Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-26
NOT A SALOON.
Bor Three Years Cambridge Has Rofased
All Licenses

Bor Three Years Cambridge Has RofGsed
All Licenses.
From the New York independent
For the fourth consecutive year the
University city of Cambridge, Mass, has
voted to have no saloons. There is no
other case of the kind on record in this
country, and probably none in the world,
in which city Of nearly 10000 inhabit-
ants has driven out the saloon; and after
keeping it out for three years by annual
vote of its own citizens, has for the fourth
time again voted to keep it out. Other
cities have been under prohibition under
State laws; but no other as large as this,
by its own vote, for that length of time.
How was it done?
BY united effort 1t is not always easy
to secure the united effort even of men
who agree for if they are earnest they
are apt to magnify the points of petty dis
agreement, instead of magnifying their
points of agreement. But Cambridge has
succeeded in driving out the saloon by the
united effort of men who disagreed. The
clergymen of Cambridge are strong, posi-
tive men and differ as strong men do upon
theological questions; but they have
wrought and prayed together as one man
for the banishment of the saloon. Uni
tarians Baptists, Methodists, Universal
lists, Episcopalians and Catholics, regard
less of race or color, have stood shoulder to
shoulder. The leading Catholic clergy
man is one of the most intense men in that
State, the founder of parochial school
years before any controversy arose about
them but he spoke with the Protestant
clergymen upon the same platform upon
this question, going to the hall of the
Mems Christian Association three years in
succession to join the Protestants in a
jubilee over their joint victory; and lead
ing Protestants have spoken to his people
in their hall for no-license.
Cambridge politicians are positive, indie
pendent and aggressive; but Democrats,
Republicans, Prohibitionists and Labor
Reformers have Joined their forces, coming
out of a red-hot fight against each other in
November, to turn their batteries upon the
grog-shop, as a common enemy, i'll Decem-
Der.
When the people first voted out the sa-
loon, in December, 1886, their decision was
looked upon as popular freak but the
results were such that after years exper-
iment the people determined to give it an
other years trial in response to the appeal
for fair play. The results that year war
ranted the repetitition of the trial, and for
a third time the people allowed the friends
of no-license a chance to show what could
be done.
The last year has been the best Of the
three. Some of the liquor dealers kept on
with their business for the first year on
. Hn elx ha 10
their verdict. When they voted no-license
the second time, most of these went out of
the business and when it was repeated in
1888, the few remaining saloons which had
been holding out, doing little surrepti-
tious business, waiting for the reaction,
became discouraged and left the town.
There has not been an open saloon in the
town for more than two years, and for the
past year there has not been one where
any but an old topper could get drink, and
he only by resorting to the most humil-
iating of expedients.
The testimony to the good effect of ban
ishing the saloon has been overwhelming
Men who do not claim to be Prohibition,
| ists high-license men and low-license men.
tell the same story as do the Prohibition
| ists-that there is less intemperance, less
pauperism, less rowdyism, less crime, that
children are better clothed and fed; that
savings banks deposits from the poor have
| greatly increased; and there is less drink
ing among the women Of the poorer classes
in their homes and fewer family disturb
ances and broils There is no counter tes-
timony. The friends of license admit that
this is true, and their only argument has
been that there ought to be high license
so as to get the fees of the liquor-dealers
But to this the people of Cambridge have
once more said no, emphatically. They
believe that there are things more valu-
able than money, and public interests more
important than the decrease of taxation
fifty cents on a thousand dollars. The ma
jority has been reduced by complications
apart from the liquor question; but the
victory is, under the circumstances, even
greater than last year. And all this has
come from uniting the people who dis
| agree.