The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-17
TOBE ALL REFORM ANDNO CLUB
REFORM CUB GOES STORMILY
OUT OF ITS SOCIAL LIFE.
Younger Members Go Away Growing
Because ass, 900 on Hand Is TO BE
Devoted to Tariff Tracts while Eat.
ing, Drinking and Sleeping surcease.


The Reform Club, at Twenty-seventh
street and Fifth avenue, will cease to be a
social and political organizat ton at the
end Of this year and will revert to its original
tariff reform basis This decision was
reached late last night after stormy meet
ing at which the younger members, who,
eventually, were beaten in the vote, APP
pauded denuncations Of the management.
The resolution which was SO bitterly
fought before it was passed was as follows:
Resolved. That the board Of trustees. after
the expiration of the lease of the clubhouse
on Dec. 81. 1908. shall provide suitable ac-
commodations for the committees on publ
cation, officers. library and reading room.
but shall not. under the present conditions,
continue the wine rooms. restaurant or pro-
vide lodgings for members.
What it really means, according to some
of the younger members, is that the old
timers have laid hold OF the money re-
sultng from the sale Of the club property
to spend OH tariff reform pamphlets, while
the younger members who have been
contributing to the finances get no more
beef and.
The club was founded about sixteen
years ago to further tariff reform and,
incidentally, for politics. The organizers
also planned social side to their orgapiza-
ton and purchased the clubhouse and a
large number Of young men joined.
In 1891 there were 9l2 resident members.
But the social side was neglected, the
young men say, and last year the number
Of resident members had decreased to 3l4.
As there had been a small deficit each
year, the management took alarm and
sold the clubhouse Qor about $4OO,OOol.
After all debts had been paid the club
found itself with a surplus Of about s55 600.
The disposal of tho surplus was the issue
last night
The old tarin reformers proposed that
it should be devoted to tariff reform propa-
ganda
The younger men, who liked the club
for it's accommodations and life, urged
that it either be continued as it had been
or that the surplus be divided pro rata.
They also commended that they were the
men who frequented the club. that many
of the original tariff reformers barely
last five years tariff reform discussion
had never been heard there. Tariff re-
form as political question, they declared
was dead. and they did not want all the
money devoted to funeral literature.
On motion last night to postpone for
three weeks action on the solution the
vote stood u for post ponement, ~ against;
but SO proxies were cast against postpone
ment, and the young men saw that they
were beaten.
Speeches were made denouncing the
management of the clubhouse by the
trustees, and the younger men, majority
Of those present. cheered them. Then sub
stitute resolutions were offered suggesting
that the club either continue With less
pretentious accommodations or establish
a downtown lunch club to be run in con-
nection with the proposed ONCE arrange
ment
These were also voted down and when
the young men protested that tariff reform
was dead issue" Franklin Pierce said:
There can be no issue SO grand as that
of free trade"
President Wallace Mcfarland advised
outstanding resources Of the club, which
meant doing away with the club feat
ures, and the original resolution was car
ried by practically the same vote. The
young men, many of them, say they u
resign at the end Of the year,