Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-26
FIVE HUNDRED AT
FIRST SESSION OF
18th CONVENTION
Liquor Dealers Out In Force for "a,
sideration Of Important Bust.
ness OF the Year.
MEETINGS HELD AT TURNER HALL
Addresses, Officers Reports and Somi.
nations Take Up Time Dur.
Ing the Forenoon.

Rock Island extended a welcorne "a
day 10 BOO delegates 10 the 27tb a.
nual convention OF the LIQUOR Dealers,
Protective association of IIlpo,s
which opened It's business Sessions
this morning at Turner hall. FarIv
morning showers had settled the Ans.
and freshened things generally. aside
from the decorations which looked !
bit bedraggled. and the visitors settIed
down TO business with an evident ~
tentiOn Of cleaning IT. up without nm.
necessary loss OF time.
Mayor William McConochie weIeorn-
cd the delegates on behalf of the mn
nicipality and Joseph l.. Haas for the
local association Of dcalers THE
mayor spoke briefly and Mr.. Haas
made an eloquent plea for personal
privilege and scored those who en-
deavor 10 set themselves up as rezula-
tors Of the habits Of their fellow men
Especial interest attached 10 the
address OF William Haase, president
Of the Iowa association. who spoke
for that organization Mr.. Haase
though Davenport man, Is in bust
ness now in Rock Island He spoke
for clean saloon, saying In part:
Il come as refugee, representing
an association that has fought it's bat
tie and has met defeat. There never
was battle fought where the partlci-
pants did not learn something which
on a similar occasion they can use 10
their advantage.
1T would be impossible and m
profitable TO undertake TO cover the
entire field of lessons learned and the
bitter experience in our struggle for
nv ton afa In
resolved 10 call your attention TO lust
two points that appear TO me 10 be OF
prime importance, and that should be
constantly in your minds
AT every convention OF liquor deal
ers. whether state or national. no op-
portunity is lost by any speaker 10
urge upon the convention the idea Of
cleaning up the saloon, so / will not
be an exception TO the rule.
insist on Enforcement.
cit is, of course, Of the greatest i'm
portance for each and every one en-
gagged in the liquor business to see 70
it that his place is so conducted that
all possible evils from the liquor traf-
fic are eliminated. The laws should
be respected and obeyed, and those
engaged in our business should be the
first to insist upon the strict enforce
ment of all the laws regulating our
traffic. Too much stress cannot be
put upon this proposition. We should
be second to none In the state in our
earnest desire to bring about the best
possible conditions obtainable in re-
gard to morals and sobriety
Il feel 1t my duty to suggest. how
ever, that after you have performed
your duty to the fullest extent In this
respect there is nothing that you could
possibly do that would satisfy the
fanatic and the agitator for prohibit
ton. These men are bent upon de-
struction. If a man were permitted 10
have but one drink each day. and
prayer meeting were conducted in
each saloon in the state each week,
with double services on Sunday, the ag-
itator and the fanatic would still be
busy and insist upon your destrue-
ton. Nothing in the world will salts
fly these men. excepting absolute con-
troll of everyone else's morals and APP
petite.
Saloon Meets Demand.
There are many conditions in the
liquor business that most OF you would
like to eliminate. But the saloon is
the result Of the public demand, ana
whatever evils exist there are the re-
suit of the system and the weaknesses
OF the saloon more than Of the saloon
keeper himself.
Legislation on the liquor question
is controlled to a large extent by the
enemies of the traffic and II Is an UNI
known thing for a Legislature TO cam
ly and dispassionately consider the y.
quor problem with single thoushs
in mind, and that TO obtain the pes'
possible conditions Of sobriety wiz
out unduly interfering with the inaF
vidual rights Of the people. -
Legislation on this subject sh0u'1
,T,a...f.,,,.J -, Doc, rhraal