The excitement created by the act of the Legislature, giving each township the privilege of calling a special election to decide whether any further license shall be granted to sell intoxicating liquors, is increasing every day. The oldest temperance men say they never knew anything like it. The public have been so long afflicted by the many evils arising from intemperance that now when the opportunity is offered to crush out the great enemy, they seize upon it with terrible earnestness. Every lover of good order must be interested in the contest. The motives which actuate men in this struggle are higher than mere party feelings of political strife. In the battle against license, we labor to check a great and crying evil. All party names and feelings are lost in the common cause of humanity and morality.
The working of the Local Option Law is explained by the S. F. Bulletin as follows:
“It will become unlawful, within the limits of Woodland Township, to ‘sell or give, or offer to sell or give, any spirituous, vinous, malt, or other intoxicating liquors, in quantities less than five gallons.’ Any infraction of the law subjects the parties to it to a penalty not exceeding $25 for the first offense, and not less than $50, nor more than $100 for each subsequent one. As the act provides that no election shall take place under its provisions oftener than once in two years, if the Yolo Supervisors determine that the majority of votes is for ‘No License’ the consequence will be that for two years at least no person can engage in the liquor business in Woodland, and then not until after another election shall have been held. No doubt a case will be taken to the Supreme Court to test the constitutionality of this law—but in other States similar laws have been sustained by all the courts.”
The following items, clipped from the Oakland Daily News, will give some idea of the zeal of the workers in this contest:
“WHAT THE WOMEN DID.”
The excitement ran high from the opening of the polls until sundown. The presence of women on the street, offering their ‘No License’ tickets to every passer-by, was a novelty that struck all as being an exceedingly remarkable feature. ‘Have you voted, sir?’ was the usual salutation of the fair ones, who at the same time extended their tickets to the accosted. All along Broadway, at the Point, Temescal, and in other parts of the city, were large numbers of matrons and misses to be seen engaged in the arduous service they had accepted in the noble cause. The ladies did not limit their work to a mere distribution of tickets, many of them feeling it their duty to urge indifferent voters and others who declared themselves for license, to vote an ‘Against License’ ticket.
“LARGE AND ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERINGS OF THE PEOPLE AT THE ADVENT ELDERS’ TENTS ON BROADWAY AND IN EAST OAKLAND.”
At the corner of Fourteenth street last night was one of the largest of the campaign. Every seat was filled and every foot of standing room occupied, and hundreds remained outside where they could hear the speakers if not see them. Fully one-half of the audience were ladies. A band was stationed outside, and music was played at the close of each speech. A large transparency was displayed in front of the entrance to the tent, upon one side of which was the motto, ‘Home Influence versus Whisky,’ and upon the other, ‘Oakland Ladies and Flowers Won the Battle May 30th.’ Another transparency, barrel-shaped, bore the significant legend, ‘The Death Knell Has tolled.’ Over the speakers’ stand was the inscription, ‘Against License. Our Oakland Homes.’
“EAST OAKLAND.”
A rousing meeting was held in the Elders’ tent, nearly opposite the Postoffice. Though Elder Cornell had previously announced his subject for the evening, he only used a few minutes and managed his subject so as to direct his remarks to the temperance cause, assuring his audience of his hearty co-operation in the work.” M. E. C.