USA > California > Alameda County > The centennial year book of Alameda County, California : containing a summary of the discovery and settlement of California, a description of the Contra Costa under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule, biographical sketches of prominent pioneers and public men > Part 36
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concluded by taking up a subscription to defray expenses. The Sec- retaries were instructed to furnish the delegation with a copy of the resolution, and then the meeting adjourned, feeling that success would surely follow.
The meeting had its effect, and the result was an immediate sur- render. The committee appointed proceeded to Sacramento on Sunday. They met at Amerman's apartments and talked the matter over. It was stated that Case would not oppose the bill if the Com- missioners were stricken out and the Supervisors allowed to erect the buildings. All but Judge Ferris agreed to this. Senator Gib- bons said the bill should be so altered ; it was the weak part of the bill, and the concession was a trifling one. Amerman said he had taken no part in the contest, but could not, as expected, champion Block 22. He favored the bill with the Commissioners stricken out. Gurnett did not care who did the work, so long as the buildings were placed on the plazas ; so that the whole delegation were united, and the bill would go through both Houses without a word of dissent.
About midnight Case was called upon. He was not in favor of the bill in any shape, but as all Alameda County's representatives had united to pass it, as an officer of the law he should obey. He would not do anything to obstruct the erection of the buildings, and as a Supervisor he would act in connection with all building operations on the Broadway plazas, just as if they were on the loca- tion of his first choice.
The praise of Mr. Case, as a man of honor, who had made a gallant fight for his section and his friends, then followed. He had never broken his promise or violated his word, and all that remained to end this prolonged county seat controversy, to finish this three years' local warfare, was the arrangement of the formalities. On the following Thursday Senator Farley reported a substitute for the original bill. Gibbons moved the suspension of the rules, in order to consider the bill at once. Edgerton opposed it, and said he had been requested to oppose it, and wanted time to consider their reasons. Evans said the committee had heard both sides, and the substitute was the result. Gibbons explained ; and on a call of ayes and noes there were 13 noes to 18 ayes, showing that the Brooklyn party were far from being without strength, even after this com- promise was concluded ; and it is doubtful, considering that this was within twelve days of the end of the session, if the fight had been kept up, the original bill could be carried through.
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A few days after there was a hitch ; some of the Brooklyn men- Larue and Duncan Cameron-having heard what was going on, pro- ceeded to Sacramento and rather disjointed matters. Some new arrangement was effected, however, and the parties appeased ; and on the 19th the bill passed the Senate unanimously, and went to the Assembly. It provided for the issue of bonds to the amount of $200,000, instead of $150,000 as at first proposed, and allowed the deeding back to James Larue of Block 22, should the County Jail be removed. In case the Jail should be completed on Block 22, the Supervisors were to pay Mr. Larne a reasonable compensation for the property. Mr. Larue, however, did not want the Jail on his property, and simply asked for a return of the land, which of course could not be, and was refused. There were several Brooklyn gentlemen pres- ent, who did not relish the turn things had taken, as several of them had invested largely in the company to put up the temporary county buildings ; and it was no wonder if they felt as if they had in some way been deceived.
The bill passed the Assembly on the 20th, and at 4 o'clock on the 25th it was signed by the Governor and became a law. Until the very last there was some opposition to it, and there remained yet a dread that the majority of the Supervisors would carry on a hostil- ity, or that the legality of the bill would be tested in the courts. Indeed, a slight move in this direction was made, but all opposition was soon abandoned. The Jail building on Block 22 was pulled down, and the material removed to Washington Plaza, where it was recon- structed. This little matter cost the county about $20,000. A bill was passed through the Legislature allowing Mr. Babcock, the con- tractor, $1,000 for his law expenses in his contest with the Auditor, who very injudiciously put the county to that and other expenses, in taking a position that the Judges made clear to him he had no right to take, in disputing an order of the Supervisors.
In looking over the whole of this protracted contest, the writer cannot help thinking that the greater part of the acrimony and pas- sion that entered into it might have been avoided, and all that was desired accomplished by the use of conciliation and a clearer fore- cast. At the start the agitation for removal was consigned to the management of one man, who, however active and zealous, was not the proper person to conduct so delicate a business. Mr. Linden was suffering from ill health, dyspeptic and crabbed, and was not able to use that argument of the manner which pleases, if it does not con-
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vince. Had only one of the outside townships been won, the battle was assured for Oakland. A respectable deputation from the city at the proper time would have done it. But, instead of persuasion, there was too much wordy warfare-too much assumption, for con- ciliation. The Supervisors, however improper their conduct might have been, when violently attacked received the sympathy of their constituents, and an opposition was constructed so inflexible as nearly to conquer and endanger the decision of the county. That Block 22 was not a desirable location, no one will now pretend to maintain ; but in it was centered the local pride of a spirited com- munity, who believed that they were entitled by an unwritten com- pact to the county seat. Again, the southern section of the county, formerly the ruling portion of it, saw the seat of justice gradually slipping away from it-from Alvarado to San Leandro ; from San Leandro to Brooklyn-and it was only natural that they should resist its establishment on Broadway as an Oakland aggression and a centralization of power and advantages. But it is very doubtful, if the location were open to disturbance to-morrow, that the slightest effort would be made to effect another change.
Since the close of the contest a fine structure has been erected, which, notwithstanding some defects, is an ornament to the city and a proud emblem of the importance of the county. It is hoped that by its cost, completeness and convenience, an end is forever put to all further county seat agitations. The latter is an ordeal which almost every county in the land has some time to pass through. We have seen the trouble crop out here first in 1835, with our Mexican predeces- sors, who desired to see the seat of justice for this district removed from San Francisco to San José, where laws for the Contra Costa were first administrated. When Contra Costa was organized, in 1850, there appears to have been no trouble in effecting the location at Martinez, because Alameda was virtually without population, a location or a champion; but when the creation of Alameda came, there was the first bitter warfare between the northern and southern sides of the county. The south was then the strongest, and won. It had the pop- ulation and the resources. The removal to San Leandro was an assertion of the growing power of the north; and the removal to Brooklyn was a piece of strategy that obtained its advantage from peculiar position and tact. The final transfer to Broadway was sim- ply the evidence of cumulative power and the irresistible force of a rapidly augmenting business center, and a spirit that would brook no
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resistance and yield to no compromise. All the localities that have lost the boon of the county seat at various times, made gallant con- tests for its maintenance, and there is no just reflection to be indulged in now, only that they had to yield to the inevitable.
THE LOCAL OPTION ELECTIONS.
One of those moral epidemics that sometimes sweep over a commu- nity, visited the State this year. Reference is made to the Local Option excitement, which found its way to this State from Ohio. It was a new phase of the crusade against intemperance, and had its em- bodiment in a law which allowed municipalities to determine by a vote of the people whether the sale of liquor should be licensed with- in them or not.
A bill to grant this privilege was introduced in the last Legislature by Senator Pendegast, of Napa, and unexpectedly became a law. It was familiarly known as the Local Option Law, on account of its granting to every separate town or township the right to determine the license question for itself. The temperance organizations were not slow to take advantage of it, and female "Crusaders," as they were called, were soon in the field, exhorting people in favor of the law with as much zeal as Peter the Hermit, of old. Here was an op- portunity, they thought, to rid the land of the evils of intemperance by closing up the liquor saloons with the force of a legal statute.
The law, as it passed in the California Legislature, required that on the presentation of a petition containing the names of one-fourth of the legal voters of a township, duly authenticated, the Board of Supervisors of the county in which such township was situated should name a day and call an election to determine, by a majority of the votes cast, whether license to sell less than one gallon of intoxicating liquors or beer should be allowed in such township or not.
The first petition for an election in this county came fron Wash- ington Township, and was presented at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors, held on the 22d of April. The petition was signed by 270 persons. An election was ordered for the 23d of May, thus allowing one month for preparation. There were three or four tem- perance organizations in the township, while the number of saloons was said to be 25 or 30. Both sides prepared for battle. The tem- perance people calculated on an easy victory, especially as they had the names of a majority of the voters attached to their petition.
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When election day came, however, they were disappointed, for there were cast in favor of their cause but 167 votes, to 184 votes in favor of license. The vote at the different precincts was as follows : Alvarado-for license, 70 ; against, 52. Centreville-for, 67 ; against, 84. Mission San José-for, 47 ; against, 31-a very light vote.
In the meantime petitions for elections were circulating in other townships, and the friends of the cause were active securing the names of voters in both Oakland and Brooklyn Townships. Those most active in the work were women. They soon enlisted most of the churches in the work. Organizations were formed; committees set at work, and public meetings held. The enthusiasm was rapidly kindling, and some of the most addicted tipplers were soon giving their adhesion to the movement. A mass meeting, under the auspices of the Oakland Woman's Temperance Union and the Alameda County Temperance Alliance, was held in Brayton Hall, on the 23d of April. The meeting was called to order by the leading Crusader of the county, Mrs. Hariett E. Bishop, a lady recently from the East, and who had initiated the movement in Oakland. Clergymen, business men and county officials took part in the proceedings, and the agitation was regularly inaugurated. The petitions for an elec- tion were rapidly being signed, one of the morning papers (the News) had come out openly and advocated the strange doctrine, and the feeling on the question was soon at a white heat. At a meeting of the Temperance Union, held on the 28th of April, nearly 1,000 signatures were reported to the petition, and, at the session of the Board of Supervisors, on the 4th of May, said petition was presented, with the names of 1051 voters of Oakland Township attached. An election was ordered to be held on the 30th of May, and then the real work commenced.
On the same day a petition was presented from Brooklyn Town- ship, but, not having contained a sufficient number of signatures, was not acted upon ; but having been presented at the next meeting, with a sufficient number of names, an election was ordered for the 6th day of June.
At first the saloon-keepers and liquor dealers were not much alarmed ; but they soon became uneasy, and finally were forced into activity. They, too, commenced to hold meetings, to collect a cam- paign fund and register votes. The County Clerk's office became the scene of unusual activity, naturalization papers were in demand, and the Great Register was the recipient of several hundred additional names.
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As the day of election approached the excitement and interest in- creased. The ladies left no stone unturned. A large tent, belonging to the Seventh-day Adventists, was placed at their disposal, and there men and women held forth nightly on the evils of intemperance, and the benefits of the local option law. The clergy made it the prom- inent theme in their pulpits, confirmed tipplers made temperance speeches, daily prayer meetings for the success of the cause were held, the papers were full of local option discussions, and crowds came over daily from San Francisco, especially temperance people, to lend a help- ing hand. Among those who addressed temperance meetings before the election, besides the clergymen of Oakland, were Hon. William Wirt Pendegast, the framer of the law ; Dr. C. S. Haswell, of Sac- ramento ; W. E. Turner, an Oakland attorney, who took a very prominent part in the contest ; S. H. Garter, of Red Bluff; Mrs. Emily Pitts Stevens, of San Francisco ; Miss Sallie Hart, Wm. Van Voorhies, Judge Chamberlain, Mr. Redstone, Dr. Myrick, Mr. Batters, of San Francisco ; Judge Blake, Dr. Henry Gibbons, and several others.
At last the anxiously-looked-for 30th day of May arrived. The ladies had carefully arranged their plan of battle. With bountifully- supplied lunch-tables, situated in convenient localities, with an abund- ance of boquets, tastefully prepared for the button-hole, and with sweet smiles and bewitching ways, they prepared to meet the cohorts of rum. Early in the day they were all at their well-appointed posts, distributing ballots inscribed with the portentous words, " Against License," and soliciting votes. The "big tent," near the City Hall, was the grand rendezvous, but every polling precinct in the city had its guard-house, and was well watched and provided for. With bo- quet-baskets in hand and pleasant smiles on countenance, the most zealous would promenade in the vicinity of the polling places. Nay, some were so intrepid as to boldly penetrate rough crowds of men, clamorous for the protection of their personal liberties against this new-fangled notion, and argue the point with them like experienced politicians. It was, for the female heart, a joyous taste of freedom. To be sure they did not vote, but they made votes. They were not candidates for office, but they enjoyed the rare privilege of openly expressing their sentiments in front of the ballot-box.
The 30th day of May was not a pleasant one. It was very chilly ; the wind was high and the dust was driven in clouds, and it was anything but comfortable to be in the streets ; yet the ladies did not
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give way nor complain, but manfully held their places. "Have you voted, sir ?" would be their salutation to every male they met ; or " Will you have a boquet ?" to draw on a conversation and ascertain the subject's sentiments. A " hard case " would be coaxed into the tent or refreshment place, plied with cakes and coffee, sandwiches, &c., and converted. A deputation of the dear creatures would some- times accompany him, as an escort, to the ballot-box, and thus secure his vote beyond peradventure. And thus they worked all day long, at times receiving rebukes, and often saluted with cheers. Insults were seldom openly offered ; but when an instance of the kind oc- curred, woe to the guilty one, for he was hastily hustled by a clamorous crowd to the City Prison.
The " For License" men, although for the time being unpopular, and, in the feminine mind, little short of monsters, kept well up their side of the fight. They were not without friends. Although the bar-rooms were all closed, in compliance with the law, they found plenty of sympathizers ; and, for the greater part of the day, it was considered a very doubtful contest. The first precinct, it was sup- posed, would give a large majority for license ; and the second, a large one against it ; while the Point and Temescal, it was thought, would be about equally divided. Towards evening, however, the conviction gained that the women were victorious, as was shown at the close of the count, when it was found that there was a majority of 253 against license, in the aggregate. The following was the vote by precincts : First Precinct - For license, 510; against license, 469. Second Precinct-For license, 249; against license, 524. Third Precinct-For license, 171 ; against license, 183. Fourth Precinct-For license, 108 ; against license, 115. Of course there was great rejoicing when the result was ascertained. There were congratulatory speeches, serenading and general exultation.
On the second night after the election there was a grand rally of the victorious feminine forces, in the tented field, on the corner of Fourteenth and Washington Streets, where the leaders of the army were crowned with victors' laurels, and the soldiers received con- gratulations and thanks.
Another battle was before them in a few days. The field of East Oakland was to be contested on the 7th of June. The ladies had fleshed their maiden swords, and the thirst for carnage was now upon them. More whiskey was to be spilt, more kegs of beer placed hors de combat. The army of Oakland determined to reinforce the army
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of Brooklyn en masse. The forces there were already well drilled and organized, and the Oakland victory had immensely improved their morale. Mr. E. G. Mathews was chosen Commander, with Messrs. Sumner, Ford, Steen, Pensam, Lynde and Watson as Lieu- tenants. All the ladies of the town hastened to enroll themselves in the Army of the East, while a large number of gentlemen volun- teered their services as an active reserve. Whatever element of suc- cess that might have been overlooked or forgotten in the Oakland battle was here used to advantage. Duties were assigned to every one willing to lend a helping hand ; the organizers of the Oakland victory lent their aid and encouraged the cohorts.
But the other side was not idle. Defeat had not disheartened them ; it only made them more energetic. Nightly they met to raise the " sinews of war," and plan their battle ; every voter was can- vassed, and a victory assured. Aid was invited from San Francisco and Oakland, and it came. There was a mightier marshalling of forces on both sides. Captain Badger was chosen general of the spirituous host ; and he called to his aid Hatch, of Santa Clara. Against the latter was pitted the Rev. Otis Gibson, of San Francisco, who led the singing host. Both armies met for review in sight of each other, the night before the battle. Martial music rent the air, and both sides shouted for victory, and were confident it was within their grasp on the morrow. As in Oakland, the temperance host took the field in a tent. The Union Hotel served the license legion for a camp. Hatch harangued his followers at great length, and proved the superior morality of the license cause, and the great evils of no license. In the tent, license was torn to tatters, and all the bottles and glasses smashed.
The eventful morning arrived. The very atmosphere seemed con- scious of the desperate character of the approaching conflict, and held its breath. The sun shone serenely in the heavens, equally favoring both sides with the effulgence of his rays. The polling- place was Judge Howard's old office, equi-distant between the two hostile camps.
In the " no license " camp the refreshment brigade and the boquet battalion were early in motion. Hot coffee and cakes, ham sand- wiches and cold turkey were never so abundant on this side of the bay before, or since. The odor of flowers perfumed the air, and sweet smiles, bright eyes and soft words wooed the unwilling voter to cast his ballot against rum.
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But the champions of rum were not idle either. They, too, had learnt a lesson from the Oakland encounter, and took advantage of several neglected aids. The streets swarmed with the valiant war- riors from near and far. Male and female mingled in the moral melee. Martial music rent the air. The war chant of the crusader carried dismay to the heart of the enemy at every street corner. Sallie Hart, leading the light infantry of the local option army, was distinguished for the rapidity of her movements and her sanguinary encounters. From Tubbs' Hotel to Tum Suden's-from the Railroad Depot to Adams Street, was the battle fiercely waged and every inch of ground disputed. Load after load of reinforcements were carried to the battle-field. Never before, since the world began, was there such a wordy warfare. Tongues cut sharper than swords. There was bullyragging and brow-beating, badinage and braggadocio, coarse invective and sharp recontre, pointed jests and biting sarcasms, ridicule and rodomontade.
The " license" band-wagon would drive through a temperance crowd and defiantly display its banners, inscribed with the legends of "Equal Rights " and "No Blue Laws for Brooklyn ;" and the band strike up with its stirring strains; when the Temperance Glee Club would gather a multitude around it and respond with a chorus that awakened the echoes in the distant mountains, and the refrain of " Glory, glory, hallelujah !" pierced the hills.
At last the polls closed ; the combat ceased ; and victory had once more perched on the temperance tent-top. A majority of 84 had decided against license. The vote was as follows :
Brooklyn Precinct-For license, 181 ; against license, 273.
Fitchburg Precinct-For license, 86 ; against license, 78.
Thus closed the most remarkable election that ever took place in this State, and perhaps anywhere else in the world. It was com- puted that 500 women were on the streets of Brooklyn that day, doing battle against the bottle. Not a breach of the peace was com- mitted, nor an arrest made-which fact spoke well for the conduct of the men who were battling for the protection of their business, or repelling what they believed to be an encroachment upon their natural rights.
Immediately after the Brooklyn election was formed the Oakland Township Temperance Alliance, the objects of which were the pro- motion of temperance principles by all suitable means and the secur- ing of the best laws to that end.
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It was recommended by the Supervisors that no prosecution be had against those who kept their saloons open after the election, until the first of July following, and that recommendation was acted upon in Oakland and Brooklyn.
The next election ordered was in Murray Township. It took place on the 27th day of June. The largest vote ever polled in the town- ship was cast, and was largely for license. Livermore Precinct gave 241 votes for and 125 against ; Pleasanton Precinct, 120 votes for, and only 33 against ; Summit Precinct, 23 for, and 12 against- making a total vote in Murray Township of 554, and giving the license side a majority of 214. It was evident from this that the extreme ends of the county were widely at variance on the liquor question, and each side had won important victories. Two town- ships had now gone for license, and two against, and two-Alameda and Eden-remained to be heard from.
As was the case elsewhere, the preparations for the fray in Ala- meda were very vigorous. Dr. Henry Gibbons marshalled and animated the option host. He had abundance of assistance ; but the ladies, on account of the difference in the population-Alameda being largely German-did not turn out so numerously as they did in Oakland and Brooklyn. The liquor men dropped the policy they had hitherto pursued, of making few public demonstrations, and em- ployed speakers and held meetings, making a good canvass. The election was held on the 2d day of July. That usually quiet place underwent a siege which will be remembered by all who witnessed it as long as they live. The scenes that took place almost beggared description. Ladies from Oakland, Brooklyn and San Francisco, with many gentlemen, were present. A tent was used as a rallying- place, as in Oakland and Brooklyn. The usual lunch-tables were laid out and the flower-girls were on hand. The singing host, headed by the Rev. Otis Gibson, was there, too, and the fighting host under Turner. The wildest enthusiasm was excited. Here lager was attacked in one of its strongholds, and lager met it in no laggard way. A policy of offense was determined upon, and the ladies were warned to look out. The little town was regularly besieged. Hundreds came over from San Francisco, where the liquor men had organized a league. A detachment of this organization, headed by a band of music, marched through the town, singing Bacchanalian songs. Sally Hart was present with her light infantry (an organization of young men and women), but she was overwhelmed by the physical force
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