The San Francisco call., 1908-07-24
ATTITUDE OF WINE
GROWERS EXPLAINED
Charles A. WetmOre EIuCidates
Resolutions Adopted at Or
ganizati0n of Association

The following communication regard
Ing the attitude of the wine makers
was received yesterday:
To the Editor of The Call: There
may be serious misunderstanding on
the part of the people generally as 10
the attitude of vine growers and wine
makers concerning the popular demand
for regulation of the sale and distri-
button of fermented and SpIr1tuouS pew
erages, If the resolutions adopted by
the meeting of vine growers Wednes-
day last are not in one respect
promptly repudiated. The ostensible
purpose of the gathering was to or
ganize movement among vine grow
ers in opposition to the extreme policy
of the prohibitionists and to protect
viticultural products from unjust re-
strictions. The propaganda of Gus
toms common in wine consuming coun-
drunkenness as expounded by Mr.. Sbar.
boro We're advanced with much skill
and reminded us all of the campaign
of education which was so thoroughly
conducted during the years from 1878
to 1885 However much the experience
of California may have caused us to
modify the opinions which We so Jeal-
ously defended during generation
now nearly forgotten, the sentiments
of Mr.. Sbarboro may be said to have
substantially satisfied those present,
even. though they Were. received as
Utopian and Impractical in realization.
The resolutions had, as for all such
meetings, been prepared in advance,
and there was little disposition to
criticise. them, SO long as they were
favorable to the cause of pure wine.
When first read one clause in them was
objected to because it appeared that
it committed the assembly to the ad-
nit the sale and distribution of wines.
without license, free from all restraint.
1t appearing that this might mean the
unregulated permission to open saloons
for the sale of wines without license
in any and all places, to be open day
and all night, Sundays, holidays and
election days, the objection was an
swered by Mr.. Sbarboro, who said that
the words were misunderstood and that
only the free sale and distribution for
family use was provided for. There
suggested that the meaning appeared
to include saloons and all known meth
DDS of sale and distribution. The res
olutions went back to committee and
without license" stricken out and the
objection seemed to have been over
come. When seen in print, however.
the original objection appears not to
clause is in the second resolution relat-
ing to legislation to be demanded and
is in these words:
And this important product (winee
shall not be affected by any prohibit
tion law or regulation in any town, city
or county in the state of California"
l. am not sure that tOur-n1tnS or all
the gentlemen present at that meet
ing would have voted against the adop-
tion of these resolutions if they had
had time to consider the words used as
above. They were opposed to prohibit
tion as the word is generally under
stood, but 1 know that they did not
favor any extension of saloon privi-
leges or the forcing. of wine saloons
upon communities which do not well
come their presence. | am one who
believes that the sale of wine and beer
in unbroken packages, not for con-
sumption on the premises, should be as
free as the sale of tea and coffee and
that no extra license charge should be
imposed upon the restaurants, hotels
and boarding houses which serve such
wholesome products with meals, but l
should look upon the unregulated sale
without license in competition with the
thinkable public nuisance but also as
an unwarrantable injustice to regular
licensed houses. If it were possible to
obtain such a law as the resolution
clearly calls for the extreme rigor of
prohibition would be so soon enforced
by popular demand that the vine
growers would have no further use for
their association
The board of directors of the associ-
alton should Immediately put in plain
English what they mean by this reso-
luton before they collect any funds
from vine growers who may possibly
be deceived as to the purposes for
which they are to be used.
CHAS- A. WETMORE.
Piedmont, Cal.