The record-union., 1891-06-09
Wants All saloons Closed.

OF good faith.-EDs.l
Wants All Saloons Closed.
"'Come on, boys, and take drink be-
fore they raise the pricer shouted Mr..
Bates. ."-RECoRD- UNION.
Such was the cry of one of our digni-
fed county ''Solons,' so like Roman
Senator. at the close Of long debate as
to the price that should be charged
wealthy saloon-keepers for the privilege
of training our fair, pure-minded youth
to follow in the footsteps of those who
daily commit crimes in this city or are
filling drunkards' graves.
'There was one wild rush, and the hall
was deserted. ."-RECoRD-UNIo
What volumes this speaks of the wis
dom and dignity of the men who guard
the morals of our county. Do our bows
need the lesson higher license will teach
them to lead them to shun the dive and
seek the music and glitter of the gilded
saloon that will just as surely land them
in the dive at last? It is only when our
boys become too degraded to be allowed
the open sesame" to the gilded saloon
that they are willing to seek the dive 1t
is such pity that each of our guardians
Of morals has not half dozen growing
boys, that this question of elegant saloons
that can afford to pay heavy license might
come home to them with full force
The highest figure named by Super
visor Greer was far too low price to put
on the training he is willing TO give our
boys on the street.
How can any city or county be willing
to enrich itself with a paltry sum Of
blood-money? If liquor-selling breeds
crime, as Mr.. Greer says, how can he Ii
cense wrong at any price? He sums up
in his resolution" as follows: "Crime is
being daily committed, and the peace,
happiness and prosperity of our COM
munity are being threatened with the
dire consequences that flow from the sale
of intoxicating liquors, and our jails,
hospitals and prisons are being taxed to
their utmost capacity, and thereby an
enormous expense is entailed on the tax.
payers of this county, and drunkenness
and crime run riot in our fair city and
county,"
And yet the price fixed for the privilege
of filling our prisons, hospitals and asy-
lums, not quite so full another year, was
$50 per quarter.
What impression must this trifing
with the acknowledged monster of in
temperance, that threatens to ruin our
youth and the business and prosperity of
our city, make upon people from abroad
who are seeking California home?
Small wonder they pass us by and seek
homes where there are few or no saloons.
Small wonder our census returns disgust
US and our school boards want the school
children counted again. Too many men
in Sacramento help TO clothe liquor deal
ers' families to be able to clothe and keep
their own in school. There are children
working out who would to-day be in
their class at school but for the drunken
habits of the father. There are 300 less
children, but the 300 saloonkeepers are in
their places. 1t is greater wonder that
more decent people do not leave city
where in walking two blocks eight places
are counted where liquor can be bought.
How can children profit by home train
ing, properly, when on every block of
our city they have the constant example
of men and youth entering the saloon?
How can our boys become sterling busi-
ness men SO long as the custom prevails
that not the smallest bargain can be
closed without the invitation given to
pour liquor down the throat? Our bows
are quick to learn, and they soon con-
clude that they cannot prosper in busi-
ness unless they treat-and the saloons
are so handy.
Why will not our City Fathers awake
to the awful responsibility thrust upon
them, and in their God-giYen opportunity
cut off the head of the monster instead of
IL.
city and county officials join hands and
impose SO immense a price, as has been
done in other cities, on the sale of liquors
as to close every saloon, and let men who
must drink ship their liquor to their own
doors and thus prohibit entirely the sale.
Then, when proper sewerage prevails,
and our river dredgings have been placed
on our levees, Eastern settlers will rush
more largely to our beautiful city than
they now do to Pasadena or Riverside,
since every inducement can be offered as
thriving business and shipping center
and the names of our City Fathers who
bring about this result will fill an enyiable
place in the annals of the fair city they
may now make or mar. NJ. L. I.
n Backwoods Belle" Criticised.
EDS. RECORD UNION: May an East
erner take up her pen in defense of her
countrymen, in answer TO "a. r. LIS"
uncharitable remarks in Saturdays REC
oRD-UNIoN, and repeat the question las
on a former occasion, when her article
was consigned to the waste basket why
single out few unreasonable persons
and judge the whole East by them?
Who can blame the class of Fasteners
''Backwoods Belle'' has been so un-
fortunate as to meet? Poor farmers. per-
haps, allured by the gorgeous ''California
on Wheels they become infatuated; /;
they sunder their dearest ties, sacrifice
their land and come to the golden coun-
try, where it takes more than their little
means to succeed. Why even speak
slightingly of our President, an invited
guest, calling him ''figure-head"?
am sorry one of my own sex shows
so little sympathy for the poor, deluded
Lasterner, who, probably suffering from
that terrible disease homesickness,n - per-
haps too poor to return whence he came,
allows himself to speak disparagingly of
a country that, under more favorable cir
cumstances. would soon become as dear
to him as his far-away home.
Even Gods called ministers do not es-
cape "a. Il. L.'s'' criticisms. Can it be
gentle woman who writes thus? 1t
would be just as wrong for the writer of
these lines to cry out against all of Sacra-
mento because one from her own city was
assaulted in her streets, as for ga. r. L."
to speak as she does about her guest
as she terms the ungrateful "Easterner.u
Mrs. l.. ID. COLLINS.
Sacramento, June 6, 1891.
Concerts In Capitol Park.