The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-05

The attitude taken by the Tomo-
chichi Club in its controversy with
the Guards, reported in the Morning
News Sunday, is so calculated to give
a wrong impression of the position TAX
en- by the Guards, that I deem it my
duty to reply to same.
If the question was THE survival of
the fittest," as most prominently an
nounced by the Tomochichi Club, there
is little doubt which organization
should succumb, one being purely
social club, and the other an old or
ganization of 102 years standing, that
has always done it's duty to this city
and the state, and now struggling to
pay it's debts.
In 1898 the Guards Battalion as an
entirety went into the Spanish war;
and if was during it's absence that
the Corps defaulted on it's interest on
ste Armory bonds. AS result It's
,,ronertv was placed in the hands OF
= receiver. In 1899 an effort to erect
a Communication was attempted, ana
n aid the scheme financially the Tomo-
cbichi Club was organized the mem
hers being very largely coIhposeu u
tha Guards The club started out
,,,ith a large membership, but in the
vos+ wear so many members resigned,
~ ciub had difficulty in meeting It's
oh1igations. From August last to tep-
r,orv of this year the club was con-
stantlv in arrears, owing from TWO
n three months rent. This money
vas badly needed to meet our opil-
c,otions. | quote from letter OF the
President of the Tomochlchl Clup uh-
der date, Jan. 5, 1904.
81 regret that it has apparently be-
oor,o necessary of late for you to
constantly remind me OF the cup $
SooIyvardness in meeting the monthly
rental and l wish to assure you that
+ha cause is not a lack of desire 70
nav YOU promptly, but merely lack
of funds. =. ,,o,,o %
dar,n1and than a request, and
would he glad to know what your
,,ronosition would be if we find that
Nc are unable to meet your demands
.eTf the club has proven an unsatls-
Factory tenant and you desire 1t &c
vacate its present quarters l VII
thank YOU to so state in a letter 10 me
as its annual meeting VIII oe nele
shortly and l should wish 10 prlhe
the DldllSI up
To which I replied:
II am not undertaking to issue any
command to the Tomochichi club, ou
am endeavoring to perform the plalI
duty which l owe the GUARDS as tneL
commanding officer and president
There is no sentiment about it, bu
strictly a matter of business. In al
candor I must confess that II the clui
IS to continue for the future as 1t ma
for the past six months respecting thu
navment of rent, it will be yer!
unsatisfactory tenant, and one Whlcl
we would not care to continue in tn
occupancy of any portion OF gu
building.
This letter from the Tomochich
Club was read to the Board of Officer
of the Guards and it was deemed al
animation that the Tomochichi Clul
was getting into financial difficulties
With this belief it was only prope
that we should make some arrange
ments to take care of our property
For some time the matter of having
home for the Guards had been con
sidered not social club, for it wa
the unanimous decision of the board o
officers that no liquor should be solC
in such a home, but a place where TIT
men could read, play billiards, ant
meet each other, engendering the spiri
of comradeship Under the Dick bill
the duties of a soldier have become
much more onerous, without any com
pensating social features, and the meI