Amador ledger., 1903-02-20
0hinn's Music Hall.

There was a little breeze Friday
night about Chinn's amusement hall.
Since starting the show business in
connection with his saloon, the place
has drawn the crowd nightly, and busi-
ness has been rushing. No charge is
made for admission, and minors under
q years have not been permitted to
enter. As far as we can learn the per-
formance is nothing out of the ordinary
run OF vaudeville shows. 1t sprung
from an effort to capture business by
combining business with pleasure. The
show is given to attract the crowd, and
wherever a crowd gathers there is
bound to be an accession of business in
the saloon line. This is we'll under
stood. No one entering the place is
compelled to drink, but the visitors do
so more or less, We can see nothing
more immoral in drinking in place of
amusement, than drinking in an ordi-
nary saloon. The habit of indulging
in strong drink is as demOraliziug in
the one place as in the other. One or
two women artists have appeared on
the stage in this amusement resort. OF
course, this move is always prompted
by business motives. knowing that the
appearance of female performers will
act as an additional attraction to the
crowd. 1t is no use Disgusting or
ignoring the fact that as rule people
will go where there is something to see
and hear. Now some of our sOlons
looked up the ordinances of Amador
county on this proposition. The penal
ordinances, it may be remarked, for all
practical purposes, might just as we'll
have never been passed. If there ever
has been serious effort made to en-
force them we have not heard of it.
Among these ordinances, the following
provision occurs:
[SectiOn 4. 1t shall be unlawful with
in the corporate limits of the county
of Amador, for any person or persons
owning or having charge or control of
any saloon, bar, bar-room, dram-shop,
tippling- house, drinking cellar or any
place where malt, vinous, spirituOus or
Intoxicating liquors of any kind are
sold and used in less quantities than
one quart to suffer or permit any female
not proprietor of such place or the
wife or daughter of the proprietor, to
be or remain in such saloon, bar-room,
bar, dram-shop, tippling house, drink
ing cellar, or in any place where malt,
vinous, spirituous or Intoxicating
liquors of any kind are sold and used in
less quantities than one quart. A
building or place within the meaning
of this section shall include the room in
which such liquor is sold or used as
aforesaid or any room separated there
from by partition or partitions, or
any room or building connected there
with in any manner; and shall be
deemed a misdemeauor
The discovery of this clause caused
our cotemporary to call upon the Of
ficers to suppress this so-called ''den of
vice." 1t was running in defiance of law,
and the officers were not doing their
duty in permitting it to run, and all
this sort of stuff. OF course, the idea
that was covertly conveyed was that if
political conditions were different, such
a state of affairs would not be allowed
to exist. The Ledger is not the apollo
gist much less the advocate of nything
degrading or demoralizing. We stand
for the enforcement of law, but not for
such an absurd exercise of the law
making power as the above. There
was state law some years ago of
similar import. 1t prohibited the ap-
pearance of women on the stage where
bar was kept in connection Herewith.
This law was repealed years ago, for
the reason that it was declared uncon-
stitutional by the supreme court. A
woman cannot be debarred from pur-