The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-12-02
Jas. Aiken Writes of
Election in California

VI CeH years dSO, Tie result HllSII
have been different. The whole oppo-
sition to the prohibition amendment
conferred on the assumption that it
would be bad for business and ru-
ious to the success of the 1915
Panama Pacific fairs. 1t was the
pocket-book nerve that was touched
by the arguments of the opponents
of the amendment, with the result
of making California the only state
on the Pacific coast tolerating licensed
saloons.
The near socialistic eight-hour law,
making an eight-hour day with mini
mum scale of $3.50 per day manda-
tory for common or skilled labor of
all kinds, including ranch hands, was
voted down decisively, and the freak
anti-prohibitory law, forbidding any
anti-booze amendment to be sub
mitted oftener than once in eight
years, was turned down by small
majority only. From expression we
have heard, no future legislature is
likely to defy public opinion by foist-
ing such an indigestible mass Of re-
form legislation on one ballot in the
future though in fairness it should
be stated that nearly half of these
amendments went upon the aatict by
referendum petitions and against the
denials of the last legislature.
Whittier, Nov. 9, 1914.
November 16-Have fshed out the
above a week after writing, to be
used at the option of The Gazette
editor, not as news, but perhaps as
ancient history. I might add here,
that the official count was completed
only few days ago, with the vote
so close in this congressional district
that a contest is talked of between
Congressman Bell, Progressive, and
the Prohibition Democratic nominee
mote the combination, a la Hobson)
named Randall, apparently elected by
a little over 100 votes. Republicans,
Democrats and Progressives would
have divided the Congressional dele
cation evenly had Bell been counted,
in, with three Representatives each.
l might add that among other i'm
portant constitutional amendments
carried was the red light abatement
act, making it lawful to punish the
owner of any building used for i'm
moral purposes by closing the build
ing for two years-a law which will
have the effect of making landlords
very careful about the character of
their tenants and will be a merited
blow at the white slave traffic, which
is being driven out of California
towns by an aroused public opinion.
The better element is clamoring
for a moral cleaning up for cxpOsi-
ton year, to prevent such orgies as
followed the Chicago and some other
expositions. 1t was this desire for de-
CeIlCy turing 1910 lildC pIolilplCu llC
precipitation of the dry campaign in
the face of the objections of the anti
saloon league, which contended that
the California temperance sentiment
was not yet sufficiently aroused to
make possible the passage of such
an amendment now. The result bears
out the forecast, but all the same,
the dry element is still confident that
the saloon is a doomed institution on
this coast not many years hence.
Another important change was vot-
ing out the poll tax, which will cost
the state revenues a million dollars
or Whereabouts. But The Gazette man
will pronounce this too much Cali
fornia election aftermath, if / keep
on about. those AZ varieties of amend
ments.