The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-08
TOCSIN SOUNDED.
Prominent Temperance Workers
After Liquor Traffic Reform.
Delegates to Union for Practical Progress
Take Action.

The annual meeting OF the Union for
Practical Progress was held in Sayles
Memorial Hall las; evening, after which
the board OF delegates of the Union
sounded the tocsin against theliquor traffic
In no uncertain manner and congratu.at-
ing themselves upon their success in start
ing the repeal OF the pool law and their
part in bringing about municipal reform,
took the first definite and practical steps
toward restricting the saloon evil.
In the first place, the election of officers
OF the unioa was held, George Briggs
being president pro tenn, resulting as
follows: President, Rev. Floyd w.
Iompkins, Jr.; vice presidents, Rev.
Henry M. King, ID. D., 1st. Nj. j. Har-
son. 3D.; Napoleon s. Hoagland, Sd. !;
Augustine Jones, 18th; Hon. Henry B.
Metcalf, 5tb; DIR. Helen &. Putnam, 9th |;
secretary, A. J. Williams; treasurer, A.
w. Fairchild, advisory board, Il. Lean
non, Rev. II. G. Hay, Rev. }. ii. Larry,
Miss Fanny Purdy Palmer. John Francis
Smith, Professor Henry B. Gardiner,
Louis Krsnz, a. b. McCrillis, Mrs.
Ellen NJ Bolles, Rev. f. Il. Tower, Pro-
fessor George q. Wilson.
Then Treasurer lillian p. Goodwin
rendered bis report for last year and
turned over the books. The report shows
that s2c0. 63 had been collected for general
society uses ana s235 2S paid out; 1857. n
had been paid out OF the playground
fund, Leaving balance of s42.6S.
President Tomkins took the chair and
called the delegates TO order. He took up
in order the following topics for discus
sion, when had been referred TO the
delegates by the executive committee, and
made running comments upon them:
| ]. Saloons should he closed more hours
than from IL m. TO a. IN.
2. Saloons should be closed on legal
holidays.
3. Saloors should rot he allowed within
a reasonable distance OF schools.
.. There should be no obstruction to
a complete view from tho street of the
interior OF every saloon.
| 5. Pool tables should not be allowed in
saloons
g. The number OF licenses should be
limited according to the population.
z. There should be an annual vote upon
the question Of granting licenses.
President TomSins said among other
things that the movement against saloons
has resulted i'm arousing in some persons
determination that something must be
| done. 1t has been proved that the union
has existed for yery definite and positive
| principles. Rhode Island is away behind
Massachusetts, so far as the liquor ques-
tion is concerned, which ought not 10 be,
and Providence is Rhode Island in GER.
! tain sense. 1t is horrible TO think that a
man can be drunk at II O'Clock ct night
and then only have to wait four hours
before getting dru nix again.
The speaker never saw SO much drunk
enness as he saw Christmas and he knows
! OF no other city. except Buffalo, where
the saloons sre open on legal holidays
and election days. The screen law he
! considered a good thing TO adopt, so We
may look "a and see the men drink, as
we look into the dry goods store and sec
our MIXES daughters bug ing dry
goods 10 be charged TO US. The. poo
tables ought not to be allowed because il
encourages gambling. There should be
some curtailmens TO the number OF lieen
ses; we DON'T want one saloon 10 every
man. The people should have the cnanc,
10 say whether they want license or &c
| license.
| Each proposition was discussed in order
and although there were slight differ
cnces OF opinion on minor details every
body was seti,fed thst tho laws need
amending and If they can't get all they
want. they viii take what they can get.
All tie propositions were adopted as tn,
sense OF the meeting, with some signlfi
cant notifications. 1t was voted that sa
looms should be opened Only from a. M
| TO 10 p. M; they ehould not only b,
closed on legal holidays, but election
days as we'll; they must not be within
| 400 feet, in any direction, Of a school, and
cnly one license should be granted fol
each 1000 habitants.
IT was announced the intention to aroust
| public sentiment throughout the sta,
and start a campaign in tue churches, a,
well as other directions. A committee o
10 was then chosen TO prepare pe!itior
to the General Assembly, and the mem
bcrs were given power TO increase the
nom belsh:p as desirable. Following Il
the committee: Rev. Floyd W. Tomkns
Jr., Rev. DR.. Henry NJ King. Rev. Jane,
| A. Gsrdner, Rev. G. a. Tiilinghast, Rev
| David Blanstein, Rev. J. IA. Larry, Rev
{. -. Huze, Rev. Anna Gariin Spencer
Mrs. Mary A. Babcock, Mrs. RicharC
II. Jackson, Miss Allie Il. Parker, Mrs
Stephen A. Hazard, Mrs. Ellen NJ. Bolies
George Briggs and DR.. Luoian f. e. Gar
win. There wes & good attendance IL
| apffo ~ no storm