The herald., 1897-01-29
Saloon Men Want to Treat With
Parkhursters
A CONFERENCE YESTERDAY
Proposition to Revise and Enforce the
Present Ordinance
Liquor Dealers Tired of Being Consid-
cred as Criminals-Prosecutio
Are to Be Discontinued

officers of the Parkhurst society say
that the saloon men of Los Angeles have
come half way to them with a flag of
truce and want to treat for terms of set
tlement, though what there is to settle
between the two conflicting factions is
not obvious.
On Wednesday Rev. DIR. G. c. Mclean.
chairman of the Parkhurst investigating
committee, was asked by certain saloon
keepers If he would receive and confer
with a committee chosen from among
their number. Arrangements were
made for conference, which was held
yesterday morning at DR.. McLean's
house.
A number of prominent saloon men
met at the Methodist parsonage and
with the pastor of Simpson tabernacle
discussed the present situation and the
future prospects. The saloon men said
that they objected to being loked upon
as criminals and would cooperate in
any plan which would serve to enforce
the letter of the law and relieve them of
the suspicious placed upon them.
The saloon men said they were con-
Of evidence against certain places and
they wanted to treat for a compromise.
If the Parkhurst society would stop the
proceedings of the cases now in hand
the saloon men would cooperate in any
plan to revise the laws and enforce
them.
The committee said that at first the
liquor men thought the Parkhurst So
ciety was a sort of temperance move
ment bound to abolish saloons, and while
such an impression prevailed they were
resolved to fight for their property and
rights. When they became convinced
that the Parkhurst people were only
aiming to enforce the existing laws in
tended to regulate the business they felt
differently.
The saloon men say that the present
ordinance is bad and they are willing,
nay anxious, to cooperate in framing
and securing the passage of new laws
that can be enforced.
DIR. Mclean, for the Parkhurst soci-
ETY., expressed himself as willing to drop
the prosecutions If the saloon men
would acknowledge themselves beaten,
promise to do better and stick to it.
Other members of the Parkhurst soci-
ETY. say that the existing ordinance is
as good as is required an needs no re-
VlS1ng. LII is no prlVat1on on saloon
man to be compelled to close up at mid
night and remain closed on Sundays,
and in the opinion of some of the soci-
ETY. any concession on this point would
be practical surrender to the class
that has been the object of attack of
the Parkhurst movement.
DR.. McLeai- was asked about the con
ference yesterday and he acknowledged
that it had been held at his house. He
said he did not know the names of any
of the saloon men who had called upon
him. He did not know yet what course
the Parkhurst society would pursue.
Mr.. j. w. Mitchell, secretary of the
California Protective association, which
is the state organization of liquor deal
ers, most of them wholesalers said last
evening that the association had taken
no steps to treat with the Parkhurst So
ciety and to his knowledge would not.
Thus far only two members of the asso-
citation have been attacked by the Park
hurst society-the Eintracht and Post
Keller saloons-and neither of them had
been cinched with good case. He did
not know what the retail dealers had
done.
Inquiry among the principal retail
liquor dealers yesterday elected no con-
firmation of the conference.