Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-28
SUNDAY CLOSING OF SALOONS.

The Mayor has vetoed the ordinance
submitting this question to the voters OF
the city at special election. The
Mayors objections are, first, that there is
no law for submitting the question to
the voters, and, second, that the matter
should be decided as the council and
himself think is right without any re-
gard to what the people want.
The first of the objections is disposed
Of by section 1913, of the city charter,
which in express terms gives the council
power to submit to the electors of said
city at any election any question. 1t
would be we'll enough for the Mayor to
read this section sometime when he has
leisure, as similar ordinance for the
submission of this question to the peo-
pie may be presented to him by the
council before his term expires The
validity of the second objection depends
on the standpoint from which you look
at it. 1t is said the standpoint alters
the view. From the standpoint of the
Gar of Russia, the Mayor is right, but
from that of the average American citi-
zen, the Mayor is wrong. Section 1913 Of
the charter is not only the law, but it
embodies the American idea that the
people rule and the officials are merely
servants to carry into effect the will of
the people.
One of the funny things about the
Mayors veto message is his boldness
and frankness in taking position on this
question of Sunday closing, which he
does after this fashion:
After considering the question at some
length, and insisting that he and the
councils the law making power, should
decide the question as they think right,
he says: $50 far as am concerned, l am
frank to confess that have made up my
mind and the election [if held will have
no weight with me whatever" Wheth-
er he is for or against Sunday closing he
omits to tell us. The question and his
method of disposing of it are evidently
very Hazardish.
But this Republican city government
will neither close the saloons, nor refuse
to close them, nor will they submit the
question to the people, or refuse to sub
nit it. Now, as always, they want
the saloon vote and the TEMPERANCE
vote; and now, as always, they will
juggle in the endeavor to get both, by
deceiving both and cajoling both.
This question was presented to the
council by petition OF 1854 names in
favor OF Sunday closing, and was mot
with counter petition of 4S4S names
against it, all names on both petitions
purporting to be of voters. Nearly 49,
600 voters had interest enough in the
question to approach the council on the
subject and express their wishes.
The council very properly deemed
the question deserving of attention but,
owing to the nearly equal division of the
petitioners, and to the inaccurate way of
getting at public sentiment by petition,
they decided, and, as we said at the
time, very properly, to submit the
question to vote. But it appears we
were mistaken, for, take the city govern
ment as whole, mayor and council,
will do nothing to offend either side
That is to say, they will not only carry
water on both shoulders, but whisky
too. This is a modern version of the
aphorism of st. Paul "that he was all
things to all men," And thus is a
burning question left swinging, like
Mohammed's coffin, between earth and
heaven,