they might have erred.
| Gen. Pickett said he understood that
the club was to revise its bylaws and
| regulate its rules, making the club a
club for colored men only. He inquired
of Mr.. Beckton what hour it was pro-
posed to close and was informed that
| it had been planned to make the hour
1.30 a. m. Gen. Pickett asked If it was
not true that the club had been open
most of the night on many occasions.
The secretary acknowledged that 1t had
at times in the past from Saturday
until Monday morning.
| Mr.. Early inquired If there was any
limit to the number of friends a mem
| Der might ask to come in. Beckton said
| there was not but that a restriction
would be made if they found there
were too many.
Gen. Pickett said he wished to correct
any impression existing that the club
| was turned down on account of the
color of its members. He wished 1t
! thoroughly understood that this did not
| enter into the matter in the least He
! thought all understood that the club
had not been kept up to the standard.
He thought the cOlored men might have
club as well as any one else, but that
! they should conduct it in such a way
as to deserve the membership Of the
| highest class of their race.
| James e. Jordan, president of the
club, thought the members would try
and mend what had happened in the
past and make the club strictly for
colOred men. They had committed an
| error in the past, but he hoped the COM
! mssioners would reconsider and give
! them another chance.
Gen. Pickett suggested that the club
| formulate its revised bylaws and sub
nit them TO the commissioners. Mr..
Jefferson thought the club could exist
without a license, merely as a social
| organization during the few days that
| might intervene after the old license
1
! granted, that is, If the commissioners
| decided to grant one.
| Mr. Early thought that the club mis-
understood the intent of the statutes
| legalizing the dispensing of liquors in
social rooms. 1t was not the intent of
! the law to keep a place open all night,
nor to maintain an institution where
men could congregate after they were
unable to drink in other places, but to
| dispense to club members only.
! The question comes on whether the
/ club means to sell simply to members
of the club. and adhere strictly to the
/ intent of the law. George E. Williams,
who has charge of the club rooms said
the hour for closing had been somewhat
| irregular, and that all things had not
been conducted just right. He doubted,
| however, if any one not a member of
the club had ever bought liquor there.
| 1t was finally agreed that the COM
mittee should submit the revised by
laws to the commissioners, Monday,
April "a.