Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-19

at aii? Cannot we stand prosperity
i Cannot we leave well enough alone?.
] The Express by its own count shows
that the business districts are more
than two to one opposed to any change.
The Merchants and Manufacturers
association has placed itself squarely
on record as being Overwhelmingly IN
favor OF no change. The Express
should aid and assist the merchants,
who are its financial support, and who
are so firm in their opinions on the
subject. Seventy-five to ninety per cent
of the taxable property is represented
by the mercantile interests of Los An
geles. and the Express ought to be
content with the opinion of the mer-
chants who have spent millions in adj
vertising and building UP Los Angeles,
and whose opinion will carry more
weight with the well-wishers of our city
than the man who wrote last nights
editorial for it in hopes that the Ex-
press might be able to cry "victory"
! regardless of its consequences to the
mercantile community.
Bankers, representing fifteen or more
million dollars of depositors, give 1t as
their opinion that it will hurt Los An
geles. and yet we have the Express to
the contrary Does the Express think
it right and just to take away from the
owners of the saloons their property
without compensation? If an attempt
were made to take the Express, or
any property, as Is proposed by the
ordinance, to legislate saloons out OF
existence and destroy thousands of
dollars worth of property without ade-
quate compensation would not the EX-
press squeal loud and long? Does the
Express think this equity, and would
the Express and the men who are
clamoring so loudly for the saloon mans
blood go down into their jeans and put
up one cent to defray the cost Of restl-
tuition to them? No. 1 do not think they
would.
Be fair, be square. If the majority
of the people of this town think that
the saloons should go, then let COM
mission be appointed to assess the dam
ages and give each saloonkeeper his
due. They are lawfully exercising
business, and l would not think any
honorable man would destroy that bust
ness willfully and illegally. Justice and
equity above all things.
The Express says: The money spent
for drink does not go into the banks.
The money earned by the individual
producer, and that is not spent for
drink does find its way into banks
either through deposits by the individ-
ual or by the merchants. This money
helps to make the money market
| easier and in turn helps increase
realty values. This is a plain state
ment Of general conditions, and the
| Express challenges any one to prove
| the contrary"
Well, let's see. 1 presume the saloon
keeper is forbidden to put his money
in the bank; has he to throw it into
the ocean? Is not that a queer state
raent for an editor to make? The sa-
loon keeper deposits his money in
banks the same as any man engaged in
business does. Now If we were de-
pendent on the amount of money spent
tor drink in this town to help make
the money market "easier," we would
have the tightest market in the world
New York with its thousand of saloons
is loaning money at 8 12 per cent
| i,,.f nd a
editor will come to my office I will
show him letters from bankers in New
York, Chicago and st. Louis, offering
cur firm money at that rate. 1t is very
feeble finance" to state that the few
dollars spent in saloons for intoxi-
cants would make the money market
| easier.
What makes the money market "eas-
| Ter" in Los Angeles is the outside
money brought here by tourists and
borrowed By banks, merchants and
capitalists from eastern or north
ern banks, and disbursed in Los
Angeles. Every one know that Los
Angeles was not and is not being
developed by local capital. But ad-
| mitting for the sake or argument
there were then no saloons here, this
money spent for drink would go to the
drug stores clubs and restaurants, and
would find it's way to banks just as it
now does through saloons, so that ar
gument is exploded at a glance.
Is anything gained by closing up
the saloons? No, you simply transfer
drinking from the saloon to the res
taurant or the club. Is the saloon any
worse than the club? No, the only diff
ference between the two is the char
acter of the patrons. Both sell liquor,
and if anything the saloon is better
than the club, because the drinker
stands at the bar, takes his drink, pays
for it and departs. AT the club the
steward brings a glass and a bottle
and leaves. The club man has all aft