The Tacoma Assembly Social Club faces a liquor licensing crackdown
Officers of a local club are heading to court to defend their right to serve drinks to members, setting up a legal clash over city regulations.
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Al Potter, Peter McPherson, and L. Haurin, officers of the Tacoma Assembly Social Club, were arraigned before Judge Griffin this afternoon on the charge of selling liquor without a license. The trio were arrested last night by Detective Smith on warrants issued from the city attorney’s office. The Tacoma Assembly Social Club is an incorporated organization, and in view of this fact, the officers of the club are of the opinion that they have the right to dispense liquors to club members without paying the usual revenue to the city. On learning of the facts in the case, Assistant City Attorney Anderson immediately took steps to bring the club officers to trial. It is the general opinion among local attorneys that the city has a good case against the men, but the colored men propose fighting the question in the courts.
“The Tacoma Assembly Social Club is an incorporated organization, and in view of this fact, the officers of the club are of the opinion that they have the right to dispense liquors to club members.”
This early 20th-century legal battle over the rights of private social clubs to serve alcohol within their own walls echoes the long history of municipal control over nightlife and assembly spaces in Tacoma. Private clubs and social organizations have historically provided essential community hubs, often coming into conflict with city regulators seeking to tax or curtail their influence.
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