The morning call., 1893-07-06
GATES OF DEATH.
The Ladies' Entrances to
the Saloons.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT AROUSED.
The Citizens League to Be Asked
to Aid in Accomplishing
Needed Reform.

Ladies' Entrance League is the expression
Of a feeling that has been growing 10 the
public mind Tor many long day. 1t was
held that the side entrance" and ladies
entrances" TO saloons and corner groceries
were the origin of much scandal and evil
living, crime and other terrible results
in San Francisco. London's gin palaces
produce no worse or more far reaching
effects.
William j. Gayigan gave expression to
prevalent feeling by suggesting and organ
izihg on Monday last the Anti-ladies' En-
trance League.
a CALL reporter asked Mr.. Gavigan
what were his reasons for starting the So
ciety.
well, he replied. my own obServa-
ton and experience pointed out the neceS-
sity of the step. For years l have noticed
the sad results on girls and WON en; have
heard of. time anu time again, stories of
how such and such girl was led to an evil
life, AMI had spoken to my friends, men
and omen both, OF the necessity OF &C
ton. but the time did not seem ripe, and
come such thing as the death of that poor
womaD, Mrs. Critics, was required. SO L
suggested to some ladies that they could
accomplish a great deal of good if they
would band together in little society so
that we could get this matter in a proper
way before the municipal authorities of
San Francisco. What's every ones busi-
ness is no ones business and it is only by
some such organization that the matter
could be brought to a head"
Gould you give me an example of the
evil effects of these side entrances?"
Yes" replied Mr.. Gavigan. "Y OH may
know that for ten years l practiced law in
this city and at present am engaged in the
study of medicine. One of my clients was
a young man of good position who brought
a suit of divorce against his wife. He
loved her, but for the sake Of his daughter
deemed the divorce necessary.
The ground of the suit was intemper-
anee. The divorce was granted. Within
the last two years and since L have been
student of medicine the little girl died. An
autopsy was held, at which l was present,
and cirThosiS of The liver was found 10 be
the cause of death. The mother at an early
age had cul tivated a taste Tor beer and
spirits and had for several years drunk
everything she could get. Before the
divorce the little girl was often sent by the
mother TO fetch beer from the saloons and
groceries and ON her way home Invariably
drank some of IL, which naturally lnf1amed
the inherited tendency. Do yon know how
prevalent cirrhoSiS OF the liver Is among
children? l don't think there is any ex-
aggeration in saying that fully 20 per cent
Of the deaths among children are attrlDu-
table to that cause"
isn't it true, too, that the liquor Itself
Is not always genuine?
when the subcommittee of the House
Judiciary Committee was investigating
the whisky trust some time was devoted
to watching the experiments by Veasey.
Listen to the statement" Mr.. Gavigan
read from e~newspa per clipping the TO-
lowing: Taking spirits worth 81 30
gallon and adding essential oils, essence
and c0lOrlng matter worth p cents, Yea
sey produced in a few minutes WHISTLES,
fum and gins such as sell In the market
for as high as 81, and declared that half of
the goods sold were adnlterated.' Ii the
liquor is pure" said Mr.. Gavigan. Its
effects on women and children would be
bad, bnt think of the effect of such stuff. :"
Can you give me any more lllustra-
tious?"
Certainly" replied Mr. Gavigan, don't
you remember last year reading the case
of the wife of an honest hard-work ing
man whose name was McFadden. The
woman was taken 10 the Southern police
station helplessly intoxicated while at
home ten minutes before her daughter
died. The mother bad often been arrested
for drunkenness, and on several occasions
the infant had been taken to prison in its
mothers arms. The husband was COM
PEELED TO secure the money, amounting 10
Sc. which was in his wlfe's possession
when she was arrested to help him meet
the expense of burying the child. Isn't it
time for the sake Of the workingman that
something should be done to do away with
these side entrances which make the get
ting of llQUOr so eaSV 1OT WOme0?
But what would the saloon-keepers
think about itY'
THE saloon-keepers." said Mr.. Gavigan.
would not object if general law against
out. The sal0oD-keepeTs know that their
position is an advantageous one in San
Francisco. Listen to what Archbishop
Riordan, in speech at the Grand Opera
house. said of the proportion of saloons
to inhabitants in this and other leading
cities: Boston has one saloon to every 773
inhabitants, Philadelphia one to every $685.
Minneapolis one to every 675 New Orleans
one to every 345, st. Paul one to every 1885,
New York one to every 1873, Detroit one to
every 203 Denver one to every 135, ClDcln-
natl one to every 14S, while San francisco
has one for every 96-that is to say, one for
every II TOtersi Certainly saloOn-keepers
cannot complain of lack of support. Be-
sides, see how long they are allowed to
keep open. Five years ago happened to
be IN New FORK. and one night went with
a friend into saloon. At l O'Clock the
doors were closed, and after that no one
was admitted, and on Sundays to this day
the same thing is done.
in New York the keepers pay a
license in advance for the whole year
of $1,000. Here in San Francisco for
the payment Of S21 a quarter in ad-
vance a man can start a saloon and
can keep it open night and day. From
years end to years end he need never
Shut 1t. Why, in Chicago even the saloons
are closed al O'clock, and in Seattle and
Tacoma the saloon-keepers have to pay
$1,000. and in one of these cities the saloon
must be in one of three streets. Just
what | am saying to you | said to-day in
the presence OF one of the leading saloon
men of the city. and he declared posi-
lively that he would like to see all the side
entrances closed up and an ordinance
passed which should be applied to all
alike; and i am sure that his sentiments
are the sentiments Of many other saloon
keepers"
What do you consider the worst effect
of these side entrances in making the get
ting of drink easy to wOmen?"
The family" said Dir. Gavgan, sis the
foundation of all our life; oni its continued
goodness and purity depends the stability
rfn nr nd hn hcl 10 world md