Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-09
Address Against High License.

The following address against the adop-
ton of high license printed in English and
German, was circulated broadcast through
out the city yesterday afternoon and last
evening:
The people Of Sacramento will be called
upon at the coming election to do more
than decide who shall be Second Trustee
or City Attorney or Chief of Police Many
Jealous people, among them the best
known of our citizens have been for some
time fomenting quiet agitation of prop
oSition to raise the licenses of a certain
| class OF our business men to figure which
would surely be ruinous to some and
hardship to many others. Indeed, if the
voters of the city determine to adopt the
| plan OF high license proposed, it will be no
easy matter TO count beforehand the dam
age that will inevitably ensue. No one
will deny the advantage to law and order
of proper regulation of the liquor traffic.
Il is quite possible that everything that can
be done in that direction has not been
effected. But that is not saying that the
way to do 1t Is to impose tax so heavy
that many OF our citizens would be unable
| to stand under it. 1t seems a little strange
that, while 1t is being seriously considered
by the leading minds of the country
whether a total abolition of the Federal
taxes on liquors would not be the best
thing, large class of people are to be
found advocating an enormous increase of
taxation in the same direction.
We have heard it argued that high
license would have the effect of closing
what are known as dives" or disreputa-
bic places. Admitting for the moment the
force of the arguments it is nevertheless
true that many entirely reputable men
. l. 90 ba. e
the closing of the dives" But it is not
good reasoning TO argue that the disreputa-
bic places can be forced to quit by high
license. Indeed by the very methods
which brought upon them the name of
dives by robbing, rolling" and the
use of the cheapest and vilest of poisons,
these Objectionable places will continue to
thrive where honest men must inevitably
fall.
But there is another phase to this high
license scheme to which We would direct
the attention of those who believe that they
have found it a Nemesis for the wrongs
that the q dives have so long perpetrated
Sacramento is feeling just now the heavy
hand of the prevailing hard times. Hun
dreds of willing workers are denied the OPP
portunity of gaining livelihood for them
selves, their wives and children. Business
is depressed to an extent every one feels.
Trade languishes, and all along the line
the complaint goes out of commercial and
industrial siagnation. We are, il may be
said, much better off in these regards than
any other community in the State; but is
it wise now to adopt measure that must
surely add perhaps hundreds more to our
idle population? The men 10 be affected
by an excessively high license have wives
and children. They have homes, pay
taxes, rent stores and contribute their full
share to the general revenues and pros
perity of the city. Is it sound policy now
in these dormant days to close stores by
sheer force of law, TO throw more men out
of employment and put more dependent
people on our hands
We do not believe that Sacramento can
afford to make the experiment of high
license. The time is not opporiune for
such a movement, if. indeed, it ever vii
be. We cannot afford just yet to build a