Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-10
A SIGNIFICANT VOTE.

COlu6 common LQat CdCIdIueutO IL uuptO'
gressive.
A SIGNIFICANT VOTE.
Bya vote of 2,43S to 299 they declared
that it is wise and economic and public.
spirited TO invest 100000 of public funds
in street improvement, which means $780,
900 more from property owners, or in all
100000 is to be expended in
PERMANENT STREET IMPROVEMENT.
1t has been the custom for thirty.fiye
years to annually dig up, scrape over and
smooth the natural surface of the dirt
streets. Each winter this work has been
undone, and each spring renewed. In that
time Sacramento has spent for such work
quite $450,O0O, and to-day there is not a
thing to show for it. The bitter experience
of last winter convinced the thoughtful
that this
SUMMER. FALLowING
The soil of the streets was a shame. With
parts of M, l., N, o, J, K, /, and cross
streets from Front to Eleventh paved, from
l. to | or j, and costing practically nothing
for repairs, they asked themselves, WHY
should not all the streets be treated in like
manner" Accordingly the CITY Trustees
were asked to submit TO vote proposition
to borrow 500, 200 to be expended in paw.
ing one fourth the cost of improving any
street where the property owners consent
to the street being paved. In the meantime
agitation OF the question of public. spirited
competition by an organization of citizens
brought the cost of paving streets down
very materially. When the resolution was
adopted to submit the question
OPPOSITION
Developed from four quarters: from mud.
scrapers, who have all these years enjoyed
the profits of the job for rounding up the
streets and smashing the winters clods !;
from few contractors, who prefer the old
order of things and high prices, Others.
however, Of broader views, worked for the
proposition; from some who had paid for
Intersection work and who insisted that
the creation of Indebtedness will not be
compensated by any benefits to flow from
permanently paved streets; finally, from
the class of men who look backward, are
contented 10 go to mill with stone in one
end of the bag and who do not care
whether street is knee deep in mud or as
smooth as billiard. ball, and fear tax or
an investment though it is shown that it
will return large profit.
THE FRIENDS OF THE PROPOSITION
Argued that as summer fall lowing" the
streets, as wit has termed it, averages an
nually sd 900 of cost to the public purse.
and as the interest upon the money pro-
posed to be borrowed, with reserve of one
twentieth annually to pay the principal, is
but little more than half in the aggregate
ofsthe cost of scraping and MASKING hard.
ened mud every spring, it is simple, plain,
everyday nineteenth century common
tn hnFrnur tho nd tbo
permanent improvement system. They
argued also that paved streets render drain
age easier, are more cheaply sprinkled and
cleaned, invite the commentator OF
strangers, stimulate private Improvements,
building, etc., and above all enable the peo-
pie OF the county to get into the city and
trade with onr merchants All last winter,
because we have
NOT A SOLITARY PAVED STREET
Extending to the city limits, farmers were
almost as etfectually shut out from the
tQ"n as if the great wall of China
encompassed the city. The friends of
improvement also pointed out that
because of her muddy streets Sacramento
was gaining a bad name abroad; that she
was dubbed ''silurian, unprogressive moss
backed, lacking in faith in herself and
content to roll in the wallow like hog"
1t is a fact that people have left the city
and gone elsewhere to reside, simply be-
cause in winter and until late in the spring
they could not reach their houses with
teams, were surrounded by mud-puddles,
and swamped in drainage held upon some
streets between graded or partly graded
streets running at right angles to the
former.
THE OPPONENTS
OF the $1,000 plan were very numerous q
week ago, but when it was shown in the
RECORD UNION that the new system and
the proposed loan would work an actual
saving to taxpayers, opposition began to
decline. The Improvement Association,
which had all along championed the new
idea, issued an address reviewing the whole
question, and thus secured many converts
When the polls opened yesterday and
THE BATTLE BEGAN,
The opposition was vigorous and was led
by few men who at least had the cour-
age to stand out for their convictions, or in
what they mistakenly considered self and
public interest. They soon found, how.
ever, that their cause was hopeless. Even
with the immense leverage of two-thirds
msjority required for the affirmative they
early saw that they could not win. When
the contest was over their roster showed
but 299 voters opposed to permanent street
Improvements by the new plan, while , ABS
voters had enrolled themselves under the
banner of progress and economy.
FULLY TWO THOUSAND
Other voters who did not go to the poll.
were in favor of the Indebtedness. This i.
known to the canvassers who went abou
and interviewed them. But they felt Ger
tain that the proposition would carry
and would not leave their business to vote
II was mistake on their part, of course
but the names checked of on the register
of those not voting, but ayowed friends o
the affirmative demonstrate that had .
full vote been cast there would have beer
some 400 for the proposition and abou
500 opposed.
PUBLIC SPIRIT.
The faith of the friends of the indebted
ness was proved by their works. The I'm
provemeDt Association officials raised $500
with which they published an address
established ticket tables, hired clerks anC
engaged q score of vehicles, bearing
banners. 10 convey voters TO tn,
polls. Without discriminating among the
many workers of the Association it i.
worthy of mention that President Luhr,
and Committeeman NJ. J. Dillman wer,
especially active throughout the city gen.
orally, while at every polling place Their,
were many workers for the affirmative. l
a list of these public-spirited citizens
could have been obtained with the assur
ance of emitting none, it would be
pleasure to publish it. 1t should be stated
that all the officers of the Election Board
were volunteers and served without charge
REJOICING
When the result was known last even
ing, President Luhrs secured a section o
Company BIS battery and twenty-five gun
were fred from the river front in honor O
the victory; later in the evening twenty
five guns were fired by the same section
from Capitol Park. and flights of rocket
were sent up and other fireworks wer
burned. All over the city the people con
graduated each other, and on the bushes
streets many cheer was sent mp, az,
scores of men clasped hands and uttere,
thanks, that by public vote Sacrament
had declared herself awake, earnest, an
determined for progress.
THE VOTE.
Following are the official returns sror
each precinct:
Fiist Precinct, Third and streets-Tots
cast, 1896; for the Indebtedness, $40; agains
25: blank, /; majority, 345.
Second Precinct, Fourth and X streets
Total cast, $40; for. 504; against. 81; blanl
4: majority, 442.
orl:,,l D.ac;pct Ninth ord sfreets-Tf