The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-07-13
President of National Model
License League is in
the City.
TO MAKE AN ADDRESS
At the Grand Opera House To-
night-His Lecture viii
Be Free TO All.

l.
will make a public address at the
opera house tonight at s o'clock, to
which no admission will be charged,
\ ARRIVED in the city this morning from
New York, where he addressed the
excise commission of New Jersey, and
Is guest at the Waldo.
When seen by a Telegram man
Col. Gilmore talked briefly but enter
tainingly and instructively about the
i organization of which he Is president,
explaining few of its objects.
After stating that he was the orig
inator OF the model liquor license,
Col. Gilmore said:
| Col. Gilmorc's Campaign.
II have been connected with the
wine and spirit trade as one .of the
editors of Bonfort's Wine and Spirit
Circular of New York since 1884.
During a large part OF the time since
that date have been con-
nected with different organiza-
tions, undertaking to defend the trade
against the tax laid upon 1t by
various reform movements sp-called,
and back in the SOS / was secretary
OF the National Protective Associa-
tion, and had charge of the campaign
in Michigan, Texas, West Virginia.
oregon and other states. that within
twelve months voted on the question
of prohibition. This work made me
familiar with the excise laws of var
ious states, the difficulties in enforc-
ing them, and led me to investigate
these laws in foreign countries and
compelled the conclusion that under
the excise laws Of most of the states
the premium is on the side Of dis
obedience rather than the side Of
obedience to the law, and, that, If the,
states want the laws absolutely obey
Ted. they must frame them along the
lines of the laws in European coun-
tries, in Canada and to some extent
in Massachusetts,, which retail liq-
uor dealer cannot afford to violate.
Pounds the League.
| After studying thoroughly the
subject brought 1t to the attention
of the trade. made a number of
Ispeeches at various conventions and
last fall as nothing had been ac-
complished up to that time, under
took personally to organize the Ma
tional Model Licence League. bring
ing the principles OF the league to the
attention of the American people
through the press of the country.
Our league has about 1000 mem
bers. composed of leading distillers,
brewers, wholesale dealers and a
great many retail dealers in various
states and in time We expect 1t to in
clude every one of the 25O,0OO men,
who as principals are connected with
this business.
Sounds the Press.
we are corresponding at present
through our publicity department
with between 5000 and 10000 pub
1lcatlons and are undertaking to tab
ulate the entire press of the country.
including all the country weeklies.
to find out Just where the press
stands on the questions OF prohibit
ton, local option, high license, COM
pensation for distillers, brewers and
dealers, where prohibition carries, on
account OF properties destroyed by
the enactment of such laws. The
replies show that nearly all the lead
ing papers and periodicals are op-
posed to prohibition, and agree 1t is
impossible OF enforcement. The
some is true of about one-half Of the
country press in the states tabulated
up to the present time.
Obedience TO Law.
"We find, however, practically the
entire press Of the country demand
ing exactly what the National Model
License League demands, and, that
is, absolute obedience to law, how
ever unreasonable the law may be,
on the part of every branch Of our
trade. To insure this obedience the
Model License League contends that
1t is absolutely essential that the
states shall issue in the future diff
ferent form of license to what has
been issued in the past.
we contend tnat IL the right form
of license. be issued the saloon keeper
will not only obey the law unhesitat-
ingly but he will no longer be a fac
tor in politics as a saloon keeper. To
bring this about we insist that all
licenses to retail dealers now in ex-
e istence shall be made to renew them
selves automatically without any pos
sible interference on the part OF any
one.
so long as the business Is per
mitted by society. SO long as the hold
er of license is not convicted Of a
violation Of the Law in the conduct OF
/ his business, a license OF this charac-
ter would Immediately free the re-
tail liquor dealer from the domino