The Portland daily press., 1895-03-09
THE L. A. w.
A Portland Wheelman at the New York
Meeting.

Regard to the National Assembiy-Ihe
Contest Between Boston and Asbury
Park-Negroes Still Excluded-Other
Important Matters.
The following account of the National
Assem- bly, of the L. A. W. held at New
York Feb 18th and 10th, is by Mr. James
E. Marrett of this city, Chief Consul
for Maine of the Law He was pres
ent as a delegate from Maine, and the
PRESS is glad to present to its readers
his comprehensive statement, showing
as it does the significance and impor-
tance of this great national convention
of wheelmen:
One OF the most important meetings OF
the League OF American Wheelmen was
the National Assembly held in New
| York February is and -. The League
was felt to be in somewhat critical con-
dition. The hard times had affected the
membership, the treasury was low and
several knotty questions had cropped up
to arouse discussion and perhaps to
create bad feelings, among them being
the color line and place of the National
Meet for 1895. Then there was the recent
decision of the postoffice department by
which it was impossible to send the
League Bulletin free til rough the
mails to the members. 1t was ac-
knowleded by all that the mem bership
would not stand an assessment to pay
for it while it was realized that weekly
official paper was vitaily necessary to
the life of the organization. On the
whole the delegates felt that great deal
depended upon careful, dispassionate
discussion and an equally careful and
dispassionate settlement of difficulties;
therefore there was an earnestness of
manner among the delegates as they met
at the hotel in New York that is not Of
ten seen at similar gatherings of wheel
| men.
! The claimants for the National Meet
| were Boston and Asbury Park, both Of
| whom were very much in Earnest and
had made elaborate preparations for the
fight. 1t was hoped that New England
would be solid for Boston. The Massa7
chusetts delegation with Maine, New
went to the scene of battle oy special &C
comm cd ations via the Fall River line,
quiet and determined. SOn arrival in
New York; twenty -FOUR hours ahead of
time rheygfound, however. that the noisy
| and energetic Asbury Park men were
there first encamped on the field. Across
the front of the hotel was canvas on
which was painted in letters large enough
to be read mile away the slogan of the
New Jersey men: "We're alive; Asbury
Park for 49," while inside they had es-
tablished headq uarters in one of the
large parlors and dispensed liberal hos
pitality to all. The Boston men were not
slow in initiating their example, and
for the next two days it was question
which of the two should make the most
converts. Boston relied upon her his
story, her solidity, her ability to give her
guests everything they wanted from
visits to ancient battlefelds to seashore
| pleasures at Nantasket and Chelsea
Beach, While Asbury Park relic upon its
reputation as the liveliest watering place
| in America, it's Monmouth County Roads
and it's summer hotels. And they won
| the day, 81 to 81. Connecticut which
| should have supported the Hub went
as sure, fell a victim to Asbury Park
wiles; Ohio couldn't decide and SO divid-
ed her fayors; New York cast three votes
for Boston, the rest for New Jersey,
and these were enough totnrh the scales.
New Jersey went wild and one of the
most interesting places IN New York
that night were the Asbury Park head
quarters in Parlor A.
| The amendment to the Constitution
providing for the removal the coior@lin
promised a heated discussion; but the
mover, feeling the sentiment, asked leave
to withdraw it, thus leaving the colored
man on the outside for another year at
least and depriving one gentleman of
color who had gone over from Boston to
ask to be allowed to plead the cause of
his race before the Assent bly, of the op-
portunity TO show his eloquence and his
| reasons. He departed sadder man.
Several amendments relating to the
| Racing Rules were adopted. Glass A
| prizes will hereafter be limited both in
value and in articles. Racing men in
the employ of cycling esta blishments
| may be transferred to Glass B. Sunday
race meets and meets with women COM
petitors were prohi bired-another "blow"
for the fair ones. Sanction fees will be
I collected from race meet promoters
| Among the other amendments passed
was one providing for the termination
of mem bership one year from date of
election; one making the annual dues
| 81, with fine of IS cents a month for
| arrears; one allowing old members whose
mem bership shall not have lapsed more
| than two years to receive their old num-
bers upon returning to the League.
badly the most important action tax
en- was the adoption of the amendment
| setting aside at least one day of every
National Assem- bly for the consideration
of the question of good roads. Thus
does the l.. A.W. put itself squarely at
| the head of this movement for better
highways, and at the next meeting in '96
it will present the subject in the form of
the best literature, addresses by promi-
| nent men, and SO try to arouse pu bile
sentiment as materially to create a bet
ter system of roads throughout the
country.
The Assembly adjourned without pro-
viding bulletin for the mem bers but
the matter is being carefully looked I'D