The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-08
MANY OPINIONS GIVEN.
Lively Discussions Of Temperance
Men at Jermyn Convention.
THE SALOON is A DETRIMENT
After Lengthy Debate the Delegates Dc.
cidcd That Liquor Selling Is u Menace
to Tcmpcrancc-Thcy Believe Quar-.
tcrIy Conventions Good Thing

terIy Conventions Good Thing
Delegates from temperance societies
of the First district met in eighth
quarterly convention at the parochial
hall. in Jermyn parish, yesterday after.
noon. The regular chairman was abb
sent and Vice President of the Diocesan
union, Frank McCaffrey, of Jermyn,
was chosen to preside. Quarterly cons
ventions have no legislative powers, but
questions are taken up and discussed,
and the disposition of these questions
by vote of the delegates is very Of
ten preceded by some vigorous express
sion of opinion.
The first question taken up for argu-
ment was, Does the Saloon-Keeper Re-
tard the Progress of the Temperance
Movement?" John p. Campbell. of Car
bondale, was the first one to discuss It.
He called it delicate question, for the
reason that many temperance men
have relatives or friends, who sell IL
quor for living; and just as soon as
this question is discussed. the man who
favors abollshing the saloon Is looked
| upon as a temperance crank and a
| fanatic. Mr.. Campbell had not the least
doubt but that the saloon-keeper re-
tards the progress of the temperance
movement. He does 1t whenever he
sells drink of liquor, for that is the
stuff that ruins men. young and old.
James Brown, of Carbondale, wanted
to know what business the temperance
men would have in driving the liquor
seller to the street. Mr.. Brown could
not see what temperance organizations
would have to live for If the liquor seller
were driven from the land. Another
delegate, who evidently has relative
whom he did not wish to offend in the
liquor business. spoke his mind in the
following manner: "Mr. President, the
least said, the aisiest mended."
Mr.. Banks Was Positive.
Delegate A. +. Banks very sensibly
said that the question was query and
an answer in itself. He. wanted to
know If the winter Is benefit to the
iceman, or would perpetual darkness be
n benefit to the manufacturer of illum-
mating gas? The speaker said that no
sensible minded man could vote ad-
versely. The saloon-keeper retards the
progress of the temperance movement,
because the temperance movement is
organized to battle with the power of
the saloon.
Vice President Lavan, of Wilkes
Barre, said that the sooner temperance
men go at the liquor traffic with
knuckies bare and sleeves rolled up, the
better it will be for their welfare.
1t was left for John Mulraney. of Car
bondale, to set the convention agog.
OF course, the saloon-keeper, he said,
retards the progress of the temperance
movement, but there Is another that Is
greater foe to the movement. The
proprietor of the "festive speak easy"
is this foe. Delegate Mulraney, In
clear, ringing voice, charged temper
ance men with being their own bitter
antagonists, when they acquiesce in the
prevalent tolerance of the holes-in-the-
wall. In his ward in Carbondale he
knows of at least twenty men, who sell
liauor without q license from the court.
The constable of the ward, the speaker
said. also knows these same proprietors
of unlicensed rum shops, but he goes
down term after term to court and
swears before the judges that no liquor
lS SOlu with VI Wlthoet q iiNN'i'N 80 ''''
ward. Mr.. Muraney also said that he
sent list of the speak-easy proprietors
to Mr.. McCaffrey, the second vice presi-
dent of the Diocesan union, but In no
way, public, private, or in quarterly
convention, had the latter ever ac-
knowledged the receipt of the same.
a Divorce Is Needed.
Mr.. Lavan, of Wilkes-Barre, advo-
Gated some way of cleansing the exist
ing condition of politics. The first place,
he said, the candidate, whether he be
Judge or constable, goes after being
nominated Is to the saloon to court Its
influence. and before seeking to throw
all the blame upon the saloon-keeper.
Mr.. Lavan suggested that there ohgnt
TO he something done to divorce poll
tics from the rum influence. IL Is use
less, he said, to attempt to conhne the
saloon element when the law Is throt-
tied by the power of the liquor seller.
John Killeen, of Carbondale, took the
view that in any district where there
are twenty-five temperance men, no eX-
cuse exists for the presence OF the speak
easy. If those men would exert them
selves around the time when constables
make their returns to the court, these
f,lnctionaries would not be so ready to
periure themselves in shielding the un-
licensed grog sellers. Each constable,
Mr.. Killeen said, gives bonds in the sum
of 81, 900 for the faithful performance of
his duty, and If he does not perform 1t,
and certain temperance men know that
he does not perform 1t and still do not
take him to task, then the temperance
men are to blame and not the consta-
BILE nor the speak-easy proprietor. A
ballot was taken on the question and 1t
was affirmed without a dissenting vote.
A large measure of discussion was
provoked by the question concerning
the advisabilty Of holding society pic
MICS for the purpose of raising funds to
defray the expense of lectures. Vari-
Gus views were put forth. There was
b great divergence of opinion as to why
picnics, or other kindred means for
raising money, should not be held; but
all coincided that the most substantial
reason is that 1t would be more hon
orable for the members of each society
to pay pro rata for evangelistic work
than to ask or expect outsiders to as
sist.
Quorterlies Are All Right.
The question whether or not quarter
ly conventions are beneficial was next
mooted Presiding Officer McCaffrey
introduced the subject and asked those
in favor of quarterly conventions to