The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-06-25
LIQUOR DEALERS
IN CONVENTION
INTERESTING SPEECHES BY THE
LEADING MEMBERS OF MA
TlONAL ASSOCIATION.
PROHIBITION AGITATION
Changed Says Ore Speaker
Cites Continental Europe as
Model.

Niagara Falls. n Y, June 24.-At
the annual convention of the National
Liquor Dealers Association today Dr.
A. J. Frelberg, attorney for the Ohio
Wine and Spirit Association made a
speech in which he said in part.
"A think that If certain unnecessary
and improper features have beel al
lowed to grow up Ia connection with
the business Of selling liquor, IL is due
entirely to the American public The
American drinking place, ITS manners
and customs are determined largely
by the people who frequent It. do
not mean by this to condemn the
whole American public but simply to
pemt out that the few saloons which
are the subject of criticism and prop
er criticism-on the part Of society.
are thog saloons which cater to
class Of society who demand that kiR-i
of thing in some form or other, i.
But the unfortunate part about Il
Is that your Anti.saloon Lacquer finds
the bad saloon ready to his hand from
which to draw the Illogical concu.
sion that all places where liquor is
sold are bad. The vision of the Pro.
hibtion fanatic Is no larger than a
key hole, and when he makes use Of
an unfair syllogism he does not know
that he is doing an injustice
1T therefore behooyes the dlstlllers
and brewers Of this country to grid,
up their lolns and give as much pub
licity TO their side VI the question as
the Antlsaloon League has succeeded
in doing by the aid of the yellow
magazines Of the country"
Other speakers were Il. M. Gilmore.
president Of the National Model Ii.
cense League, and William e. Hull.
The latter spoke on the Illinois State
Association"
Gilmore's Address.
Following is part Of the speech de-
liyered by T, NJ. Gilmore. advocating a
change in the present license system:
NCtwithstand the failure of Lrohibi-
tion there can be no question that tie
Anti-Saloon league movement repre-
sehts to some exten, a protest On the
part of the American people against
the way In which many saloons In this
country have been conducted and |
am fully satisfied that this agitati 1n
will continue in one form or another
until the retail liquor business in the
United states has been brought up to
the high level en- which it is con
Quoted in Continental Europe.
That the retail liquor business in
this country Is conducted on plane
that does not correspond with that OF
Continental Europe is beyond Ques-
tion brit that il can be conducted up
on such plane, notwiths anding our
mixed population. | am fully con.
yinced. ] DO not believe, however,
that we can elevate the saloon bust
ness and bring 1t up to that standard.
under our present license sy TEN.
Where the retail liquor dealers
license expires annually he is MT Cnly
compelled To take an active part in
politics. but he is persuaded t1rougi
the fear that he may not secure a re-
neWal tu rse every means ig lis
power TO increase his profits for that
year. aud this means that he Is per
suaded to violate law aud In many
cases to handle goods of an in
ferior character
The National Model License league
contends that all licenses now In ey.
isteuce should te made to renew
themselves year by year so long as
the retailer Is obedient 10 law. 1t
further that high license is
opposed to the best interests, not only
Of the retail liquor dealer. but of So
ciety in general High license is in
the nature Of penalty, and this bust.
ness should not be pena'ized. If /. is
a proper business for society to
license II should be treated fairly and
if IT is wrong business for society 10
license. 1t should be prohibited.
We believe that ii a license such.
as We advocate and II is very similar
TO licenses issrer in ether countries
where the business is properly con
ducted1 shoUld be issued by our
states. It would hecome a thing OF
great value. and the retail liquor dealer
would not feel inclined to jeopardiza
il by doing anything that might bring
about its cancellation To insure the
observance Of law, however. upon the
part of the retail liquor dealer. We
insist that the penalties for the u3la-
ion Of law should be made mandatory
ana that conditions in the u ense
should provide that for ths fist
fense of the violation Of law. Whece
conviction is secured in a cou { Il
s5mretent jurisdiction. the fc snse
should be cancelled and that The hold
FRS Of the license should be prohibited