The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1911-05-18
SOCIAL SCRAP
IN WASHINGTON
Club Bars Taft's Friends aid
Three Resign
DENOUNCED BY PRESIDENT
Declares They Were Black-BalIed by
"SmaII-Headed" Men Who Have Nc
Standing Outside of Clubs.

Declares They Were BIack-BalIed by
"smaII-Headed' Men Who Have Nc
Standing Outside of Clubs.
Washington, Mag 18.-The resigna
tionS of two members Of the board OF
governors and the secretary Of the
Metropolitan club in this city, made
known following a speech by Presi-
dent Taft in which he denounced
"smallheaded men," who, in clubs, at.
tempt to manifest their greatness by
black-balling men of prominence, pro
posed for membership, have stirred
official and social Washington to the
core.
President Taft, who is a member OF
the exclusive Metropolitan, was re
ported, several weeks ago, to have
felt some resentmBIlt over the eXclu-
sion from the organization of sever al
newly-elected congressman and sena
tors, proposed for membership by
some of the most influential men in
the club. Among the men excluded was
one of whom the president was said tO
De particularly lOuu.
The furry caused by the clubs &C,
tion at that time had partially died
down, when President Taft in an ad
dress at thu Jewish temple, revived
the subject by saying that he had
friends-Gentiles- out of clubs
"by people who were not worthy to
button up their shoes"
This was followed by the announce
ment that Brigadier General Clarence
R. Edwards, of the bureau of insular
affairs, an intimate friend OF President
Taft; Lieutenant Colonel Charles L.
McCawley, of the Marine Corps, for
merly a White House aide, and Cap
tain T. M. Potts, of the navy, had re-
signed their official positions with the
Metropolitan club.
General Edwards and Captain Potts
were members of the board of gov
ernors, and Colonel McCawley, secre-
tary of the club. All three of these Of
ficers had asked that their resigna-
tions take effect at once, but Captain
Potts and Colonel Cawley later agreed
to serve until next October on account
of the difficulty of filling their places
at this time of the year. General Ed
wards, however, insisted that his re-
signation should be accepted imme-
diately.
In his speechsthe president sa;d...al
"I beh9e, and HaI proud Of the
TACT. that .t-bese -5eSs in America enjoy
an equality that they have in only a
few other countries of the world.
don't mean to say that they are not
racial prejudices here; 1 don't mean
to say that there are not social clubs
and other places where the small
headed men who occasionally get into
a directory manifest their greatness by
using a black ball and shutting out
men of Importance in the community.
But, my friends, while it is aggravat-
ing and exasperating, still it is not the
worst thing that could happen.
81 have had it happen to friends of
mine-Gentiles-w have been kept
out of clubs by people who are not
worthy to button up their shoes, and
who have no standing save in clubs.
1t is aggravating, l agree, but man
is what he is by reason of his respect
for himself, and if he knows that some
one who affects to snub him and look
down upon him is not worthy-if he
knows that that person is not his
equal and he cultivates any of the
philosophy that he ought to call to
his aid-he will have the advantage
over his Small-brained and narrow
minded critic always"