The record-union., 1891-09-26
TEMPERANCE TALK.
Address Delivered Before an Elk Grove
AssembIage.
A Citizen Very Freely Discusses the
Supervisors, Liquor-License Or
dinance and County Politics.


Grove few evenings since to discuss
temperance matters generally and also
the recent action of the Supervisors in
modifying the new hquor-icense ordi-
nance. A correspondent sends the fol-
lowing report of one of the addresses
with an earnest request of number of
citizens of that place for its publication.
The speaker said:
mr.. Chairman. Friends and NeighborS:
We are gathered here this evening in the
cause of temperance, this being, IN tact, a
temperance meeting, the object OF thls
needing, according to our understanding,
being two-fold-hrst, to devise some
means by which the liquor traffic in this
county can be controlled; second, in what
manner such measures can be carried
ont. First. let us define the word tenn
perance. Webster tells us it means
moderate indulgence OF the appetltes,
and we are quite willing to accept his
definition literally
Now. to begin with, let us all stick to
orr name selected, ELK Grove Citizens
Temperance Society,"; prohibitionists
Give up their hobby, and all be satisfied
to work for something attainable; so that
in the near future we can have ia Saera-
mento county, as Webster says, "Moder-
ate indulgence of the appetites,' - instead
disgustingly common in the present day.
Eight years ago the Legislature passed
a county government bill, which gave to
the Board of Supervisors (the law-mak-
ing power of this county, the right to.
-revufate the ffqrfor traffic,- according 70
their ideas of right and wrong, compell-
ing the saloon men to pay
THEIR JUST PROPORTION OF TAXES.
And ever since that bill was passed the
x,FC Of
considered fair and right that $50 a year
was all the tax saloon man should pay,
little or no more than a grocery man,
pays by his side, for the privilege of sell
ing the necessaries Of life. The bill was
tested in the courts and found constitu-
tional, and after all tins time, under the
immense pressure brought to bear upon
the Supervisors, they have put the tax at
the paitry sum of $50 per quarter, or Sl20
per year.
Is that tax enough to pay the expenses
of the criminals each saloon man manu-
tactures? No: you all know it is not;
then the saloon men do not pay their just
proportion Of the taxes, and the Super
visOrs are obviously unfair, illegally
working against all other trades and oc-
cupationS, compelling the merchant, me-
chanic and farmer to pay saloon mems in
bebtedness. How can they be censured
enough for repeating the very backbone
OF their ordinance, that part which would
have given the people the privilege of
saying how many saloons should exist in
their midst; that part, that, Of the seven
saloons within one mile Of US would have
closed all but one, instead of, as now,
closing only one, the other six continu-
ing their nefarious work. The Super
visor from this precinct said: after a
fair trial, l find the petition clause works
4 hardship on the saloon men,"
FAIR TRIAL, INDEED.
Eight weeks, and who says it did not
work hardship on the saloon men. We
wanted il to work a hardship upon them:
we wanted it to be so hard upon them as
TO drive them out of their degrading bust
ness. just as they have driven thousands
out of business and homes every year.
Hardship, indeed Where does the hard
ship exist? Do you find it in the homes
OF saloon men? Do they cause hardship
in the homes of other men? Look around
you, the questions are easily answered.
And again, How many saloon men en-
deavored to comply with this ordinance?
Few indeed. Instead of proving them
selves ''highly respectable, wabiding
American citizens,' - they banded together
10 contest that law, and in open defiance
went on with their illegal traffic, know
ing full well that little time (if nothing
more was required) would fix matters
all right for them with this board. So
much for brief resume of the present
condition of affairs.
ALL REFORMS WORK SLOWLY,
But that they do work when the right
movements are made no one Will doubt.
when they have glanced for moment at
the history of several of our sister States,
where the sale of intoxicating liquors is
almost unknown, and nearer home, at
beautiful Pasadena, a town of 10000 in
habitants; of Riverside, where local op-
ton had its effect, and the residents of
those fair towns decided they would have
no person in their midst engaged in the
soul-destroying liquor traffic.
And still nearer home, in Sutter
County, where high license prevails, a
license OF $500 per year tinstead of Sl20),
and not one salOon-keeper is left in the
county to pour his tale Of woe and hard
ship into the sympathiZing ear of a Su-
pervisor. Perhaps they were all driven
into this county: we do not know; the
saloon-keepers we mean, not the Sutter
Supervisors. Oh, no! we have no such
men as those in this county.
We presume that the desirable condi-
lions now existing in the various places
mentioned, has suggested to many minds
by what means such conditions can be
attained, even here in far-famed Sacra-
mento County.
TT LIES ENTIRELY WITH THE VOTERS
OF this county TO remedy this bad con-
dition of affairs; and when this state OF
society can go on from bad TO worse. wear
after year, as il has in this county.
10 proves conclusively that the moral
status of the majority of our voters is in
a very low condition, and it behooves the
earnest, thinking voters to cultivate the
public mind and morals to a higher
plane, to a more enlightened state, and
we think that much can be accomplished