Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-12-11
The MERCANTILE SOCIAL CLUB,


Sir: In an article yesterday you
refer to the Mercantile Social Club as
fraternity Of colored soldiers OF the
25th infantry" This is not correct
This social club is formed for all per-
sons in the United States service. The
following is taken from the constitu-
ton of the club:
ANY person in the service Of the
United States shall be eligible to mem
bership in this club who is Of good
moral character and who shall sign
! this constitution :"
Every person who becomes a mem
Der of this club shall subscribe to the
| following oath: i, --, do
hereby solemnly swear or affirm that
as a member Of the =. club, will
conduct myself ais gentleman, and
will not do anything directly or In.
directly to bring discredit or odium
upon the club @s.'. ID, ...@
il claim that Treasurer Conkling In
not accepting the tax money from the
iclub, az. is provided In act % Of the
session Laws OF 1905, he shall do,
is violating the law. That act does
not provide for a license, but a tax,
pure, and simple. He has no more
right to refuse this form Of tax than
/, he has any other form. If the club
i Is foolish enough to wish to pay taxes
! where 1t could not be- compelled to
pay them, 1t does not lie in his mouth
to say to the club you are foolish in
paying these taxes. He has no right
to act for the government and act as
, q protector OF the club at the same
time. The law provides: Liz, =.
ANY social club .. furnishing
intoxicating liquors - to fits
members, shall pay an annual tax to
| the treasurer in the sum of two hun.
dred dollars ($20000) :" ....2
The payment of said tax shall be
held to entitle any genuine, bona fide
social club, In which the furnishing
of Intoxicating liquors Is Incidental to
its main object and purpose, and not
Its main object Of purpose, and which
I, Is not formed directly or Indirectly
for evading or defeating the purpose
OF the general license, laws or the
territory, to distribute meals and in.
toxicating liquors amongst its mem
Ders without the payment Of any other
/ tax or license fee; -, = H., s
There is not a word in this law
which gives to the treasurer the pow
/, er to decide whether club is bona
fde social club orsnot He lis not a
censor or public morals. although In
this instance, he seems gratuitousIy
to assume this tFemelid ons response.
bility, and what is worse, he AFRO
gates to himself this power without
any right Of appeal. He is the su-
Ipreme arbiter. His nod Of approval
or froWn settles the fate of a social
club. To this do not for a moment
acquiesceS As soon as. a social club
comes into existence, IL It wishes the
privileges conferred Esthe law .relat.
ing to social clubs, It must nav the
tax provided for In that Law and the
treasurer must accept Il. His finding
that such club Is bona fide would
not make 1t SO, neither would the pay.
ment of the tax. II III fact 1t should
not be q bona fde club, although It
had paid the tax with the treasurer's
sanction. it could be prosecuted In
the same manner as though it had not
paid the tax. : w.
In your article you insinuate that
the headquarters OF the club is not In
a proper place for such IA club. This
Is mere. matter of opinion, but prob
ably no more Appropriate quarters
could be found In the city. 1t Isl In
the second story or the building, back
from King street, and cut OF from OBJ
Iseryation from all schools and the
KaiulAni home and not within speak
ing distance Of any school or, that
home. In case anyone should be so
unfortunate to conduct himself in an
unseemlyg manner in the club, it
could not be observed by anyone out.
side of the building. Though the dis
trict is quite thickly spopulated, there
is nothing like the population that
there is in other parts of the city
i where saloons and clubs abound So
long as intoxicating liquors can be
legally sold in social clubs, it is rank
injustice to make flesh of one and
fowl of another. !
The people in the service who will
J belong fo This Eclnh will prnhahlv for