Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-06
ANTI-SALOON MOVEMENT
AND ITS SUPPORTERS
Herald Reader Asks q Number OF
Questions and Receives
The Answers


LOS ANGELES, May 5.-Editor
Herald)-As a reader Of The Herald
am thoroughly aware that you are em-
phatically in favor Of the saloons, but
cannot understand some of your rea-
sons and assertions.
DO you really believe the statement
i'm your editorial of April %, that "the
chief promoters Of the anti-saloon
movement are not Los Angeles citi-
zens but professional reformers, So
called. from other sections of the coun-
try? Also that "the success Of the
present crusade would work serious
injury to the commercial, industrial and
real estate property interests of the
city?
Please eucidate how the drinking
Of $2,125, 900 cost of beer, and as much
more for other liquors, each year In
Los Angeles is so essential to our
commercial, industrial and property
interests" aside from the interests of
200 saloon keepers, their bartenders,
the brewers and the owners of prop
erty leased for saloons. Are beer and
whisky necessary like meat and bread
to sustain life?
Why are not the property interests
of Pasadena and Long Beach injured
by the persistence of the people of
those places in keeping out saloons?
1t is to be expected, as a business
proposition, that those who are maxi
ing millions every year from the liquor
business will spend money literally
and every possible effort to continue
the business, but you surely must adj
NIT that the "reformers" who are
giving time and money to this anti
saloon movement are earnest and sill
cere and not all professional cranks,"
as they cannot expect any pecuniary
benefits from voting out the saloons.
The writer believes that the univer-
sal American treating habit is an evil
that causes more young men to be-
come habitual drinkers, or drunkards,
than any other feature of the use of
intoxicants, and that the retailing of
liquor by saloons is the one effective
means for promoting that habit. For
that reason / would like to see the re-
tail liquor business eliminated from
Los Angeles, even though a majority
of the business men find it such ne
cessity. A HERALD READER.
(This particular Herald reader"
like some others, is befogging the sit
uation because not fully conscious Of
what the issue is. 1t Is not a choice
between whisky-drinking and no
whisky-drinking. If that were the
case, The Herald would declare itself
promptly in favor of no whisky-drink-
ing. The Herald considers saloons an
evil, and the abuse of liquor one of
the most serious questions. But The
Herald also believes, from the expert
ence of other communities, that pro-
hibition does not prohibit, and that a
well-regulated, high-license system for
saloons will result in less whisky
drinking than to wipe out the saloons
and leave whisky to be bought whole
sale and retail at blind pigs" in drug
stores and at restaurants. The Her
aid never said that all who support
the no-saloon crusade are professional
cranks' or agitators. On the con-
trary it knows that hundreds of good,
wholesome people believe in that move
ment. But The Herald did say that
these movements are usually originat-
ed by professional crusaders. The
Herald also said that system which
would tend to encourage "blind pigs"
and surreptitions whisky drinking
was demoralizing to industrial and So
cial order. Don't confuse the issue.
Don't befog your own mind. The
Herald has tried to make itself very
clear on this proposition and hopes it
will not be misunderstood by it's
friends.-EDITOR HERALD.)