Liquor Dealers Form Protective Shield
A statewide association of liquor dealers pledges to provide legal counsel for members facing 'blue law' prosecutions.
The Liquor Dealers' Protective Association will in future stand as a body behind any of its members who shall get in trouble for the infraction of the Sunday closing law, the midnight closing ordinances, or any other acts characterized as 'blue laws.' To provide a fund for this purpose, annual dues were raised to $6 per year. The resolution expressly states, however, that the association will not take up the fight of any member who gets into trouble through criminal intent. Should a member allow a drunken man to be robbed in his place of business knowingly, the association will not only refuse to stand by him, but he will be expelled forthwith.
“The association will take up the fight of any member arrested for these offenses anywhere in the state, and will provide him with legal assistance.”
This is a fascinating early example of a trade association leveraging collective resources to combat regulatory crackdowns. It illustrates the 'wet vs. dry' tensions that would eventually lead to Prohibition in Washington.
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