Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-20
SCOOP o'BRIEN ON LOBBY.
Says Every Keg of Beer is Taxed to
 Pay Legislative Expenses.


 Bristol, June 20.-A conference and rally of temperance and prohibi- tion leaders was held last evening Tn the Baptist church. George W. Hull, chairman of the town prohibition committee, presided. Among the speakers were Rev Duane N. Grifiin of Hartford; Rev R. c. Miller of the International Reform league of Washington, D. C.; H. H. Spooner of Kensington and George w. Hull of Bristol. The principal speaker was ex-Sheriff Matthew E. O'Brien of Bridgeport, recent candidate for gov- ernor on the prohibition ticket. MT |OBrien said in part:
 Governor Woodruff declared in his New Haven speech that not single law in the interest of the peo- pie would be passed. I think this statement was too sweeping, but in the main the governor was correct. There is no corporation or combine in the state that is as dangerous to the state as the brewery corporation, and while I know that some good men have declared that the telephone and railroad corporations had re- ceived favors which were detrimental to the public welfare from our legis- lature I believe that the state suf- fers more from the liquor traffic and the brewery corporations than from any of the other evils.
 T have repeatedly said that 90 per cent of all the saloons in the state are owned and controlled by the brewery corporations, that the men at the head of the brewery corpora tions dictate to both parties and dominate our legislature. They are enabled to do this because most peo- pie fear them and because they conn bine with the other lobbyists who are seeking pernicious legislation to work together The lobbyist who wishes to get through charter taking some rights from the public without giving any compensation therefor, and the brewery corpora tion that wished to be allowed to de- bauch the youth of the state for It's selfish interest, work in harmony. Each helps the other.
 ''The upper branch of the general assembly cannot be said to be un-' friendly to either corporations or sa- looms. There is no question but that the men who are seeking selfish in- terests are doing their work in the senate this year and there is reason why they should. The senate is the smaller body and there are fewer men to see and fewer men to handle.
 "The brewery corporations of this state have levied an assessment to pay for legislative expenses. am told by man in Bridgeport that the assessment amounts to a large sum. Every barrel of beer is taxed to pay for the expenses of killing measures that have been before the general assembly this winter.
 "At the opening of the committee hearings MT Kendall of New Haven. who represented the interests of the breweries of the state, dciared that the committee would not report fav- orably on any of the measures. He wanted the law left just as 1t Is. He wanted everything left to the county commissioners, he said, who were men to be trusted. He wanted this because he knew how to bring pres sure upon the commissioners and get concessions when he wished them. -
 Finding that the committee was inclined to give affair hearing on the bills before it, he declared that if the committee reported the bills favor ably that they would never pass the house or the senate. and finally when he saw that this statement did not intimidate some members of the ex- else committee he declared If you do make that law 1t will be violated every day in the year. So we had the spokesman of the brewery corpor- ations in the capitol boldly declaring to a committee of the legislature that If law was made that did not suit the brewers 1t would be violated every day.
 'T doubt much if there is a man connected with aay other corporate interest of the state who would de- clare that he would defy the law If 1t did not suit him. The brewery cor porations are as grasping as the oth- CTS. They are seeking from the state laws that are more inimical than any other corporations.
 "The franchise that they wish is to be given unrestrained liberty to establish depots for the distribution of their product wherever they see fit regardless of the damage done to property rights.