The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-29
LIQUOR MEN ORGANIZE
About Forty Of Them Become Mem
bers Of the State Association.
GIGANTIC LOBBYING CONCERN
National Organizer Nolan UureserVeoiy
Explains tho Purpose Of tho Oreani'
xatiou and Induces Somo Local
saloon Men to Form bransn.

About forty retail liquor dealers as
semhled in Music hall yesterday after
noon i'm response to call issued by Ma
tional Organizer L. II. Nolan. OF New
York, for the purpose OF FORMING
branch of the association IN this city.
After about ten deciinations Wee
heard Thomas Cosgrove agreed 10 ac-
cent the office of temporary chairman,
and Patrick ,Mangan took the secre-
tary's desk. Mr.. Nolan, who was pres
ent, then proceeded TO enlighten ms
auditors as 10 the purposes of the ne
tail Liquor Dealers association. boiieu
down his speech was SIMPLY recita'
of the possibilities of controlling elec-
tions and influencing legislation by sup
porting strongly backed lobbyists III the
national and state capitois.
He instanced numerous cases wherein
the attempted enactments OF "crahks.
fanatics and hypocrites. as ne was
pleased to term them, had been defeat
ed by the Liquor Dealers association
through their lobbyists. He argued
that the LIQUOR dealer was u standing
mark for ambitious legislators. VINO
took for granted that it was just ana
proper to intiict any and all kinds OF
hardships on the liquor business simply
because il was the liquor business ana
because the liquor dealer had always
borne IL uncomplainingly. To Illustrate
some of the benefits which the retaii
liquor dealer has already derived from
the work of the association. he men-
toned the recent attempt to increase
the tax on whiskey from 80 cents to
81. so per gallon. and described how the
LOBBYISTS of the New York state liquor
dealers secured a compromise on $i.lo
He also adduced arguments TO prove
that the retailer and not the Whole-
saler or customer bore the additional
expense and derived the benefit OF the
iO-cent reduction which the association
secured.
Saved Lot Of Money.
r.; the same method of reasoning
he showed That the retailer was saved
So. 900, 900 laA year by the defeat of the
measure to increase the tax on beer
from 81 to 81 n barrel, and also showed
how another great saving was had by
the overthrow of the bill To increase the
internal revenue tax from $25 to $50.
By combining the influence of the
Brewers association. the Wholesale as
sociation and the Retailers association
he argued that legislatures would be
compelled to pay heed to the behests OF
tn liquor man. As another striking in
stance OF the effectual work of organ
lied liquor interests he cited the pres
ent excise law of the state of New
York, which he and four other liquor
dealers drafted and succeeded In push
ing throught the legislature.
As reason why immediate action
should be taken Mr.. Nolan announced
that the state convention of the Liquor
Dealers association would be held in
this city during the latter part OF next
month.
When he concluded he asked for eX-
pressions from those present on the
desirability of organiZinga a branch here.
Patrick Golden said he favored an or
ganizat!on of this kind. No brewer or
wholesaler likes to sell to speak-easies,
he said. but as long as one did 1t the
others would do 1t. Mr.. Nolan again
took the floor and told how the state
organization had. by request of the To-
cal association in Allentown, induced
the brewers and wholesalers to refuse
to supply speak-easies and clubs in that
city, and how their work had effectual-
ly wiped out the Illicit traffic in that
city.
Mr.. GoIdcn's Speech.
Mr.. Golden then took occasion 20
score the high-toned saloonkeepers
who were conspicuous by their absence
from the meeting. IF one of us gets
into q little trouble 1t would be a good
thing to be organized so that we could
have something to fall back on. These
three or four central city men can do
as they please, because as they say
they have pull with the judges. I
don't care, on my account. l have made
enough money now to do me. and
well I'm little afraid of the law. but
not much. But like everybody else,
want to make more money"
Drpanizar Nolan irtorr,,pfaJ Mr.
Golden at this juncture with the re-
mark that the Retail Liquor Dealers
association was not organized to pro-
tect violators of the law, and any man
who intended to join 1t with that end in
view had better not make out an ap-
plication.
Mr.. Golden subsidized after he had
expressed his belief that If the Scran-
ton liquor dealers should organize and
stick together they could block any
representative or any judge for that
matter
Patrick COrcoran was named for tenn
porary treasurer and then the meeting
proceeded to organize by collecting So
initiation from all applicants. Nearly
every one present enrolled himself
He Went 10 wilkes. Barre
Mr.. Nolan left last night for Wilkes
Barre to form a similar organization
In that town. He stated that the liquor
dealers are organized in twenty-four
states of the Union. In this state there
are branch associations In thirty-eight
Of the sixty-eight counties. The Phla-
delphia branch has 1912 members.
New York state. where the organiza-
ton has been In existence twelve years,
has a membership Of $4,000. Conncctl-
cut. New York, Pennsylvania. Ohio. In
diana and Illinois all have strong state
organizations. The organization is
non-poIitical and claims that It will
M. interest itself In any legislation but
what effects their own peculiar inter-