The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-01-15

O'D'NN'
Several weeks ago II. L. Doyle, proprie-
tor of the Avenue House, st, Johnsbury
sent out circular letter to all hotel pro.
prieters in the state urging them to attend
a meeting to be held at the Montpelier
House, Montpelier, on Wednesday, Janu
AIRY s, :" to discuss the question of mutual
protection and to find relief from the in
justice and persecution we are now subject
to through the. present administration of
Vermonts prohibitory law" In response
to this call about one hundred wrote Mr.
Doyle that they would attend, but only
thirty of them put in an appearance last
Wednesday
Among those present were w. n. Webb
of Lyndonvile, II e. Bissell of Shoreham
w. b. johnson of Essex Junction Ii. L.
Booth and j. l.. Simonds of Bellows Falls,
H. L. Doyle of ST. Johnsbury G. p. Cotton
and Ii. l. Warner of Ludlow, ID. Darling
of Middlesex, George e. Richards and H. b.
House of Brattleboro, j. M. McNulty Of
PutDey, G. l. Flint of Randolph, X. W.
Morse and Charles B. Ballard of White
River Junction, G. A. Sawyer of Newbury,
o. ID. johnson and @. N. Stevens of Brad.
ford, n. B. russell OF Peacham, Nelson
Hamel of Plainheld, jerome f. Hale of
Wells River, X. j. O'Neil of Cabot, M. @.
Healey of Bennington and NJ. S. Davis, A.
s. Sparrow and u. H. Girls void of Mont
pelier.
1t was evident that a very few of these
gentlemen were either ashamed OF the com
pany they were in, or were afraid If their pro-
hibJion people at home learned that they
were in attendance upon this meeting their
hotel business would be injured. During
the hours of the morning these few were
lobbying for secret session in the after
noon, from which the representatives of the
press should be excluded: Prominent
among these was w. N. Webb, proprietor
OF " Webb's New Hotel" at Lyndonvile.
This same gentleman, after he was de-
feated in his attempt to have the reporters
excluded from the convention, had the face
to go to them, after the convention adj
iourned and ask them not to publish the
names of those present. He evidently has
had little previous experience in antagOniz
ing newspaper men.
The meeting was called to order shortly
after two O'Clock in the dining-roofn of the
Montpelier House 4. l.. Doyle was elected
temporary chairman and w. N. Webb of
Lyndonville, temporary secretary. w. Wal
lace Waugh of Boston, editor of The Hotel,
had promised to be present to assist in the
organization. He failed to put in an ap.
pearance, however, and every body seemed
to be somewhat at loss to know how to
proceed.
At this point occurred the only reference
to the prohibitory law of the state, when
w. N. WeDD Vi hyuuOuVllle udu6 m0tlOn
that only hotel keepers and ex-hotel men
be allowed to sit in the convention. Those
present evidently did not understand the
purport of the motion-that it was aimed at
the five reporters present. The motion was
passed and the newspaper men withdrew.
After the motion was carried and before
the reporters left the hall, jerome f. Hale
of Wells River and III. l.. Doyle of st.
Johnsbury vigorously Protested against
such proceeding. MI. Doyle said: 1--WE
shall make mistake if we exclude the
press from this meeting. We have no rea-
son for saying that the press has not used
us we'll. My first letter to hotel men was
intended to be strictly confidential but it
was given to the St. Adams Messenger with
out my knowledge or consent, and was
afterwards widely copied by the newspa-
pers of the state. But we have not been
badly censured by the press. One paper,
the Vermont Chronicle, published at St.
Johnsbury and edited by minister at
Montpelier, has put me on the same plane
as a thief and murderer To that L most
emphatically protest, but with the excep-
ton of that paper and the Burlington Free
Press, the newspapers of the state have
treated US fairly, and L believe they are in
in favor of such an association as we are
met to-day to form. / believe that seven
tenths of the people of the state are in sym.
pathy with this movement. 1t is not in my
mind to fight the Vermont liquor law as it
now stands, but to get people to thinking
and talking about it, so that we may get
hearing at the next session of the legis.
lature and get this law modified. The
liquor laws of the state stand as they
do because they have never been opposed.
The temperance fanatics have always had
their own way. The temperance law as it
stands to day is harmful, Nine tenths of
the liquor prosecutions that are brought
oday are brought out of malice or a love
Of gain. 1t is my opinion that we should
give the press the fullest opportunity to re-
port our proceedings day. We shall do
nothing that we shall be as hamed of, and /
believe that we shall get fair treatment
W. n. Webb of Lyndonville again made
himself conspicuous, and made a brief
speech that many of those present would
rather he would have left unsaid He said
SO far as | am personally concerned /
don't care one cent for the liquor law of the
state one way or another. 1t has never
troubled me. / have never been arrested
for selling liquor and could al ways get
drink If | had the price of it,"
AT this point the reporters withdrew but
the vote on the motion made by W. N.
Webb of Lyndonvlle was promptly re-
scinded and committee waited ON the
newspaper men in the hotel office and
courteously invited them to return.
X. w Morse of White River junction,
George E. Richards of Brattleboro and w.
Is. Johnson OF Essex Junction were ap.
pointed committee to prepare a consttu-
ton and bylaws, to be repor ed and acted
upon at the next meeting. An organization
was then effected by the election of Charles
B. Ballard of White River Junction as pres
ident and NJ S. Davis of Montpelier as sec
rotary, they to serve until the next meet
ing, or until their successors are elected
On motion, the chair was instructed to APP
point committee of one hotel man from
each county, they to visit every other ho
tel man in their respective counties, induce
them to sign the constitution when it shall
have been prepared, and secure from them
the membership fee. This committee was
also constituted an executive committee,
and instructed to report to the secretary
when they shall have performed their duty,
when he will call another meeting. 1t was
voted that the next meeting be held t
White River Junction. A vote of thanks
to A. s: Sparrow. proprietor of the Mont