The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-06-12

lict in his duties and with referen-
dunn on every ordinance passed by
the council, including the sale of
franchises, Los Angeles has the ma
chinery for obtaining popular gov
ernment, probably unexcelled by any
other city in the Union.
That for two years no effort has
been made to use the initiative clause
augurs that the charter provisions
have caused the legislative body to
heed popular will, especially as the
recall of one councilman showed that
the voters understood the weapons
of defense that they possessed.
The no saloon" ordinance was
presented on the petition of 5000
voters. The fight was waged by the
Anti-Saloon league under the direc-
ton of Superintendent Chapman The
liquor legislation already in force
was unusual. 1t might be considered
restrictive in most cities. 1t pro-
videS for limit of 200 saloons with
a district in the business center. No
saloon can be placed in the residence
sections. In addition, under the po-
lice commission, permits are issued
for Wholesale houses and restaurants.
The privileges of the restaurants are
restricted to the sale of wine and
beer by the bottle with hot meals.
The saloon are closed on Sunday and
at l a. m. week days.
The ordinance which was presented
to the voters proposed to abolish the
saloon. Existing conditions in regard
to restaurants and wholesalers were
to be undisturbed. This exception
probably hurt the crusade more than
any other one influence for the argu~
ment was broadly used that to abol-
ish the saloon and permit the restau-
rants to operate would not remove
the evils of incompetence, but simply
change the methods of distribution.
The saloonman, it was asserted, was
to be made a sacrifice for the inter-
ests of the restaurants.
Los Angeles has reputation.
proven by it's building statistics, of
being the most rapidly growing city
of the country. Its population is
cosmopolitan, made up of men from
every state and every country. Two
decades of life in the city are count
ed an age. and those who have been
here for that period are regarded
as pioneers and patriarchs. 1t was
to a population of 100000 made up
in this manner of citizens of short
term residence, that the ordinance
was presented. The prominent COM
mrccial bodies condemned the ordi-
nance as a prohibitory measure cal
culated to stem the tide of prosper.
ity. The libcralists condemned it as
an invasion Of right Others objected
to the half way" measures.
The contest at its finish, however
settled down to straight question
of wet" or dry" and it was upon
this basis that the vote was cast.
Against the ordinance was "A cam
paign of trained politicians. The
liquor interests raised fund of $780,
GOO for dcfenses. Allied with the or,
ganization was every ward heller.
roundsman and politician of both
parties. Their work was quiet Not
public meeting was held. The only
literature distributed was that of a
commercial organization condemning
the movement.
On the dry" side there was a
heated campaign OF a month, with
public meetings nightly, with every
minister of the city. except the Cath
Ollie priests, who condemned the
movement. and Francis Murphy, the
noted temperance reformer. who de-
clared at the outset that the saloon
to close Is between the nose and the