Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-29
WAR UPON THE DIVES.

The sentiment behind the movement for
regulation of the liqaor traffic is spread
ing and growing remarkably. 1t has even
reached the very Conservative conasaunity
of the capital city, Below it is az. under
current of determination that premises to
become irresistible The most recent mani
festation of the sentiment comes from the
police department. 1t proposes to effect
the closing of saloons at midnight The
real purpose is to reach the dives
and low places where unsGspectipg and
foolish people are taken il and robbed,
drugged and stripped of al they have
about them except clothiag sufficient to
cover nake2neSs.
The object is commendable and the de-
partment ought to be encouraged in the
effort to effect the desired end. But the
ordinance nJ$ before the City Trustees
intended to accomplish the results looked
for, is woefully defective. 1t is so worded
that it VIII close at midnight places that
it is not intended should be interfered
with. Il reads:
Section l. That all resoess, saloons, and other
places in the City of Sacramento, where liquor
OF any kind is sold shall be closed up at u
O'Clock midnight of every day in the week and
every week in the year, and shall remain
closed until clock of the following morning
This includes restaurants which dispense
beer or wine to the boarders or customers
over the table, though maintaining no bar.
The all-night restaurants answer demand
due to the night shifts working in the rail
road shops, the arrival and departure of
trains at all hours Of night. the incoming
of market men, the outgoing of workers
upon newspapers and others These re-
staurant proprietors, therefore, have good
ground for complaint against the proposed
ordinance, since it is admitted that they
are not aimed at To close them, there
fore, in order to reach disreputable places,
is to confess the inability of the law to
subserve justice. But it is not true, and
we refer to the specific case of the re-
staurants only to illustrate a laundering
attempt at legislation. There is direct
way, straight forward and unobstructed, to
regulate and even to crush out the vicious
places aimed at. The city authorities
possess the right-and would unquestion-
ably have the concurrence of the county
authorities-to refuse to license these ante
rooms to perdition, where men are drUgged
or beaten into insensibility, and robbed
and maltreated. The Trustees have the
power under the law to attach such condi-
tions TO the grant of license that these
sink-holes cannot be proftably kept open.
Why should the city by a sweeping
ordinance attempt that which does injury
where none is intended, and but partially
accomplishes the real purpose? Let the
authorities rise to the level of the need
and refuse to license places of the
kind aimed at at all. Or, if there is
difficulty in distinguishing, or in estab-
fishing the character Of the "dive," let
there be attached to consent the provision
that a majority of adjacent property
holders shall petition for the place to be
opened, and that at least fifty citizens OF
good character shall supplement such petit
tion with their written Endorsement These
are few of many methods adopted in other
cities, and with entire success. Some &c
SO far as to require bonds to be fled, and
Others specify in the grant of license that
it may be revoked at the pleasure of the
city. To close the dives at II o'clock is
well to close them altogether is better
If that cannot be, then discipline them
with such restrictions and conditions that
they will die for want of vicious vitality
Instead of closing hotels and restaurants
against decent people who desire fooc
at night, let US go directly to the
center. and cripple the dive beyond re
covery. To close these places at mid.
night means simply to drive them tC
speedier robbery of their victims They
will be drugged before the hour wher
graveyards yawn," and plucked thereaftel
just as easily. If this community is sin
cerely desirous of lessening the power o
these infamously low places, the direc
method is the correct one Require O
all places where liquors are sold con-
pliance with such regulations as we'll effec
the desired end. Those who are no
aimed at will not fail to comply with tht
regulation; those against whom the regsa
lation is directed cannot