Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-02-21
DAILY POST.INTELueENcER
TO THE nEwBrR. OF yHE urY
totsIII

WV W us b-tfs'AE "a ~t1faaft7 -
charge o. Their rnanicipal affairs. TIE
Council which Immediately prec-1s4
yos vert sut % If, = condemned BY p
majority unparalleled 10 the history -
local politics. Tue pr.reipal charge
made agsins, its IL Inbess wss that t1sy
bad attacked the tEs.1ras interests q
the city and tempted 70 PAT an end %
its prosperity b. el,sins the saloons oE
Sunday. This zss a hsinoos 05eree IL
the eyes Of the people, ard tb0aza there
we're a feN xb0 vsfe disposed 90 rs-
gard il az a mitigating crs1nsisnss
that Ia th1s closing the saloons tie
Councilman were simply making al
effort 10 enforce a Territorial lsE,
which they could 10. Leave Ensnf0rosd
aud az the same time be tr1s % what
they conceived 10 be their duty. the
msjsrity considered sash an eEcuss
trivial and insufficient, and expressed
their condemnation by their ballots.
This. We repeat, vas the principal
eharge. II IL true that there we're
others. Your predecessors had used
care and discrimination ia the granting
OF llqaor licenses, and had actually re-
fused applications in cases in which
they believed the applicants we're men
who coald not ssfsiy he trusted with
the pover which the liquor seller mast
necessarily weld. They had made ef-
forts 10 enforce the Law against
selling liquor to minors. and other
laws Of similAr Batare, all Of
which the people looked upon as an un-
sIamplsd and insrcasable interference
with the eternal right Of the American
citizen 10 do precisely a. be chooses.
All these things, however. we're mads
minor issues. and the fight was made IN
defense OF Seattle'a prosperity. which
had all bat been Ovsrtaken ~ disaster
because fanatieal and unreasonable
City Council had insisted upon beiieY-
ing that IL was It's duty 70 enforce Law
81 the Territory by closing saloons on
Sunday.
You doubtless RECONSIDERATION IL Is not
50 long ago that you could forge,-the
glory Of your victory. You remember
the unbounded delight Of the people Of
whom you are the official representa-
tlves. You remember the music, the
speeches. the cheers Of joy. You re-
member the bonfire on Occidental
square. You remember how, as the
flames curled and writhed and sprang
heavenwsrd. you almost persuaded
yourselves that you had lighted anew
the altar fires of Liberty. and tia. like
band OF metamorphosed veslal viz
gins, you were 81 be the watchers over
that sacred flame. "A the smoke curled
lazily upward and hung above the city.
scarcely moved BY ths bres, Of that
calm July evening. yon almost persuad
ed yourselves that the demon of opptes-
sion which bad b.en lowering over oar
city was spreading bis black wings
across the sky preparing for a long
flight exercised by you. Ia your great
JOY, you could not contain yourselves.
Far into the RiRhi. and yet on through
the hours of early morning, you march
ed through the streets Of tue city. paus-
ing here and there, nos With cheers for
your friends. nov with ieers for those
whom yen conceived 30 BE- the enemies
Of the city which you had been called
upon 90 save. You remember your visit
to the house Of Mrs. sorthy. and her
speech 90 fall Of glowing promise. You
remember how you called CT Governor
Ferry, one Of your leaders and spokes-
men. froIn his sluu beers. Yo1 doubtless
remember. too. that weird scene before
his house just ~ the Eastern sky vas
tineed with light. You remember him
as be stood erect amid the uncertain
glare OF your torches, as be eszsd upon
hundreds Of upturned faces, a. he told
you with the voice aud mien Of a prophet
that You we're the ssviors OF Seattle. that
your victory would be followed by an
unexampled revival of business, that
like manifold Moses you had smitten
rock from which wsald Gov, not
water. bat gold. Yoa remember him
a. he said. Seattle will nov enter upon
an era of prosperity snoh as she has
never known" And you remember how
you threw your bats In air and greeted
that glowing prophecy with one trsmsn
dous, long continued cheer. That cheer
vas ct once your pSan Of victory aud
the death knsll Of the cranks.
Months have passed since that mem
orablo night. Your term Of office has
more than half expired. You may ask
yourselves now whether yon have KEEP,
the altar Ares burning. whether that
prophecy has been fnlalled, whether
your cheers in truth announced our en-
trance upon new Golden Age. You
may ash whether she city is in better
condition today than II was year ago.
Ysu may ask whether yoar promp, re
versal Of the policy of yoar predeces
sors has beea followed BY ,he blessings
which you 30 confidently anticipated.
You may ask whether you have been
wise. gradient and economical. You
may ask whether you have regarded the
interests Of the taxpayers and the rso-
pie above all else. You may ask wseih
er these months, the tirst half Of your
term OF Office, have not been marked BY
. series Of disasters which will make
them remembered through all tune a.
the blackrs, period Of oaT eity's history
You may ash whether long years from
now yonr children will not be telling
the story Of these evil DAYS 60 their
grandchildren. who vill listen With
drawn lps and hlAnehea faces.
Bat" yen respond. "ve are not re
sponsiele fos this We canEos be held
accountable for occsrreucss watch We
could not hsvs prevented" This. sen
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