The record-union., 1891-05-15
Is SACRAMENTO UNDER MORT
GAGE AND SHALL IT BE FORE
CLOSEDS

A proposed ordinance has been intro
duced in the Board of Trustees of this
city for the readjustment of the liquor
license system. 1t proposes graded scale
of license rates, according to the amount
of gross sales, beginning with $50 a
quarter license for places selling $500
worth of liquors gross, and advancing
by $500 steps Of gross sales.
Such an ordinance would be ineffective
and damaging. We do not impugn the
motive that prompted its introduction,
but its author fails TO comprehend the
need Of this city. In the first place, the
law would lack vitality, and would, if
passed, be still-born, because it provides
no method for the ascertainment of the
amount of gross sales, and would thus be
parallel with law prohibiting an act
but providing no penalty for its viola
ton.
Assuming, however, that this defect
may be remedied by provision requir-
ing oath TO be made to a statement of
sales, the ordinance would be valueless.
Secondly, because it puts least burden
upon the worst places, and the heaviest
upon the least Objectionable. 1t would,
therefore, defeat the very end aimed at,
the repression of the dives and low re-
sorts, in which the sale of vile liquors is
the smallest means of revenue to the pro-
prietors.
what we want in Sacramento is regu-
lative measures that, coupled with uni
form license tax for revenue to meet, in
part, the costs of government the traffic
imposes, will also discriminate against The
places that are most dangerous to public
peace and order. This discrimination is
regulative, and is based upon the police
powers with which organized communi-
ties are invested by the Constitution, and
which have been affirmed by the Su-
preme Court of the State and the Supreme
Court of the United States.
The least law we have the better, con-
sistent with absolute need to restrain the
vicious and punish offenders against
community rights and interests. A
graded license system, as is proposed,
will operate not TO restrain the vicious,
but TO punish those who, in the absence
Of prohibition-which is impracticable,
and not asked for-are not the parties
aimed at.
What we want in Sacramento is a uni
form license rate, which will return reve-
nue. in such amount as will meet, at least
in part, the costs liquor imposes, and
will lessen the number of doggeries by
reason OF inability to proftably conduct
them. We already have a regulative or
dinance, which we publish elsewhere
this morning. 1t is ample, strong, within
the constitutional power of the munich
pality, and, if coupled with reasonably
high tariff (which $40 a month is noo
viii effect all that is claimed-not
that it will decrease drinking: not
that it will fashion mems passions:
not that it will modify appetite; not that
moral precepts into the heart; but that it
Will close some trap-doors, that those who
stumble may not fall in; that it will
break up the resorts of thieves, thugs,
low characters and loafers, and force
them to more congenial haunts; that it
will lessen the open invitations to youth,
and render police protection less diff
cult; that it will put into the treasury
money sufficient to greatly lessen taxa
ton, and thus reduce the i'll under which
the sober and industrious labor; that is,
that each and every one of them have now
to contribute to the support of non-pro-
ducing, thieving, loafing, dive-visiting
human being.
The simple understandable matter be-
fore this people is this: We have an un-
due proportion Of saloons In this city. In
Iowa there is one saloon to each $50 peo-
pie. In Kansas one to each S00 In
Pennsylvania one TO 400. In New York
one to $50. In Ohio one to 230 In Cali
fornia one to every lis. In Sacramento
one to every 81. Or, to state it otherwise,
in Sacramento, placing our vote at 500,
we have one drinking place for every Is
voters, and if we assume that of every Is
voters ona-third do not drink at saloons.