Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-06-05

were strong enough TO protect their inter-
esss- He believed the larger part Of the
iavs upon the statute books.
which are detrimental 20 the hotel
business, were there through the
fault Of hetsl men themselves. There are
nov between 600 and 200 Of them in the
State, and they can exert > greater iniiu-
ence than the same numte, OF men esgsged
IN any ether business. II they don't or
ssnize and protect ther interesss il il their
own fault. They have heretofore sent men
70 the Legislature to guard their interests.
ard every body can see what they have done.
There Is 10 clsss OF people sho do 90 much
Tor tue public - do the hotel men. sn3 yet
they are spit upon. II they nov band
themselves together ard do xhst is manly
and right, s.ooping TO nothing which is low
or contemplate, they can secure what be-
longs to them. They DO not fad fault with
| the officers. for generally speaking they
are dong their duty under the law as il
now staads, but they must look cut
and send msn to the Legislature who will
give Them what belongs to them. Every
political feeling should be laid aside, and
| the hotel men will have With them every
honorable business man il they take the
prope. steps for their own protection. The
speaker ridiculed Sam Jones sni the 1000
people who went to hear him in Portland,
and he also declared that those who speak
from the pulpit in@-favor Of prohibition
know nothing about practical living and
business methods. Let the hotsi men, he
said, sand on their own bottom, but stoop
to nothing dishonorable.
W. W. Waugh Of Boston spoke of the
encouraging progress made by the Hotel
Association sinca il started. He declared
msiae 10 be The best State in the Union
FOR summer resorts, for here there
IS everything that can be found
sry yshere. He euloyzed uyon the mag
nitude Of the hotel business, the great sums
expended in ft.iog up places with every
convenience for the pleasure ard comfort
Of visitors. But. he said, people don't
want 70 come 10 Maine u1less they can have
what they have been accustomed to have at
home. He did not think it good policy to
say much about prohibition. but thought |
the hotel men should sppear in forcs before |
the Legislature snd insist upon hsving the |
right granted them to serve their guests. |
IL snythin is accomplished q thorough or |
gsniza,ion must be effected. A respectable |
hotel man has more influence than q man
in any other business. and there is no ques-
ton but that the hotel keeper can work tke |
politicians in his town if disposed to do so,
Mr.. W. A. Rosecrans, secretary of the |
Nstioral Hotel Association, of Albany, |
New York, addressed the association in |
which he urged the importance Of thorough |
organization and earnest work. Ii 10 the |
hotel mans business to serve the people |
and be should insist on having his rights in |
the community. He believed that politics |
should be eschewed in this matter. Mr.. |
Brick presented the following resolution |
which was unanimously adopted by . rising |
vote, although about halt Of those in |
attendance in the earlier part of the meet
ing bad left The hail for the depot:
Whereas. the present prohibitory lsw
Of the State has proven detrimental to the |
business interests of the State in general,
and particularly injurious to the hotel bust
ness Of Maine, and whereas ssid law has
totally failed to accomplish the results
claimed for it; therefore, ~e, the repre-
sentatives of the Hotel Proprietors' Associ-
alton Of Maine, in convention assembled,
hereby resolve that hereafter, in consider
slion of this question. we shall disregard
political affiliations and party lines, and
support such men only for legisla-
tiys office as will uDqusiifedly pledge
themseives in favor Of the repeal OF the
prohibtory law and the resubmission to
ths people of the soeslled prohibitory
amendment 10 the constitution of the
Sts'e, believing that said amendment lie
unwise and ipjudicious, and that at the
present time, in view of the evil e fleet upon |
the materisl busine ss interests of the State.
large sj,rity Of our people, regardless
of party lines, would be opposed to its
adoption and in favor of iocoi option and
s high license law as the best and wise s.. |
means of dealing with the liquor question.
Mr.. Farmer of Phillips spoke of the sd
vantage Of the secret bsilo, in this con-
nection, and in the course Of bis remarks
declared il his belief that the prohibitory !
law had caused more intemperance
than any other one thing. He Furthermore
said he believed three-fourths Of the people |
were opposed 10 il, and that the larger part |
of the names upon petitions sent to the
Legislature IN times past, asking for tenn
perance legislation, were not those OF
voters, but children, members of temper
snce societies.
W. II. Mcdonald spoke Of the votes
which the hotel men could swing; each on
an average employs four votes. who would |
naturally go with him, making about 5000
IN all then the spothecsries who are only |
waiting Tor the hotel men to stsrt, would |
add 5000 more, followed by the same mum.
Der of Restaurant men, also meat and |
grocery men, who by considerable of trade
would go with them in large numbers, ali
making q to'al that would be wanted by
some Of the psIies Thought an option
law could be secured without any doubt.
Mr.. Biackden, of Dex'ar, said that $1,000
could have been 90 used at the last
Legislature az TO prevent the pas
sage Of the laws that went through, also
that by the use of money further action
could be prevented, and rhe repeal OF the
laws secured which are row on the books.
The mex Leeislatute ,uld be captured by
the hotel men i they only would unite
Mr. Cbsrles Milliken Of Augusta said all
mus. understand that politics are to be laid
aside.
Mr.. Brick urged the importance of hsv-
ing fund where it could be reached when
wanted, ard the secretary suggested that if
5 Ii tho members of the association would
pay their dues promptly, with the srearages
that were down on the book, that OF itself
would make 3 fund of very respectable size,
II was voted that the vice.
presidents be instructed to solicit sub.
s2iiptions to the association fund ard sp
plications for membership in their respec-
tive couuiies and at The end of three
months report to the secretary upon the
result of their labors.
Adjourned TO meet st the banquet in the
evening at Ei1lsoo3 hc.sl.
rynu Nm nnrNous ocu00r