Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-07-11

recent organization OF the delaware
State Liquor League. His subject was
"Seelsing Quarrel With U.s." and his
text II Kings v, Ii "Consider, | pray
you, and see how he. seeketh quarrel
against me-" He said in parti
Thus tie King Of Israel interpreted
the visit Of Naaman when he came
looking for cure for leprosy at his
hand. We do the text no violence when
we apply the truth of it to the gathering
Of the Liquor Dealers Association in our
city recently. 1t means war for saloon
supremacy in our State.
The first meeting was for temporary |
organization and was held in German |
Hall the 10th of last month. This gather
rug was something unique in the history |
of our State. II contemplated the organi' |
<jhtion of the liquor dealers throughout |
the State. Mr. p IL. Nolan of New
york was the speaker of the occasion.
Report says During the six hours the
convention was in session not word
was uttered at which anybody could
take offence. He claimed that this Illus
tratod that the liquor dealers are as re-
spectacle rs any other class Of business
men and that il rests with the dealers to
make their business respectable. lie de-
clared that their business is as respecta-
BILE and lawful as any other business
md that they pay more tax than any
other class of business men," Here is
the old fallacy and the infamous doc
trino that you can change the character
Of sin by paying for the privilege of
committing it. How much revenue will
pay for the privilege to ruin single
boy If that one is your boyY
Continuing, he said ale detested
liquor dealer who is ashamed Of his
business, for the liquor men are as gooi
as any other body Of men," Good is
word of very indefinite meaning. A
thing may be intrinsically or relatively
good. 1t may be beneficial and in that
sense good for the individual, and at the
same time curse TO the community
Nolan's assertion demands comparison,
for when you say this business and
liquor dealers as u class arc just as good
rs any other business or as any other
class of men, then you must compare
them with other sorts of business and
with other men. ls their business calcu-
lated to promote the morals of COM
munity like that of the teacher, the
jprist or the preacher? Is 1t rs
likely To promote the material pros
perlty as that of the manufacturer
or the builderY How many saloons
will it require to help the community as
much as one good factory2 The factory
stands for industry, prosperity, happi-
ness. The saloon stands for protligacy,
vlco and crime. Between these there
can be no comparison; one is good and
the other Is bud, the one is a blessing
and the other is curse, aud their char
acters never change. Strange 10 say,
this gond business needs reforming, for
he says: "lf ministers and law and
order societies attempt to reform the
business nothing will be accomplished;
liquor dealers association, properly
conducted, will reform the business,
whereas the ministers and tenn
perance societies can oteifect tin lO,OOO
years" If ministers and law and order
societies amount to nothing, whoncecame
%the present temperance retorniationp
Whence came the opposition that makes
this LIQUOR Dealers Association neces.
sltyY Why the necessity to make it re-
spectableg 1t is scarcely necessary to
say that the opposition to this business
is growing. Possibly not as much as
some of us desire in some directions, but
II is growing. The religion of Christ
s
eternally and unalterably opposed to
each other, and proportlonateiY as one
succeeds the ether must fail. This ASSOC
citation is simply recognition by the
liquor dealers OF the growth of temper.
ance sentiment and the necessity to
organize against it.
This organization was effected at q
second meeting held in German Hall
I'd Dat
OF PENNSYLVANIA was present and ad-
dressed the meeting. Mr.. Patterson
said. "He was glad to see so many in-
telhgent men in the business in the
Stale Of Delaware; he was gratitled to see
the liquor men awakening in theirs
of duty. He recounted the good that had
come of organization in Pennsylvania
and thought the results will be equally
as beneficial in Delaware. He said that
by organization the men in the business
can have something TO say in the matter
of elecLing Legislators" AT the previous
meeting Mr.. Nolan said: "Show the
members of the Legislature that the
LIQUOR dealers are thoroughly alive and
organized, and If they do not do as you
desire let them know that they will not
~ returned to the Legislature. no mat
The idea What have they, the liquor
dealers, been doing all the while ? Who
controlled the last Delaware Legisla.
tureY How can any man with any re.
gard for common decency stand up and
say such thingss What does he take
US forg
The resolutions adopted by this
organization demand attention. Among
them was the following: 1--WE believe
in intemperance and know il is detri-
mental to health" AN error was made
in the publication OF the resolution. AS
adopted IL read 1--WE do not believe in
incompetence" Here, doubtless, the
printer puts a truth in their lips they
did not utter. Liquor men are always
denouncing intemperance andyet these
men are met and organizing TO protect
the only business that promotes the
kind of intemperance they denouRce. 1t
is as If the devil should say hate sin
because 1t brings men 10 my way OF
living.
Then this octopus plays the spider and
fly act when il assails all sorts OF mo-
nopolies as follows: I'VE denounoe
monopolies OF all kinds, as they have
oppressed the people, and we stand
ready at all times to aid in cases Of dis
tess" And yet the very purpose of
this meeting is mutually to organize a
z monopoly. Mr.. Patterson said; "He
thought the men who favor the liquor
merchants should be supported and
those who are not in favor of them
should be opposed" Brother, here is the
challenge. He seeketh quarrel with
you Mahomet said the Koran or the
sword. The rum olligarchY says, with
US or under us, as you like.
Mr.. Nolan had previously said
"Dunng the Tate session of Congress an