The record-union., 1892-05-16
: GATEWAY" COUNTY AFFAIRS.
Questions Now Agitating the People
of Placer County.
A Vigorous Attempt Being Made to
Destroy the Liquor Trade
New Courthouse Needed.

EDS. RECORD UNION: The no-license
and new Courthouse questions give
promise of exciting times in the "Gate-
way" county for a little over two months,
when the matter will be settled at spe-
cial election by vote of the people
The no-license problem is strongly sup
ported by an apparently large number of
able and earnest advocates, who sincerely
feel it a duty imposed on them to attempt
the suppression of the retail liquor traffic,
which they maintain is the greatest of all
evils with which morality and religion
has to contend.
On the other hand, the saloon keepers
and -prohibitionists seem to be quite
as numerous, and equally determined
that the business, however Objectionable
to temperance advocates, shall not be
abolished by any Act of prohibitory law,
and IN support of this resolution they
have the influence OF two of our city
papers.
The anti-no-license men held conven-
ton last Tuesday, which was represented
by delegates from every township in
Placer County. AS it is quite unusual
for liquor dealers to make public demon
stratIon in vindicatiou of their rights,
append the following resolutions adopted
by the convention which may be inter
estlng 10 many Of your readers:
WHEREAS, We, free Americans believing in
the greatest amount OF individual liberty con
slstent with good order and the interests OF all
the people, and opposed in principIe to alt
sumptuary or coercIye or fanaticaI legis station,
do hereby declare:
Flrst-That the proposal to vote away the
right OF license to conduct certain business III
Placer County would not only be interfering
with individual rights TO u degree that would
a. Il.
ency, contrary 20 the spirit or free institutions
but Wouid be harmful to the property interests
Of the county.
SecOnd--The very agitation of the question
has carried feeling of uncertainty as to the
future and created dearth in improvements
ana It's contamination would cause a business
soon recover.
Third-Ihe nO-licensing of the liquor bust
ness IL Placer County and the proposed de-
struction OF our WINE industry, so important a
factor IN CALIFORNIA; pros perity, would not. in
our Union, reduce the consumption of spirit
uouS liquors as beverage among our people,
but IN driving them hence to obtain supplies
OF IlqUors they would buy their other supplies
IN other places as natural consequence.
Fourtn-Placer is to-day live ana prosper
Gus county, stands we'll Tor sobriety, progress
ana business energy among its sister counties
OF the State and IN the opinion of people
abroad, and as citizens and taxpayers we de-
nounce all tanaticai moves of an experimental
character, and believe in letting well enough
alone
One member suggested the propriety of
excluding all reporters untriendly to
their cause, and another that they boycott
all dealers not in sympathy with them;
but this, however, was not the sentiment
OF the convention.
The two papers mentioned would favor
high license, but are decidedly opposed
to any and all measures compelling per-
sons to give up their business because it
is not in accord with the senti-
mentS OF that portion of commu-
mites bitterly opposed to the
traffic. Should the temperance people,
who are making strenuous efforts, sue
coed on the day Of election, the wholesale
liquor merchants Of Sacramento and San
Francisco will lose a good many custom
ers, it being estimated that about $500, 900
is expended annually here for liquors.
which, as writer puts it, would build a
Courthouse far exceeding our expecta-
lions without bonding the county.
The prospects for building new Court
house are quite encouraging. The Col
fax and Lincoln papers are the only ones
that oppose the project, but it is not be-
ieved that they reflect the sentiment of the
majority Of voters in those localities The
public mind is much better enlightened
on the absolute necessity of this great
want for the security of titles and records
of the county than they were when the
proposition was submitted to vote of
the people few years ago. Besides, the
county is richer, more prosperous and
able 10 bear the slight increase of taxa
ton that the cost OF the contemplated
structure would impose. The shabby
old shell of a building now occupied is
not only a disgrace to a flourishing
county like this, but UNFIT for the holding
of courts, or for the safety of public
records. In short, it is entirely made
quate for the rapidly increasing bust
ness of the county. n. S. T.
Auburn, May 18th.