The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-19
SUNDAY CLOSING.
Petition of the People of
Santa Clara.
OPPOSED BY LIQUOR MEN.
Spirited Argument Before the County
Board of Supervisors-No Decision
Has Yet Been Reached.


SAN JOSE. April 1S.-The contest over
tie Sunday closing of saloons throughout
the entire county of Santa Clara came to a
focus in this city to-day. The struggle be-
tween those who favor ard those who OPP
pose the proposed ordinance is a bitter one,
and is attracting intense public attention.
The lQuor-dealers have complained of the
present Sunday closing law on the ground
that it has drained SSH JOSS of the loose
change in the pockets of her bbulously in
cllned residents to the prott of rumsellers
in adjacent towns. The heavy liquor traffic
Of SUNDAY, they claimed. was diverted from
their saloons 10 the Groggeries just over the
line in Santa Clara and elsewhere.
To meet this objection and to diminish
Sunday drunkenness. resulting from pota-
tons obtained Just over the line" the up
holders Of Sunday closing to-day petitioned
tie Board Of Supervisors to make the Sun
day closing ordinance apply TO the entire
county. The large attendance of citizens
from san Jose. Los GatOs, Glroy, Saratoga,
Mayheid and elsewhere throughout the
county showed the widespread public in
terest in the question.
The Supervisors room proved inadequate
70 accommodate the crowd, and an adjourn
ment was soon taken to Judge Reynolds
courtroom, which was soon filed to over
flowing The saloon men were represented
by II. V. MorehOuse and Howell c. Moore.
The principal pleader for their opponents
was Henry French; they had no attorneys.
Among the interested spectators were: ].
A. Clayton, Professor c. W. Childs, w. S.
Trueman, Henry French A s. Evans,
Cyrus Jones, Robert Summers, E. J. Will
cox. I. 3. Lewis and Others.
The numerous petitions in favor Of Sun
day-ciosing contained 3100 names, " bile the
counter petition showed 26l4 signatures
The former list was composed of the best
class Of citizens, while the latter was made
up chiefly Of the names of keepers and fire.
querters Of saloons. Communications were
read indorsing the movement from the
County W. c. T. U. and the San Jose
Farmers Alliance.
Mr.. French. in the course of a forcible
speech in favor of Sunday closing, said 4:
The question before the board is not one
which is confined to this locality, but is
agitating the entire civilized world The
Sunday closing of saloons is in successful
operation in Ireland, Scotland. New
Zealand. in the civilized portion OF
China and in England during the hours
Of church service, and to-day a petition
4 u
ment making the same prayer that the peo-
pie of this country are making to the board
in this country ali but four States close
their soloons on Sunday. These States are
California. Nevada, Montana and Texas,
and IN two the DOW er Of closing them is
conferred on the county government"
Hearty Endorsements were read from
Rev. Father Kenna Of Santa Clara College,
Professor c. W. Childs and the faculty of
the STATE Normal School, and David Starr
Jordan and the faculty of the Stanford
University. Testimony of the success Of
the movement in San Jose was read from
Justice J. W. Gass AMI Chief Of Police de
Lacy also of the successful operation of a
similar ordinance in Los Angeles, from A.
I. Pomeroy. Mayor Schilling and others.
At the afternoon session, after a speech
by L. p. Kraft in favor of Sunday closing,
i. Y. Warehouse, attorney for the saloon
men, made an address in which he said that
the proposed ordinance should be submitted
. 10 a vote Of the people at an election, in
order to obtain a decisive express
sion Of the opinion of the whole
community. he produced figures taken
from police records, which he claimed proved
that there had been more arrests for drunk
enuess and disorder during the nine months
following the passage of the present Sun
day closing law than during the previous
nine months. He further argued that Sun
day closing injured business in general by
diminishing the circulation of money and
driving away trade.
The discussion was adjourned until Il
\. NJ. tomorrow. No conclusion was
reached.