The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-06-17
NUISANCE MEETING.
Large Turnout of Citizens on Satur-
day Night.
Appeal to the Grand Jury, Mayor
and Trustees for Definite
Action.


Hall Saturday under auspices OF COM
mittee of the Anti n uisance Association.
The hall was we'll filled. Prominent
among the on-lookers was Hon. d. M.
LaRue, Foreman Of the Grand Jury.
Z. J. Figg was called to the chair, with
II. II. Hummel Secretary. Mr.. Flgg on
calling to order presented and had read
as introducing the subject OF the evening
the following from the Grand Jury report
of April, 1894:
The Grand Jury invites the attention OF the
Board OF Trustees and the Police Commission
OF the city TO the condition OF that portion OF
the city between Fourth and Front streets on
L, ana recommends that some action be taken
to remove the disreputaoIe element rom TINS
street and TO confine IL 10 some portion OF the
town where visitors coming from the depot
or Third and J or X streets and visiting the
Art Gallery viii not be compelled to pass
through such a locality; and we respectfully
submit that IL Is due TO the large resident por-
ton OF our city south OF l. street TO nave TINS
condition changed; that as II at present exists
IL tends 10 Gepreciate all property values
south or l. street, and unnecessarily adVer-
tises the indecent element III our city, be-
sides rendering communication between the
southwest part OF the town and the business
streets, theaters and churches both dangerous
anu unnecessarily dlsagreeable.
The committee introduced 9. II. Dunn,
who spoke eloquently OF moral courage
and municipal vigor. He Analysed all the
law bearing on the L-street nuisance and
quoted decisions and the history or The
law and reached the conclusion that
reputation" OF a house is sufficient as
to its being q house OF prostitution TO
work its abatement under the statute;
that renting an 'apartmenP' or tenement
for the purposes of prostitution does not
require proof of d 'bawdy" house, SO
that rental to one person tor purposes OF
ffl.sfa n
esta bllsh the crime. He did not say there
was connivance of officials with violation
Of the law; he believed they would en-
force ii il backed by moral sentiment OF
the community.
II. w. Woods was introduced as the
next speaker and spoke at length, point
ing out how the ordinance is eYaded, the
great injury IL is TO mass the disreputable
people in central section. lie referred
al length 10 the prospects of sacramento,
to her singularly good situation, OF the
need for her coming 10 The front on all
things, and finally gave instances OF the
danger lower l. street IS TO children. AS
TO relocation that would adjust itself.
When the housewife puts screen IN the
window to keep out flies, she assumes
her neighbor will do the same, and thus
the tiles be driven TO a point where they
will not he an IN bearable nuisance.
Professor II. w. V. Raymond spoke in
the interests OF theArt Gallery, with which
he is related. He said he had been here
twelve years and loved Sacramento. Its
people had been friends and brothers TO
him and he loved them and the homes
and lie OF the city. His home WAS in
Berkeley and he spoke as QDllcuS cure.
AS such he viewed the nuisance as a men,
ace to the good name, morals and the COM
fort and convenience of the city. there
is no concealment about the nuisance; it
milf II a rain al n II is
cuss its effect on the city's property; that
was too clear. a nuisance Is a relative
thing. " hat is q nuisance here may not
he yonder-as glue factory for instance.
w hat the people have to DO with Is abate-
ment. He had no specific TO offer. a
doctor had said to him NV ould you
scatter fever sore?" and he replied ~ on
beg the whole question, doctor. We are
considering what treatment will render
il less offensive" He had authority for
saying the class of people in the l. street
quarter do not scatter. 1t is not the scat
tering kind. There is another class that
does not mass; they are scattered now IN
all cities. Determination on the part OF
officials he thought and of the people
would do the needed work. In San
Francisco on certain streets the police
said to one class Lights out; doors shut"
and it was done and remains SO. Here IN
Sacramento when Second street became
too raw the people set their teeth, officers
said the word, and the result was Second
street was vacated. When in the sacred
name of labor the city was menaced the
people rose up and in a single night the
industrial Army ceased to be IL Sacra-
mentO. Whether it was right he did not
say; it showed what can be done by the
people. 1t was amazing that six blocks
of Iawless people can defy $4,000 other
people and maintain nuisance all con-
code to be such. He defended Sacra-
mento and compared il to Southern Call
ifornia' cities and declared all are, as a
rule tarred with the same stick; but our
methods are different and in this partic-
ular regard need correction. He called
especial attention to Section 647 of the
Penal Code and thought it pointed way
to go in the matter OF prosecuting
Migrants.
The Committee of Arrangements in
behalf of the association, through II. II.
Hummel. the Secretary. presented the fol-
lowing, and Mr.. Herrick moved that it
be adopted:
To His Honor, the Mayor, and to the Honor
able the city Board Of Trustees Of Sacramento:
Citizens OF sacramento, assembled IN meeting
in Pioneer Hail, Saturday, June 15th, respect
fully petition and represent TO you as follows:
l. That we recognize the right TO petition
the authorities TO be no greater than to have
such petition soberly and seriously consld-
cred.
g That changed and changing social, COM
merctal and physical conditions in Sacra-
mento demand, and wisdom and proprlety
advise, the removal OF the nuisance OF the
lower portion of l. street from Fourth street
west.
3. That we hold the same may be done
without impairment OF any human right or
visiting said nuisance upon any locality
where II Will be intolerabIe, as has been al
vised by the Grand Jury OF san Francisco in
similar situation.
i. That we hold that landlords who reap
the profit of the maintenance of such nul-
sance can and will remove the same, II the au-
thorities OF the city insist that II be done.
.. That for ourselves, our wives and our
chideu and for the guests who visit u.s. we
demand the right TO pass across L street on
Fourth Tulrd or Second without the otfense
OF the nuisance cOmpIalneu OF, ana WHIcn
consists not alone in The abandoned women
who ply their trace openly there, but IN the
passing and repassing bands of men and boys
up and down the street, the gathering OF
coarse characters and the foul language that
greets passers-by, all by reason OF such condl-
lions.
Of by your petitioners there are hundreds of
homes and the city's most valuable property,
that We, our wives and children have the
right 10 approach. without passing through
the nuisance complained of and which con-
stitutes a wall or barrier across our paths,
and is an offense not only to us, but a scandal
in the eyes OF all Visitors
= We res pectfu!Iy represent that all eXpe-
rience, the testimony OF the officials OF other
cites, and observation here and throughout
the United states establish the fact that the
class of people whose residence on lower IL
street constitutes the nuisance referred to 90
not scatter; that their thods demand liv-
ing together IN quarter, and that on re-
moval such as is here asked they do not scat
Ter throughout a town or city
s. Your petitioners respectfully represent
that Ordinance Il is not sufficient as en-
forced for the correction of the nuisance; that
il is easy OF evasion and does not in any re-
spect tend TO the remoYa. OF the nuisance
Wherefore. your petitioners, conscious OF
the Justice of their cause, and resolved TO i'll
sist upon their rights in the premises, most
respectfully pray that the Trustees viii pass
the necessary ordinances to secure the abata