The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-04
THE SALOON KEEPERS
Have n Lively Meeting and Discuss
Timoly Topics Warmly.
BUT THEY.ARE RETICENT ABOUT IT.
Rumors r Denied by Members. but
other Kualors uro Partially Con.
ilrmcd...Law aud Order Talk, aud
the Wedding out of Law Breakers
Advocated.

h~uNOCitCu,
There wGro some interesting rumors
atIo0t yesterday and the dry before OF
alleged proceedings and discussion at
the meeting Of tho saloon men OH
Wednesday. There arc two %organiza.
tions Of saloon keepers. Ono was re.
comfy formed with quite 4 Nourifl OF
trumpCts, and was announced MS tho
means OF accomplishing several i'm.
portant reforms in tho business. 1t
has not lately been much heard II, and
they DO say that it is q ihingof the past
.alrcady, ind the reforms arc not yet
accomplished. The other and older or
g%anization includes also brewers and
liquor dealers, and is called tho Society
OF Freedom and Personal Rights. This
is the organization which met in special
session on Wednesday. Some OF tho
most active men in the now organiza.
ton aro also members OF tho older one,
while some other members OF the lato
effort arc not in tho society with tho
long name, and thereby hangs u tale.
The new organization madc'over.ures
some time ago with 4 view 10 tho con-
solidation OF tho two. Their idea was
that the two societies just Gs they stood
should become me-. To this PROPOSE.
ton the members OF the senior society
answered. mot much" or words TO that
elect. They declared that there woro
members in tho now association who
were not eligible to membership in tho
old one. They offered to receive tho
applications for membership OF the new
organizations members, rs individuals,
and to vote on each as to admission. Ii
n man was blackballed, that settled it.
Naturally this did not meet the views
Of the more recent society.
Some OF the rulnors that were waited
out OF Wednesdays gathering we're very
interesting. One OF them was that the
society was going 10 demand 4 reduced
license fee, but this rumor all the menu
bers who wore talked to said was with
out foundation. One man, an outsider,
told reporter that the society was
about TO take steps 10 secure tho en-
forcemcnt OF the law against the sale OF
liquor on Sunday, and that q fund was
to be raised to prosecute saloon keepers
who violated the laws. This was GER
tainly in the nature OF startling infor-
nation. 1t would come under the head
OF enlightened seliishncss for the saloon
lists to assist in the enforcement OF tho
laws, but it was scarcely to DO believed
that they would look at it in that light.
A reporter who was detailed to inve6-
tigate this int stumbled upon the
truth. lie asked . prominent member
OF the S. for +. and 2. R.:
'What about this story that the
saloon keepers arc going to take 4 hand
in enforcing the Sunday law?"
That WIS not mentioned in the
meeting. After We adjourned there
was some talk among Z part Of us, to
tho effect that the newspapers were
disposed 10 jump on the saloon keepers
and give them the worst OF it, and that
they were themselves violating the
Sunday laws ut the same time. There
was ono or two that thought it would
be q good idea to give them Il dose OF
their own medicine, and get up u fund
and try 4 little law and order business
ourselves. The others thought it was
better, though, to Just see the news
papers in 4 friendly way and show
them they were treating the saloon
men unjustly."
One saloon man when asked about
the proposal to take q hand in wedding
ont the law-breakers, said that nothing
was done in this regard, but the society
already had 4 clause in its constitution
that prohibited 4 member from having
lCwd women lounge about their places.
ANY member who violated il would be
expelled. lie had proposed some time
ago to pass 2 resolution requesting the
City Council to be more strict in grant
ing licenses, and to take away any mans
license who violated common. decency
rs some Of them do. Other members
thought this would not be respectful to
Council, whose sworn duty il was TO en-
force the LAWS and look out Tor the
character OF applicants for licenses. The
association had refused 10 receive into
membership men whoa the Council
gave licenses to.
At the meeting Wednesday there was
some pretty free talk about the owning
OF saloons BY brewers. Those saloon
keepers who own their saloons outright
think it is unfair ior the brewers to set
other men up in business and loan them
the fixtures OIL such terms that those
who are forced 10 buy furniture are at n
disadvantage. There is also decided OBJ
lection TO the indiscrimlnat granting OF
licenses to persons who are not resi-
dents or citizens OF Wheeling. These
men can violate every law in the books,
and when they are run to the ground
turn the saloon over to somebody else
and leave town.
These were only 4 few Of the subjects
discussed at tho meeting on Wedncs-
day, but when members were asked
abont the proceedings they referred the
reporter to Secretary Charley Amick,
and he declined TO give any informa-
lion. There are signs OF more fun in
the near future, however.