Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-12-11
THE MsRcAaTlLE SOCIAL cLuB.

Editor Honolulu STAR Bulletin, as.
Sir: In an article yesterday you
refer to the Mercantile Social Club as
a fraternity Of colered soldiers Of the
25th infantry This Is not correct.
This social club is formed for all per-
sons insthe United States service. The
following is taken from the eonstitn-
ton of the club: ~ ~. E. sA pa
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 -. 5s ~
Every person who becomes q mem
Der Of this club shall subscribe to the
following oath: i do
hereby solemnly swear or affirm that
as q member of the d. club. will
conduct myself as gentleman, and
win not do anything directly or In.
directly to bring discredit or odium
upon the club. ~.
claim that Treasurer Conkling In
not accepting the tax money from the
club. as Is provided in act % OF the
Session Laws Of 1906, he shall do,
Is violating the law. That act does
not proYide for o license, but a tax,
pure and simple. He has no more
fright to refuse this form of tax than
10 foolish enoughAto wish to pay taxes
Where8iti could not be compelled to
pay them, It 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
protector Of the club at the same
time. The law provides:
Any social club furnishing
Intoxicating liquors to its
members, shall pay an annual tax to
the treasurer in the sum of two hun.
bred dollars 5000. 00) 8.
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
is not formed directly or indirectly
for evading or defeating the purpose
OF the general licefse laws of the
territory, to distribute meals and In.
ltoxicating liquors amongst its mem.
bers without the payment Of any other
tax or license fee;
There is not q word In this law
(which gives to the treasurer the pow
er to decide whether club is bons
flde social club or not He Is not 3
censor Of public morals. although IN
this Instance Ha seems gratuifousIy
70 assume thist trenendous response
eiiity,s and what Is worse, he AFRO
gates to himself this power without
any right Of appeal, He is the sd
premes arbitef. His nod of approval
or fruwn settles the fate Of s social
club. TO this ] do not Tor a Inemeni
acquiesce. As soon as a social club
comes into existence, if It wishes the
privileges conferred W the law relat
ing to socia1t clubs, e must pay the
tax provided Tor ii that law and the
treasurer must accept It His fndfns
/ that such club is bona fide would
not make it 50, neither would the pay.
meht Of the tax Ii In fact it should
not be 9 bona EIDE club, although i,
had paid the tax with the treasured
sanction, It could be prosecuted ii
the same manner as though 1t had not
paid the tax. 8
In your article you insinuate that
the headquarters OF the club Is not IN
g proper place for such club. This
Is q mere matter Of opinion, but prob.
ably no more appropriate quarters
could he found in the city. 1t is IN
the second story or the buiIding; back
from King stree, and cut OF from OBJ.
servation 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
unseemly manner In the. club, n
could not be observed by anyone nut
side OF the building Though the dis.
trict is quite thickft populated. there
is nothing like the population that
there Is in other parts of the city
where saloons and clubs abound. So
long as intoxicating liquors can be
legally sold in social clubs, it is ranl
Injustice to make flesh Of one and
fowl of another. -
The people in the service who will
belong to this club wiz probably, TO