The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-06
MAY START BOYCOTT
LIQUOR DEALERS SORE ON GOOD
GOVERNMENT LEAGUE.
WILL HOLD MEETING SOON.
WHEN A BOYCOTT SCHEME WILL
BE CONSIDERED.

SIdftC0 Dy u OleTk fNeIuS1HE
to buy Groceries From a Liquor
Dealer-The Clerks Employers
Notified That n Visit From a Conn
mittee to Discuss the Matter Might
he E1pected-Omcers of knights
of Royal Arch Declare The Organ
izatiOn Is Not Back of the Move
ment.
Several of the grocery and liquor deal
ers of the city will, according to Mr..
Henry Schroeder, meet early next week to
of the Good Government League, and
against the employers of its members.
Mr.. Schroeder was seen last night by
representative of the Morning News. He
said that he had already begun the boy
cott. that several of his business asso-
cistes had expressed themselves heartily
in favor of it, and that while he could
rot say that the meeting would really
take the step, at least it would come
up for discussion. In fact that is the
only reason for holding meeting, and
the probabilities, Mr.. Schroeder said, are
that the boycott will be declared.
There were rumors yesterday of plan
of this kind on foot. One rumor was that
the knights of the Royal Arch were back
of the boycott. One officer and several
of the members of the order denied this.
TIE story probably originated, said one
of the officers of the lodge, through the
fact that at meeting Thursday night
one of the members told of a case where
a groceryman and barkeeper, Theo.
Groot, had been told by a customer that
he could not in future deal with him be-
cause he kept a barroom. The man who
cited the case in the lodge room is Mr..
Schroeder. Most of those that heard of
the facts, he said, were in favor of COM
bined movement which he thinks will be
that the matter was not brought 10 the
attention of the Knights of the Royal
Arch an organized body, and that even
had il been it is extremely
improbable that such decision as re-
ported would have been arrived at. The
majority of the members of the lodge are
in favor of the Sunday closing which the
Good Government League seeks to en-
force, and have little sympathy with
those who violate the law.
Although one of its members is now in
jail, having been convicted of violating
the Sunday law, no effort has been made
to secure his release nor to pay his fine
It is true, he said, that some few of the
members may keep open on Sunday, but
if they do, that is their own concern, and
does not represent the sentiment of the
lodge.
Mr.. Groot when asked about the mat
ter admitted that one of his custmers had
stopped dealing with him, for the reason
that he did not think he ought to deal
with person engaged in the liquor bus
mess; but" said Mr.. Groot, 81 have no
feeling against him whatever, and only
mentioned the fact after 1 had repeatedly
been asked by other grocers and bar keep
ers If someone had not refused to do bus
mess with me on account of my bar. Then
l stated the facts"
Mr.. Groot said that he is not a member
of the Knights of the Royal Arch, and he
knew absolutely nothing of the movement
for boycott nor did he know who were
the persons or organization identified with
the plan.
Messrs. B. H. Levy & Bro were refer
red to by Mr.. Schroeder as the firm he
had refused further to trade with be-
cause of a member of the league being
employed in their store. Mr. B. H. Levy
heard something of the trouble yesterday,
but nothing definite. He was told that
he would be called on by a committee,
and hint was given that the commit
tees business was his employing a man
Identified with the league. Mr.. Levy said
that he knew very little of the matter
other than reports that one of his men
had stopped dealing with a grocer be-
cause he sold liquor, and that a COM
mittee of some kind was to call on him
in regard to the matter. He had not in
vestigated it. he said and did not even
know to which of his employees the rumor
referred.
Mr.. Levy said that Mr.. Henry Schroeder
had called on him. paid his bill and an
nounced that he would not deal with him
further. In reply to Mr. Levy's request
for his reasons. Mr.. Schroeder said he
knew, or would find out later.
Mr.. Schroeder says that the members of
the Royal Arch and others are interested
in the proposed boycott, but the officers
of the lodge say that, although the
organization has no control over the ac-
tions of its members the lodge itself has
nothing to do with the matter.