ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



187 



another until counties were affected. 

 Then our State Association asked for 

 it a&ain, and they were going to ap- 

 point a coanmittee of one again. We 

 saw the folly of that. If a swarm of 

 bees gather honey it means united 

 effort. A few members could not do 

 it, but the many together could ac- 

 complish it. A Committee of the 

 Officers of the Association were dele- 

 gated to go before the Legislature 

 •with the form of bill that we wanted 

 for that law. It met opposition on 

 all sides and several times looked as 

 if failure would be the result. For 

 instance, being a part of that Com- 

 mittee myself I well remember when 

 going ibefore one of those Legislative 

 Bodies asking for its passage, the 

 Chairman of the Committee was sick 

 and unable to attend, and the next 

 Mem,ber on the Committee acting as 

 chairman pro tem had turned down 

 ,quite a number of bills, until it was 

 a boast of the committee that they 

 were killing everything that day that 

 came before them and had reserved 

 us to the last for ridicule and laugh- 

 ing stock. Well, he says, we have 

 oome to the Bee Bill I believe, or 

 skeeters or bed bugs or something, 

 anyway we can fix that in a few min- 

 utes. There was an expression upon 

 that house that gave me no hopes. The 

 committee had finally left it to one 

 to look after. The Bee-Keepers of the 

 Association were not w^ith -me, and 

 the committee consisted of me alone, 

 and the fate of it looked sure. I felt 

 It was a just cause and I could not 

 see that bill lost, and I felt that If I 

 made any plea for the bill whatever 

 It would be almost unanimously 

 against me, and as I represented the 

 State Organization and that repre- 

 sented all the bee-keepers of the 

 State, I asked them in ju3tlce iwiould 

 they defer the hearing of that bill 

 until one week from that hour, in or- 

 der that the dhainnan of that com- 

 mittee representing the entire body 

 of legislation could be present. The 

 chairman pro tem said, don't you 

 think that all but one of the commit- 

 tee is enough to fix you? Go on 

 with what you have got to say; we will 

 grind your organ for you in short 

 order." I said, "No, sir, I beg your 

 pardon, I want one week from this 

 hour so that that committee may all 

 be here." It was finally granted and 

 I felt joyful. I went to the hotel and 

 I wrote until but one light was left, to 

 every bee-keeper I could think of in 



the district where the imembers of 

 that committee resided, and I said. 

 The 13111 will have a hearing one week 

 from today, and not a bee-keeper of 

 your district has seen your member 

 for the Legislature or said a word to 

 support that bill, and they are opposed 

 to it. Aren't you going to give any 

 help? The week rolled by. The time 

 came and I went back, and the man 

 who had been chairman pro tem of 

 the coijimittee came and said, France, 

 aren't you a Methodist? Yes, I said. 

 That has got nothing to do with the 

 matter. Why? He said, aren't you a 

 Methodist? Haven't you been to re- 

 vivals? How in the name of heaven 

 did you stir up all the bee-keepers in 

 my county? When I got home on 

 Friday night from tfiat week's meet- 

 ing at the legislature the depot was 

 thronged with bee-keepers all fight- 

 ing mad at me because I wanted to 

 fight that bill; I am a converted sinner 

 now, I will support your bill. The 

 bill went unanimously, and we had a 

 law. United effort gained it, and 

 those of u^ in the States that have 

 no laws should not expect that one, 

 two, three or many bee-keepers in a 

 State will get a law; it is the united 

 effort; and then let the States unite 

 and have if possible laws that will 

 co-operate one State with another. I 

 hope we will be united on this sub- 

 ject and each do his individual part 

 as a part of a strong colony of bees, 

 be it eight or ten frames, and get the 

 desired crop, legislation. (Applause.) 



The President — The next is "Rough 

 Spots in the Pathway of an Inspector 

 of Apiaries," and the gentleman who 

 is to respond to this toast is a dia- 

 mond in the rough, and we may ex- 

 pect something very good from him, 

 and you will agree with me in that 

 when I announce his name, Mr. Wil- 

 liam McEvoy. 



Mr. McEvoy — I will have to decline 

 that. I had but very few rough spots 

 in my eighteen years. I have noth- 

 ing to say along that line. I got along 

 first rate with all the people excepting 

 a few, and I have nothing to say. 



(Mr. McEvoy was greeted with 

 rounds of applause.) 



The President — That is the greatest 

 ovation w^e have had since -we have 

 been here. 



Mr. McEvoy— Mr. President and gen- 

 tlemen, I don't wish to speak along 

 that line because if I did I might stir 



