Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-19
LIQUOR MEN MEET
To Organize National Anti-Prohibition
-f ~ League.

LcdBuCs
CHICAGO. October 1S.-Delegates to the
National Convention of Distillers, Brewers
and Wholesale and Retail Wine, Spirit and
Beer Dealers, which has been called for
the purpose of organizing National Anti
Prohibition League to control the efforts
of the Prohibitionists and Anti-Saloon
Republicans, have been arriving in
large numbers during the past
twelve hours Those from the Mid
die States have their headquarters at
the Palmer House, the Grand Pacific shell
ters those from the Western States, the
New Englanders are at the Sherman
House, while the representatives of the
Southern States are at the fremont. Dur
ing the morning there was great deal OF
comforting between the visitors from the
two extremes of the country with the OBJ
iect of agreeing upon mutual basis Tor
the platform and the organization which
is to be brought into existence.
The call for the convention was issued
about two months ago, and have the fol-
lowing well-known names: II. B. Miller,
President Western Export Association; T.
J. McGibben, President Kentucky Distil-
lers' Association; Lenk Wine Company,
Toledo; Christian Moerlein Brewing Com
pany, Cincinnati; Crescent Brewing Com
pany, AndOver, Ind, and E. W. Her
mann, President Brewers and Liquor
Dealers Protective Association, OF Louis
Vile. The response to the call was large
,,,I f1,;g LOT and a1tNy
decided upon for the gathering. 1t had
originally been intended to occupy the
Central Music Hall, but the EpiscOpalians
had secured prior lien upon the building,
and rs q result the local committee was
forced to fall back upon the Madison
Street Theater, where less than month
ago the Anti-SalOon Republicans organi-
zation was brought into existence, and
where numerous meetings in the interest
of Prohibition have been held.
Delegations began to arrive at the hall
soon after nine o'clock, and the discussion
concerning the proposed movement was
very generally indulged in. One promi-
nent delegate, whose views will materially
influence the policy to be adopted, gave
the following to your correspondent for
for publication as the opinion of all with
whom he had consulted;
I'VE shall have nothing to do with poll
tics. Our object is TO form AN organlza-
ton whcih shall embrace every man in the
country identified with the liquor inter
est, in no matter how humble q capacity.
That organization will be defensive so far
as our business interests are concerned,
aud offensive as regards the lies and calum-
nies which are daily directed against us
by our opponents. Matters have reached
a point where we can no longer remain
quiet or silent. We are being attacked
from all quarters of the country, and by
nnumerable interests. Nightly, i'll one
part OF the United States or another, our
business is being denounced rs infamous
and ourselves rs little better than Grimm
ais We propose to unite wholesalers and
retailers, whisky men, wine men and beer
men, and to bury all differences under one
common platfOrm-that of Personal Lib
ertv. Plenty of funds will he forthcoming
and the war will be carried into every vii
lace and hamlet. Constitutional Liberty
will be our watch word-the protection of
property and vested interests versus the
rule of fanatics who only differ from the
Anarchists in that they attack one species
of property owners instead Ofall Against
the cry Of "Down with the liquor traffic
we will set up the banner Of Liberty to
AL"
But little was done at the morning ses-
sion outside OF eflecting an organization,
and the convention will not get down to
work until this evenings session.