Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-03-07
WHY BLAME THE COUNCIL?
EDITeR Posr- lSrELLIGEsCEB
- A.. =

EDIToR PosT- -lSrELLIgESCEB
There seems to bs growing disposi-
ton TO find fault with the present City
Council and to hold 1t responsible, to a
great extent, for the lawlsssness of the
past month. Why not the past seven
monthsY l can understand why the
past month should BE- emphasized, bat
cannot understand why IL should be
separated. in this matter of attaching
blame to the Council. from the past
seveo months.
| II shonld be remembered that these
| C0unellmen were elected 10y men who
disregard the Law, and were elected for
the purpose Of having certain laws of
| this Territory set at nanRht. IL should
| uot be forgotten that ons year ago no
stigma WAS darker, IN the estimation Of
the party now IN power. than Law and
Order. The adheren's OF that party
were dsnomisated religions fanatics,
| temperance cranks and pioos fools SIM
ply aud solely because they asked for
| aud urged the enforcement OF existing
law. But that simple demand WAS
sutlioient On the average business
man II had the effect Of a red fto on
au enraeed bull Law and 4rdei, Great
heavens. There could hardly nave been
tue watshsord been Anarchy and
Oh tos." FL "a these business men feared
s-,ng swept from the mercantile and
| commercial wo-ld by the bosom Of de-
I strue,ion, they coali scarcely have
shown more dread aud apprehension
| than waa manif, stsd at the poss blti,y
/ OF the saccess of Law aud order. They
/ seemed 70 think " Woe to as a. people
ssould that hated rule succeed-shoald
| saloons be closed on Saudsy--shouli
| gamblers, bhvds and thieves generally
/ have to lust their holes aud ply their
vocations out of sight, hidden at least
| from the ftoe aud ewes OF ths officers
! sworn - cut ,rns the lava 1aese
were apparently the sentiments Of the
| IN ii lrIty of she cdnstItu snts OF the
| preseqt conneil And outside % th tt
/ mai ,rlty there are unfortunately too
| many people who dare not say, Let
/ justice be done, though the heavens
fall They wOuid expect TO be crashed
| instantly. There vas once a grand
msa, VINO lived aud labored in this
kepub ie--an American, and not an Im
| ported America :. either added 10
this old saying: "And the more justice
~ doae, the more the heavens Will not
| fall"
Some supposed this Council would
pass ord nances so that the husint -
| and cr,mos they we're elected to protect
aud foster would have the benefit Of the
Law on their side. Bat under the severe
| pressure against the observance of lAw
| Il xas not deemea necessary. In fact
| Il vas more ln accordance with the spirit
of their coRstitu, nts to simply Ignort
the law. 80 they did IT, IL should be
remembered, in sx,enuAtion of the !
course, that they had before them the
| precedent Of John Leary, wso had been
/ elected by she same mea upon nne
sounding platform. Dir. Leary chose Il
act upon this platform, and carried oui
his pledges ia good faith. This theN
never intended him % do. They dic
DOT believe him when he said he would
do this, aud the howl they raised wheu
he did has not yet died out OF the ear
of the present Council.
Ii il true, no doubt. that many OF
these excellent business neu have co
more in this line during the past nsontt
than they bareaiued fori bat they be
heyed lawlessness woald iHcrease tbs
business of the city. They ead nc esl
for anysh Ing bat IN rney, money. money
IL vas maduesz ~ u-ge moraiity-ii wAs
ruin 90 speak Of iAw. They set the ex
ample-stey pat the ball in motion
WHY complaint A. H.
SKArrLE. March 6, isse.