Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-19
TIE SUNDAY LAW AND TIE REPUB
LICAN PARTY

day Observance was enacted. The text Of its
provisions are already too familiar to require
repetition. Among them, however, is one
which closes drinking saloons on Sunday.
This provision has beeh openly and no.ori-
ously violated, and is being violated on each
Sunday with perfect impunitv. Within re.
cent period the temperance people at.
tempted to enforce il by Prosecutions
brought against it's violators. They failed
utterly. The law remains on the statute
| books and the saloons remain open. While
the platforms of political parties on the Sun.
day law question are being discussed, let it
not be forgotten that the law against open
SALOONS on Sunday exists and the saloons re-
main open. Let is also be remembered that
in over LOCO cases of prosecution brought
under the law In San Francisco and Sacra-
mepto, not single conviction has tesn OBJ.
taiued.
The attempt to enforce this old and almost
forgotten law created temporary furry of
excitement. The saloons were the only vio-
lators of the law. Ii the saloons had been
exempted from its operation it would never
have been heard of. The saloons favor
Sunday law which will close the workshop,
store and counting room. A holiday of any
kind is the haryest-day of the saloons. Di-
vested of all cant and shifty political pretense
and the bare question before the people is.
Shall the Sunday law close the saloons 20
During the excitement growing ont of the
attempted enforcement of the law closing the
| saloons. the Democratic State Convention
met at San Jose. Its platform was made by
one Dave Terry, of Stockton. This Terry
was once on the Supreme Bench of Cslifornis,
and in the decision of case involving the
coustitutionslity Of this law held
the law to be unconstitutional.
Terry believed in the political potency
TT f,4 H. II
| dom had beth money and votes. The or.
gsnfzation in San Francisco was blcked by
$500 SALOONS, Ia Sacramento by 269 saloons
and In Stockton by 200 saioops-in ali these
cases iGciuiina corner groceries where liquors
are sold at retail. Terry and the Convention
believed that promise to repeal the law
closing saloons on Sunday would give the
Democracy the full infuence of the saloons
and the votes OF the German population. The
Democratic platform did not gay openly
Resolved, That the Democracy will exempt
the saloons from the operation of the Sunday
law" but this was distinctly Just what
was meant aud nothing more. In fact
| no other element Of the Sunday law was in
Issue. The platform was made for political
effect, and the only element to be attracted
was the liquor traffic" Hence it is beyond
cavil or question that the "sumptuary plank
In the Democratic platform was addressed to
the saloon interest, and was the assurance of
the democracy that under its administration
the saloons should not be ANNOYED by hostile
| legislation. This promise was couched in
soft phrase and evasive terms "ail sumptu
ary laws" were to be repealed if the Demo
Gratis carried the State. This did not mean
that Sunday was to change it's character as
non Judicial day, or legal holiday, or as
day OF rest or recreation. 1t arose out Of the
attempt to enforce the law against the saloons,
aud was an assurance to tie saloons that the
Democracy espoused their cause in the
contest.
The Republican leaders became alarmed.
The Democrats had formulated an anti rail
road platform, and as an earnest of their
sincerity bad nominated Stoneman for Gov.
ernor. This Stoneman had a consistent anti.
railroad record; he also had personal char.
acter tor honesty, probity and consistency
that could not be assailed. The resistance
made by the railroad corporations of the
State against paying their taxes for two years
had created q widespread resentment in the
minds Of the masses, and had produced
condition of popular feeling against the rail.
roaos more widespread, deep-seated and real
than has ever before existed. The Demo-
Gratis had formulated their platform with
reference to the two general sections of voters.
The anti-railroad planks were addressed to
the country, and Stoneman was placed
upon them as q guarantee of sinceri-
ty. The saloon, or " sumptuary," plank
was addressed to the cities. These
considerations were the source of Republican
alarm. In truth, the Republican party was
beaten unless it could attract to its standard
the entire religious and temperance vote of
the State. This was the condition of affairs
in which the Convention of the 30th of Au.
gust was held. The most profane Republi.
can leader wore an air of subdued piety when
the sacred observance of the holy Sab
bath was mentioned. The Temperance PEG.
pie were represented by committees, but the
men composing them had neither the sense
to see their advantage, nor the courage
to improve it. The success of the
party depended solely upon its position
upon Its attitude toward the Sunday law,
and the only issue under that head relates to
the sale of liquors on Sunday. The Chief of
the Order OF Good Templars appeared in the
lobby Of the Convention, but the League of
Freedom was represented on the floor aud Oh
the Committee on Platform and Resolutions,
The temperance people from the lobby asked
that the Convention promise legislation to
give force and effect to Section IL, Article
XII, Ct the Constitution, which reads as fol.
| lows:
Any county, city, town or township may
make and enforce within its limits all such
local police and sanitary and other reeula-
tions as ale not in conflict with general laws"
| The Committee on Platform suppressed all
resolutions relating to the subject, and in.
| stead reported back plank evading all of
the Sunday law issue having any living force
or actual vitality. The Democrats had
promised the saloons immunity from all legis-
lation closing them on Sunday, and the Re-
publican party did not dare to commit itself
| to the position that the saloons should be
closed on that day. A resolution declaring
that the Republican party will maintain By
| appropriate legislation that part of the ex.
isting Sunday law which closes the saloons on
Sunday, could not have passed the Convention.
The resolution pretends to believe that
| Sunday as q nom judicial day, as
legal holiday and as a day of rest, had been
| attacked. This was not true, and the
trainers of the resolution knew it. The
only issue related to the saloons. They alone
had resisted the enforcement of the law:
they alone had organized the seditious law.
defying body known as the League of Free
dom But the Republicans believed that the
religious and temperance elements would be
easily satisfied, and the saloon vote secured
at the same time. Hence they declared in
favor of the "existing law'-the one under
which the saloons now remain open on Sun
| day-or "similar law" or lsws under
which the saloons would still remain open.
The real definition of all these facts is, that
the Democrats bid for the support Of the
| liquor traffic by their "suInptuarv resoIu-
ton, and the Republicans had not the cour-
| age to make an open issue On the question.
What the latter did do was to formulate
platform which, in the judgment of the party
leaders, would produce the maximum of sup.
port from the Sunday law sentiment without
| offenss to the liquor traffic. The whole scheme
| is as transparent as it is cowardly, The
| opponents of open saloons on Sunday have
nothing to gain by the success of either party.
The Democrats propose to repesi law under
which the saloons have kept open for twenty
five years, and the Republicans promise to
retain this law. In either case the saloons
keep open. The Democrats maze an open
issue, and therefore have well defined posi-.
ton. The Republicans evaded the issue, and
therefore have no position on the question,
| A COOP TEMPLAR,