Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-06-19
PUBLIC EXPRESSION
Upon Proposed Municipal Legislation t
License Houses of ul-fame.

license houses of il-fame in this city, with
view to regulating or restricting the evils con-
nected Herewith, and as action is to be taken
upon this proposed measure at the meeting of
the Board next Monday, large number of
prominent citizens and professional men were
called upon yesterday by representatives of the
RECoRD-UNIoN, for expression of views upon
the subject; The result was as follows.
L: 5. Taylor said The proposition is an out
rage on common decency. To license an evil is
to give 1t the sanction OF law
Kew rather Grace, pastor OF st. Rose Church.
said Regarding the licensing of prostitution
| would say that it is contrary to our principles
to legalize vice, which is wrong in itself Our
way would be to suppress the evil by direct
means as far as it is possible.
T. II. Blessing said on the face of it, it is d
vulgar proposition and he was surprised that
the ordinance should be printed in family
newspaper. He was not ready to sanction any
such ordinance.
DR.. Gardner said it was something he did not
care TO talk about. The ordinance as drawn, in
his opinion, was very crude in form and would
not stand the test of law. He saw many objec-
tons TO it, and did object to such matters being
published in family newspapers. In the first
place, he said that no respectable physician
could be employed under the provisions of the
ordinance. The result would be that the ply
stefan who would be employed would not be
what the ordinance anticipated, and OF course
the result would be not what was intended. He
was opposed to the ordinance, and was at loss
to know what portion of the community desired
its passage.
nance, but presumed the Board of Trustees
thought this ap excellent way 10 swell the sink
ing and interest fund.
NJ R. Beard said he thought the whole mat
ter was something uncalled for. He was sur
prised that any member of the Board OF Trus-
tees should introduce such an ordinance ana
still more surprised that any paper that had Il
circulation in family circles should give 1t pub
| lipitV II rpppVnrinU and holding 10 pub
lie gaze an unsghtly evil that should be
stunned and prohibited. 1t was decidedly " Pa
risian, and would not take in Sacramento
VIM. Beckman said this is question that
should be carefully considered. 1t is an evil,
but one thatcould not be suppressed. That being
the case he thought they should be placed under
the strictest police and sanitary regulations. 1t
worked well in Europe, and he saw no good
reason why it should not work well here.
c. H. stevens said the evil sought to be
licensed was one i'll his opinion that could not be
suppressed. That being the case, he thought
the passage of an ordinance, regulating and re-
stricting, would have beneficial effect
d. ellis thought that the objects sought TO be
obtained by the ordinance were good, but was
of the opinion that i'll the first test it would be
declared to be unconstitutional
/. Bell said he had no doubt but what the
author of the ordinance introduced the same
with the best of intentions, but he feared its
passage wonld cause - the scattering of women
of easy virtue throughout the city. They would
be found in private lodging houses, and would
carry on their business in quarters heretofore
free from their demoraliZing and degrading
influences"
school Director Johnston said the ordinance
was good enough if they would impose fine,
say OF $50 or 800 a quarter. ard then enforce
the law. This was done in New Orleans and
other large cities, and good resulted therefrom.
He was opposed to the ordinance as drawn.
Peter Newman said aS long as the Trustees
permitted such dens of vice in the city without
license there certainly could be no objection TO
their imposing a license and causing them to de
fray part of the city expenses. He said any
one who would read the Police Court calendar
for one wear would be convinced of the fact that
these dens caused fully two-thlrls of all the
cases in that Court. Their eXistence-aS it was
u Well-known tact they did exist in the most
fragrant and dcpraved manner on Second and l.
streets-was Il disgrace to our city and i'll fact
| to civilization. If those vile and abominable
dens were to be permitted to exist in the future
as they did in the past he was in favor of an
ordinance regulating them which would, in Sc
verify, be ten times stronger than the one pro
posed He thought it a matter of serious con
Sheraton, and the proposed ordinance, in his
| opinion was not adequate
Dir W Il CluneSS-f do not believe in the roo
ulation of the social evil Question by law.
| because it implies inhumanitv. ilIiberalitv,
cruelty and Injustice because wherever il has
| been legalized ii can be demonstrated that the
| law did not by anY means solve the problem
because statistics show that the percentare Of
| venereaI cases contracted from registered wo-
men is Greater than from the unregistered and
because | do not believe in that humanity
which treats women as an inferior animal. and
removes from eoually plIilty and diseased man
his inst share of 4esp6ns7biIifv'
Adolph Hcilbron-As long as such houses
exist IL wot1ld be better in my opinion to have
them restricted under some such ordinance as
pr1Dosed Such houses will not he entirely
Suppressed. Experience has shown that their
proprietors cannot be convicted in this city.
| and therefore il is better to have them under
police regulation.
| Felix Tacv-The moral sentiment of This
| community ought to be such that an ordinance
| of this kind would not be necessary. but taking
| the circumstances rs they exist I am in fo,or
of some wise ordinance uDOn the subject
Frank Mi!ler-If these places can be better
brought under police control in that manner |
see no reason why they should not be 50 treated
as well As the Gambling houses but the proDosed
ordinance ert,pS too far
C. NcCrpary-Siuce the evil cannot he done
away with. i believe in putting it under due
re"IllatiOn
" A. Clrtis-If had nv way would pitch
them all out of town
C. H. Hubbard-T believe a strict ordinance
upon the subject would lessen the extent of the
present evil.
7. L. Platt-It ought 10 be suppressed, but it
win not be. | do not believe in licensing Il
thing which is unlawful under State law, nor to
attempt local legislation in opposition TO public
statutes.
J.. b. Richardson-If an ordinance can be
made more effective | should favor it. but do
not believe it would be enforced
Il
known Us the social evil" ought to be regIi-
lated iy law.
q w Chrsley-It is badly regulated now. that
is certnin. and I sbould be- ia favor of having
nroner restrictions placed uDon H. and if neces,
sary licensing if less evil results wonId fol
low. II cannot be done away with under our
nresant state of civilization
II Carroll tbinI[ recitation 50 far rs CON
fining the evil within n certain restricted dis
trict 50 that tho object of visitors GOING into the
| distr,rt Shon1d NOT he misnuderstSod 9vonid he
Wholesome The moral eject would be marked
| Dr t,aorge pyburr,-J am ornosed to fbe orfIi
ro,,c, bec3I1sa--Tlot tn mention its ran,Ignonca
10 he ,Lorn hotts Of thonGTt cnncnrpi SIIc6
matters on the nart Of nm over,yheImi,i1 ma
;nrit,. Of nrrcansaYnouer other tbin1S f nc
1855 To i,teTfare With tho Iersonal Gherty sn1
Ppi,-acZ Of ons cl.ss Of citil.ns ostnnsiL1,- in
10 r. ,rotect another class If ritizans ron
10 co1,ln,rences Of their own tnIa(rtil and
daI5t.rato not. This raoard az outside rho
f,Sucrinns of a representative government
Voraoy.er tho nrovision condemn II inetfectuai
~ o,,itorI. - f,.orard os all nhvsicians Inoyy
n = aat f,,Il, 1f Tho nrorticn az SURGEONS in
IA danar+nent has its C1untain in UNREGISTERED
ord I1nsnsnected sonrreS outside of the rstah-
iiLrne,,ts sou0bt fo he reruIated-at least in
~ ,.',,i,,t,,-
| is r-o,,ar and we should have had II lone moo
ST. rc,,Iatin, is ,nnintoined in EuroI,G ~, 4
| al s,r,c 5iarrs Fast in This rountrv I fbipi II
| is tIa Is.f move made here
| S,1or,1,,. SMITH am onnosad To di,,,if,-i,,,
o,d Ti,nrri1ine II Inv a iicaTse donnI LiiaIts
| j. i ,eCoSlar,. IN ordnr ~ controI II ~ 10,
nver il i IN he licensed II sbonid NV o1i means
| he limited to some Tarticular Locality
| I 4 T.nso, Recnynizino Tho fsct 'tbo+ II oD-
| istc balse,.. II riybt md ,,r,,,,or tbat H.
authorities SbouId take If i'm cbdrre and Iiconse
as Wen as regulate it, in controlling its in.
1