Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-24
THREATEN ACTION
AGAINST COUNCIL
MAY INVOKE REFERENDUM AND
RECALL
Prohibition Union Holds Mass Meeting
and Denounces City Legislators
for Increasing Number
of Saloons

VIII be invoked against saloon meas
ures and the Ascot park ordinance and
at least two members of the council.
Any city official who may support
legislation in the interest of the liquor
traffic will be in danger of punishment
through the provision for recall.
Fully three hundred women and men
met yesterday afternoon, and after
earnestly discussing the recent passage
of ordinances affecting the liquor traf-
fic and permitting gambling at Ascot
park adopted resolutions favorable to
taking action in conformity with the
provisions relating to the referendum
| and recall and appointed a committee
| of five to consider the advisability of
circulating the necessary petitions.
Councilmen Blanchard and Healy
the only members of the present coun-
Gil who were reelected and who voted
| for the passage of the ordinances in
| question, were named individually as
! two men who should be sent back to
| private life.
Delay in the Mails
Evidently the great increase in the
| Christmas postoffice business prevented
the various counclmen from receiving
| invitations to attend the meeting,
| which was held at Mammoth hall
under the auspices of the Prohibition
| Union of Los Angeles, as not a soli-
tary member of the council responded
when the chairman of the meeting.
| Rev. Reynold Blight. invited to the
| platform those members of the coun-
| Gil who had come in response to the
invitation sent by the union to appear
and explain why they voted in favor
of the ordinances.
"To each member of the council was
sent a copy of this letter. said Rev.
| Blight, reading:
my Dear Sir-The Los Angeles Pro-
hibition union will hold a mass meet
ing Sunday afternoon in Mammoth
hall, SIT South Broadway, to protest
against the action of the city council
on the liquor licenses, and the repeal
of the ordinance relating to bookmak-
ing in this city.
"As you are one of the members of
| the city council who voted to let down
| the bars for the gamblers and the
| liquor interests to do business in our
fair city, you are hereby invited to be
present at that meeting and give the
reason for this action of yours
1--WE believe that all these actions of
the city council relating to gambling,
increase of saloons, the lowering of the
quantities that can be legally sold by
| wholesale liquor dealers, and the re-
duction of required frontage necessary
to a petition for license in the block,
| are all vicious and reprehensible. How
ever, we do not desire to take any ac-
ton without giving you a chance to
defend your vote on this matter. Hence
we send this invitation.
"There will be a large crowd of the
best people of Los Angeles present, and
if you are present and if you are
present and have any good and valid
reason why the interests and the in
fluences of the institutions that breed
and foster vice and crime should be
protected and fostered in Los Angeles,
you will be given an opportunity to de-
fend yourself.
1.-THE meeting will commence at
o'clock, Sunday afternoon"
No Response
"Are any councilmen present." asked
Rev. Mr.. Blight, casting his eyes over
the audience. After waiting few min
utes, he continued:
Does this mean that they cannot or
will not explain their vote?"
Both" came from various parts of
the audience.
"Then," said the chairman, 1--WE are
justified in saying that their action in
not appearing is an acknowledgment
that their vote is indefensible," which
The meeting opened by singing three
verses of america" after which
prayer was offered by Rev. w. ]. Holly.
Mrs. Griffith and Mrs. Payne sang a
duet, "The Bells" the words and music
of which were composed by Mrs.
Payne, and Miss Ida McDaniels gave
a reading.
Rev. Mr.. Blight then stated the OBJ
iect of the meeting, which he said,
| hXy Trnhihitinr1
ion of Los Angeles, an organization
only three weeks old. but which prom
ised to become a power for good in the
community.
1--WE can only save our city," he
said, "by creating a sentiment against
iniquitous laws and make the new
council fear to follow in the footsteps
of the one whose existence now is near
| ing an end. This council was chosen
for the purpose of representing us, but
instead they have misrepresented us,
and we want to know why"
Woman Tells of Conditions
After reading the letter of invitation
and receiving no response, the chair
man introduced Mrs. Hester Griffith as
the principal speaker.
Mrs. Griffith, who is president of the
Los Angeles County w. C. T. u, stated
| that she was not there as the repre-
sentative of that organization, but of
the Women's Prohibition club.
I'VE need a higher type of manhood
and womanhood," said Mrs. Griffith,
but study of the situation in Los An
geles shows that under present condi-
tions it is impossible to have higher
citizenship. The entire civilized world
was intensely interested in the rescue
Of the miner Hicks, but what shock
it was to learn that his first request
upon his liberation from his living
tomb was for chew of tobacco. His
desire for tobacco under the circum-
stances shows what an awful thing 1t
is to be a slave to appetite.
I'VE little realize that there are in
this city traps laid for girls and boys
traps worse than that which closed
upon Hicks"
Mrs. Griffith told of many incidents
which had come under her personal
observation when she visited the many
places of vice in the city during the
late hours of the night, and she de-
clared that these disreputable places
would be wiped out when women are
given the right to vote.
| NA,A viii baua that f,tOhf Gonna