The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-15


eveninp and took one step toward Great |
inc public sentiment by voting TO APP |
poinl committee TO take active. and |
necessary measures toward estaDilshing |
one or more coffee houses in the city OF
Providence. Incidentally there was con-
siderable pertinent and impertinent dis
cussion.
IL was the regular meeting OF the Union
ana the nice, -de-resistsnce was the re-
port OF the O.. mmittee OF i've appointed
some time ago to consider the best means
Of .,,oon restricting ,xI rhe fsa eom@ittes committee was was
TO report ut the last meeting,
but they were not on hand as whole.
Most of those present last evening had
received the circular sent out announcing
the following propositions, taken rom
/. There ought TO be no obstruction to
n full view of the interior OF saloons.
2. Saloons should not be open "a hours
| out Of the "a.
8. Saloons should be closed on hoii-
4. Saloons should not be situated near
| school houses.
5. There ought to be some substitute
for saloons, provided with the strongest
poss bic permanently attractive features.
Rev. Floyd W. Tomkins, Jr., presided
and. after some minor business, an
uounced the subject matter in hand and
| then commenced the ball s-rolling by
reading letters from several who were In
sympathy, in whole or in part, with the
Rev. DIR. II. M. King wrote that he
favored them all, including holydays,
As we'll az holidays. Rev. Henry Q. Hay
wrote that he dou bted the practical Wis
dom Of closing saloons on holidays be-
cause he thought public sentiment would
be averse to 1t at present. otner letters
were read from Rev. A. Is. bcCrllIis anu
| Paw Wallace Nutting.
The committees report was read and
| Francis Gallagher wos the first 10 re-
spond. He read q long and carefully pre-
pared com Animation paper on FOODS, nu-
tritious food as an Aid TO temperance, go
ing into history to show how much more
exposure lum mbermen and Others can
stand without ardent spirits; then shift
ing TO the cheapness of food as exempli-
fed in the supply Kitchen, where
quart OF soup can be purchased ior three
cents coffee for three and vegetables Tor
two cents, ana closing by soliciting aid
for the supply Kitchen.
About this time several "rise to
point Of order" calculations were heard
and Mr.. Tompkins prevailed upon the
speaker to give way. good deal OF III
temper and impatience was displayed
toward Mr.. Gallagher.
Alfred Dawson, one OF the committee,
was the next speaker. de thought coHee
houses, placed beside the saloons, and
made attractive by innocent games, read
| ng rooms, and other diversions, could De
carried to success, put II would require
considerable Of q layout OF money. lie
told how young men and women were
often driven out OF boarding houses oe-
cause Of the cheerlessness OF their sur
roundings. Whatever is TO be done,
should be done quickly.
Lawyer e. G. Pierce, at this point
thought, as IL seemed to him. that as the
com niittee was unanimously agreed upon
the coffee house proposition, II would save
time IL that were left to future discussion
and the other measures suggested oy 'ne ne
report be first considered as they were OF
. legal import and, to his thinking, requir-
, ed serious deliberation. The present, ne
| said, 10 not q time when we can combine
|, the friends OF restrictive legislation. lie
did not believe in "nagging" policy.
Mr.. Pierce moved that the present COM
!, mittee be instructed to take steps to Sc
, cure q coffee house incorporation ano
leave the details to 1t.
! Mr.. Sherman said that men could not
be compelled to go into coffee house,
but 1t would depend upon its attractive
, ness. IL Is necessary to make the con
|, , dition for success as complete as possible.
We must have something of the saloon
sort, the success, of course, depending
upon the financial success.
Arthur Sherry, young man who has
had more or less experience in these mat
1
prove the most successful and most per
manent, citing their growth and use IL
London, where there are Is or 20 today
beginning short time ago with two, anc
4 hundreds Of men have been reclaimed
9 by their means. The coffee house Is al
4 right in some particulars, he thought,
: but you can't expect men to drink conee O.
: tea and eat cake all the evening.
g William A. Briggs spent last sunda!
at the Office in the Industrial Trust Com
pany building, his boarding house oeint
g uninviting, but II there had been cone'
@ room handy he would have gone there
: He also told of the beneficent effects
Massachusetts' screen; early closing an'
i holiday laws
. A lady present thought all should b
done possible to create sentiment, ana no
wait Tor Ii TO grow.
Lawyer Pierce was quite sure that ther
is sentiment enough to sustain cone
houses. He was surprised 10 think ina
8 the committee thinks OF removing IN
! screens from the saloons. Massachusett
n is not Rhode Island. Massac chusetts elite
}, are divided into representative districts
and the temperance wards OF Boston, Wor
!. cester and Fall River are represented D
70 temperance legislators. The temperate
Ie sentiment there Is tremendously strong
% but incapable OF unity, politically speak
: ing.
b Restrictive legislation, he believed, car
not be obtained next spring. He does nc
believe in irritating the liquor elemen
without hurting II much. That is wha
he meant by "nagging. He does nc
,e care how much the legislators are naggec
nj Benjamin Evans indorsed Mr.. Pierce
te suggestions as practical. lie thought a
l. this deliberation amounted TO nothing
q and II reminded him OF the conventlo
se OF rats, which finally agr, ed TO bell IN
" cat; then the question arose as 10 wh
/. would do II. Mr.. Evans was also imp'
g. tient al the mastery inactivity shown
f. the right direction.
Mr.. sherman moved that q commius
be appointed to take steps TO secure or
or more coffee houses, which was adop
ed, and then arose another discussion
~ TO mum bers, some wanting to include rel
70 | re.entatives from the W. {. Il. u, an
4 other temperance societies, while othe
re wanted the Union For Practical Progre