The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-02
The REFORM CLUBS HISTORY.
ms MISSION, ITS PROSPERITY
IT'S ECLiPSE.
once Itgd ~ Many as $500 members
srrl, g;uGOO IA Preaching Tarin
WcduCtian ~ 1853 It's Jolllnca'lon
IN 1872 over tleN Glands victory.

Tho Reform club which closed It's house
nj . Ea4t Thir'y.htfh - rect a week ago aud
has . on 4al r. mott ~ 81 iurnitur ends
rs daya e.. social organization within
two b!ogli7 Of the place where they began.
Nearly eighteen years ago tho club.
which spraug from Inc old Free Trade
club. opcned I'D house a. Thiry-third
street. few doors cast Of Fifth avenue.
II then had cbout 100 resident members.
made up chiefly uf Democrats. Single Tax.
ers and bugwump~
Mr. Cleveland's 'ariH message Of Deem
her. 1887, gave the club an immediate mi,-
sion. and its committee ON turiH reform
at once set TO work with vigor. In the
campaign Of 1888 tho clubspcnt about s7OoOO
in preaching tanf reduction, and acted
as a sort Of adjunct 10 the Democratic
party.
Defeat did not interrupt the work Of the
club, and for the next four years 1t indus
triously spread its doctrines by means
Of printed matter When the campaign
of 1902 came on, the club was more active
than ever, and Il spent many Thousands
OF dollars In the intorests Of Mr.. Cleveland's
second election.
On the night OF the election, when II
became known that Mr.. Cleveland was
really successful, some Of the younger
men of tho club gathered in the cafe, or
Ranized a meeting in celebration OF the
event and from time to time auctioned
of the temporary Chairmanship OF the
body to the man who bid the highest num-
Der Of bottles Of champagne. When at
length a bid Of six quarts was high the bid
der. whose name happened 10 be Lincoln
was forced TO assume the name Of Thomas
Jefferson before he was permitted to take
the chair.
An interesting feature Of the clubs prop
uganda in this campaign was the Joint
debates on the tariff question at county
fairs in this State John F.. Russell and
William M. Springer went out as the club
champions, and Gen. Grosvenor and Roswell
q. Horr represented the Protective Tariff
League.
Horr and Springer were pitted against
each other at several places. Springer
was grave and rgumentative. Horr
was comic in speech and aspect. and even
the reformers voted him good fellow.
Horrs funniest hit, however. was an un-
conscious piece Of humor.
Addressing up in Ulster county a crowd
Of farmers who stood gaping toward the
old man and staring beyond him 70 the
round shoulder OF mountain that loumed
over the scene. Horr exclaimed.
Forty years ago. my friends, forty
years ago, you never put knife into your
mouth at table without seeing upon il
the brand of Sheffield"
The farmers never smiled. but the mali
oious reformers exchanged significant
glances, though Mr. Springer was either
30 Af0uNHnA or r.,lifto ~ ap his fttr
came TO speak 10 touch upon Slr. HoT's
feats with cold steel.
When the agitation for the enactment
Of the Australian ballot law came on in this
State the Reform Club cooperated with
several other organizations. including
the Single Takers and branch Of the Labor
Party, in urging the enactment Of the
measure. comic sight OF those times was
Ollie TEAL in Tuxedo coat and Immaculate
linen drinking cocktails in the club cafe
along with the Representatives Of the Labor
Party while the plan Of the ballot reform
campaign was under discussion.
During the years when the tariff ques-
tion was exciting special interest the club
had its great growth II ran up 70 ! 200
resident and about 1000 Northeastern
members. the latter recruited in every
State OF the Union.
Under the stimulus OF this growth the
club removed 20 the northeast corner Of
Fifth avenue aud Twenty-seventh street
where il incurred a debt Of about t3OO, 900
IN buying land and improving the house
That was the period Of club expansion in
New York, and all sorts Of clubs, big and
little. were buying houses and issuing
bonds.
The Reform Club grew and prospered |
for a time after it, removal but, like all |
the heavily bonded clubs. II felt disastrously |
the hard times from 1893 TO 1897 It's mem |
bership fell on. and when the Bryan cam |
paign OF 1895 came on the club seeing /
the tariff question sent to the rear and the |
silver question put forward, turned upon I
the Democratic party, and without calling |
itssh Republican, entered heartily into ,
the movement for sound money.
Subscriptions 70 its campaign fund poured |
ln, and the doors Of the club were thrown I
open to a host Of men who opposed both
free silver and tariff reduction.
When the silver issue was fought 20
finish, tho club found itself with . heavy
debt, decreasing membership. and a
large body Of members Indifferent or hostile
30 the principle upon which IL was founded.
The club struggled along with small an
nuRl deficit, until the trustees seized the
opportunity Of a movement in real estate
10 sell the house in Fifth avenue for a price
that left the organization with free and
rlesr surplus Of more than t5O,OOO.
Then came fight over the future Of Tire
club. II was urged thot with $4,000 in
rash, furniture enough for a big house
md a mcrnbertLp Of all Glasses amounting
10 more than 200, the club w s In an ideal
10 take a somewhat cheaper site
md go on. But the men who had been
tho organization for fifteen years
believed that the thing 10 do WAS TO kill
be social side OF the club and devote the
bulk Of its Income to the propaganda
In the end the club took it, house in East
st:Cet and lied TO keep the social
tide going. Few persons came to the house.
however. and the restaurant was a steady
train on the resources. A good deal cf
money was also spent on the Parker cam
DaiCn.
When IL rad become plain that only a
desperate effort could Keep the social side
v the club alive, the opportunity came
O sell the Thirty-third street leGse at a
handsome profit. This was done. and after
everal meetings the club determined 10