Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-24
PROTECTION FROM GRAFT
T has come to the attention OF The |
Herald that efforts are being made !

TT has come to the attention Of The
Herald that efforts are being made
n by some Of Mayor Harper's sup
porters to drag the, liquor interests Of
the city into the fight as his allies. To
accomplish this, the statement is be-
Ing industriously circulated that the
move for Mayor Harper's recall is a
move in favor Of prohibition.
On this point The Herald wants to
say few very earnest words to the
liquor dealers. First, we want to as
sure these men, most of whom we be-
lieve are honest men and want to be
good citizens, that it is really a move
against prohibition. In this connection
we desire to say that The Herald would
not advocate prohibition in Los An
geles, because it does not believe there
exists within the city the sentiment
necessary to support such a measure.
This sentiment, however, if it is ever
created, will be brought about by such
influences as have caused the wave Of
prohibition in many places in the Unit
ed States. These influences are the
low, law breaking, immoral liquor SELL
ing establishments-the dives where the
sale Of liquor is used for the purpose
Of debauching and running young girls
and men-dives such as The Herald
has shown to be maintained in this
city by Frank Goings and Chowder
House Jim Dunno.
If the liquor dealers Of Los Angeles
want to protect themselves against the
wave of prohibition sentiment that will
sweep them out Of business, they must
recognize these facts as they have been
recognized by the officials of the
National Liquor Dealers association,
who, realizing that these law-breakers
are responsible for prohibition, have
set about campaign for the suppress
sion of these liquor selling dives. One
place like those Of Frank Goings or
Chowder House Jim Dunno will do
more to foster prohibition sentiment
than any individual advocate Of pro-
hibition can do. With the number of
retail liquor dealers in Los Angeles
limited to 200, thereby giving each
one an average constituency of 1900,
there is absolutely no excuse for liquor
being sold by any low dive.
The law limiting the number Of re-
tail liquor licenses assures every Ii
censed liquor dealer in Los Angeles an
opportunity to make money by follow
ing his business legally.
There is absolutely no excuse for re-
tail liquor dealers to endeavor to add
to their income by maintaining dives
where the virtue Of women is retailed
for a price which goes into their tills.
And there is no excuse for the retail
liquor dealers Of Los Angeles being
subjected to such virtual blackmail as
soliciting subscriptions to corporation
stock in which Mayor Harper and the
majority Of his police commission are
interested.
The Herald wants to protect the
liquor dealers who are law abiding citi-
zens and who do not want to be forced
to handle cigars recommended by police
commissioners; to take out fire insur-
ance through a firm of which the chief
Of police or other city officials are men,
bers, or to. submit to other extortions
to which they have been subjected
under the Harper administration.
We call upon every honest, law-abid-
ing, decent citizen who is engaged IN
the sale Of liquor to join The Herald
in it's efforts, not in favor of prohibi-
ton in this city, but to establish con-
ditions which will enable them to carry
on their business in a legal way with
out being made the victims Of officials
whose positions enable them to take
advantage of these conditions.