The San Francisco call., 1896-03-27
O. G. May Denounces the Cali
tornia Protective Associa.
tion Project.
WOULD KILL LOCAL OPTION.
He Says There Is But One Way to
Get the Liquor Traffic Problem
Out of Politics.

To the Editor of the San Francisco Call
DEAR SIR: 1 was quite interested in an
article in recent issue of The CALL re-
garding the purpose and policy of the
California Protective Association. As
1.-THE CALL speaks for al" presume that
it will be glad to voice the other side of the
question also.
It's president, J. P. Edoff, tries hard to
make the California Protective Association
appear as innocent and benevolent as
spring lamb, but some of your readers re-
gard it as the most brazen and ravenous
wolf that has ever been turned loose upon
the public.
Mr.. Edoff claims that the object of the
association is to secure general censor
ship of the liquor traffic, then get the
entire whisky problem out of politics, ele-
vate the traffic, secure high grade OF men
for their retail business and increase the
State revenue two or three million dollars,
besides other benefits too numerous to
mention. Now, let us see how Mr.. Edoif
& Co. propose to accomplish all this and
just what it all means.
1t is we'll known that under the local op-
ton laws of California certain localities
have presumed TO throw off the domlna-
tion of the liquor traffic and to abolish sa-
looms. Other localities have placed burden
some license fee and other restrictions on sa,
looms which have reduced their number and
embarrassed the business. This state of affairs
has been quite unpleasant to the wholesale
trade, and so it deyises plan TO 'rectlfy'
matters.
The substance of their dclectable scheme is
simply this: To mass ell the whisky forces
wholesale and retail) of the State and CEN
tralize them in single committee. Ihen Sc
intJr fatn loxr ,nt1 limo aC
the State to issue licenses 10 saloons. This
would do away with local option entirely and
not allow the local authorities any voice what
ever in the granting of licenses IN their own
districts even.
This is the gst of the present movement by
the LIQUOR traffic, and is but one of the many
ways by which business that by common con-
sent is the deadliest foe of humanity seeks to
fasten itself, like the viper that it is, On long
suffering public.
ssGetting the entire whisky problem out of
politics, "elevating the traffic." increasing
the revenue, etc., are all mere chan ana
blind to cover up the real intent of the c. T. A.
What they actually want is to bind the op-
posers OF the saloons, hand and foot, by State
license law, stick saloon down i'll every
county, next to everybody's door and snap
their fingers in the lace OF the public with
Boss Tweed's taunt, "What are you going to do
about it? That's their game precisely, and
any one who takes the pains to look into the,r
history, or even into the article in Wednes-
days CALL can see it plainly enough.
sincerity. He says the object OF {. Z. A. is,
first to get the entire whisky problem out OF
politics. and then admits the ASSOCIATION is IN
politics, working the legislature the Cover
nor and the Supervisors of the whole State,
besides everything and everybody that can IN
any way be worked to secure law that will
crush all opposition and firmly establish their
saloons III every part of the State.
That is, they go into politics TO get out OF
politics.
Besides this. it is notorious that the liquor
frotf tfnt t,o inr, han and III
gantic and unscrupulous corrupter OF politics
that this round world has ever seen, not even
excepting the Southern Pacific Octopus; and
yet. Mr.. E. has the cheek to tell us that all
members of his association are absolutely pro-
hibited, under penalty OF a $500 fine, or ex-
pulsion, from engaging in politics In any way
The second object OF the Z. I. A. Is to "ele-
vate the traffic"
That it has need of eleva,ing even Mr.. E.
tacitly confesses, for it is the most debasing,
destructive and fiendish OF any business on
earth. But how does Mr.. Z. propose to ''ele-
yate' it? Simply by taking the last yestige
of control of the traffic away from the temper
ance people and placing 1t In the hands OF the
whisaey men themselves.
That is the way Coils Pelican and the South
ern Pacific want TO fix up their railroad bus-
ness. and the way Jay Gould and Rockefeller
this difference-that the greed of the liquor
traffic is thousand times worse than that OF
all the three others combined.
C. Pelican is said to have expressed his
patriotism and benevo,ence In this little epi-
gram: - l am perfectly satisfied if my actions
meet the approval of one man, and that one
man is Collls Huntington" Likewise Van
derbilt in this: s'The public be d-d!" 1t
will require rare genius to as fifty frame as
truthful an expression of the patriotism and
benevolence of the gang engaged in the liquor
traffic. A combination OF the two given above
would make good starter toward it.
Another OF Mr.. E.'s ways of .'elevating
the traffic" is by keeping out of the saloon
business "those who do not bear q thoroughly
p MI a N - m n w
they intend to carry on their business
The impression generally prevails. however,
that the saloons are the favorite haunts of the
buns, thieves, gamblers, adulterers and crimi-
nails generally Mr.. E. knows very well that
no person os thoroughly good reputation"
will associate with that class of people, much
less become the presiding demon OF the hell
holes where they are manufactured and har-
bored
Again, the unselfsh and patriotic assist
ance OF the C. P. A. is offered with
touching generosity to all the local authori-
ties of the entire State to help them
root out ali the saloon-keepers, "whose past
to license privileges" If the proposed effort
should prove fairly successful it would clean
out large majority OF the saloon-keepers and
cripple the c. P. AS wholesale trade. They
all know that just as well as they know that
they are alive.
In fact, there is no other business that has to
be so closely watched and hedged in by the
most rigorous laws and severe penalties as the
liquor traffic, and yet every now and then en-
tire liquor plants are confiscated by the United
States Government on account of their rascali-
ties Many claim that the traffic is based on
disbonesty-that there is no value returned for
the millions paid over the bars of the saloons
that what is sold is damage to the buyer and
to the community of which he is member.
Again, Mr.. E. is greatly astounded by the
refusal of the Senate Judiciary Committee to
indorse his brilliant little scheme for reform
and revenue. Perhaps the committee yielded
to their honest conviction that the industry,
intelligence. morality and general welfare of
their constituents would not be improved by
the enlargement of the drunkard and criminal
making business, represented by Mr.. E., and
therefore decline to prostitute themselves and
their high Office to the traitorous work of
giving aid and comfort to the most dangerous
enemy of the commonwealth.
1t may be that Mr. E. & Co. will consider
these views as too extreme and treat them
with contempt. In that case refer them to
similar expressions by others, for whom 1t is
to be hoped they have some respect.
If they are willing to see their business as
others see it, let them read few OF the ex-
pressions of the Supreme Court of the United
States on the subject. / will give only one,
which is of especial interest to Californians as
it was written by Stephen ]. Field, California
Judge, Democrat, and by no means prohi-
bition fanatic. The case also was Californian
being that of Henry Christensen of San Fran,